Korean news site iNews24 has reported that we might be seeing HD remake of the original StarCraft. Although what is reported on is in Korean, here is a translation of what is written:
Today, multiple sources with knowledge of Blizzard internal plans said that Blizzard will reveal StarCraft HD to the public this September. The StarCraft HD remastered version will retain the original gameplay and is said to have improved graphics resolution and user interface (UI).
As of now, the remake is rumored to be announced in September, the month of the StarCraft II World Championship Series in Mexico. Details about the HD version would most likely not be announced until November, during Blizzard’s annual festival, Blizzcon.
Now, let the speculation commence.
Blizzard has a massive following in Korea, with Overwatch, StarCraft II, and even the original StarCraft being among the most played games in internet cafes. StarCraft for the longest time was even the national sport of Korea, until it was dethroned by Riot Games’ League of Legends. Whether it was the rise of the MOBA genre or poor reception to StarCraft II, many players are not investing time into the RTS genre like they used to.
If this rumor would be true, potential remakes for arguably Blizzard’s most iconic games could be on the table. Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and all of the expansion packs for each (Lord of Destruction, The Frozen Throne, and Brood War) would garner a lot of anticipation.
The release is still just a rumor, and there are potential reasons Blizzard may not want to put these popular games back out on the market. It seems counter-productive at first, but the reasoning is that Blizzard currently is still pushing Diablo 3, StarCraft II, and the current World of Warcraft expansions as the games people want to play. It might have played a part in the closing of Nostalrius, as a Vanilla server gaining popularity would potentially hurt business of their new expansion, Legion.
However, we will see how this ends up playing out. Generally, more people playing your games is a good thing, and Blizzard km nows where the money is. If these rumors are true, the hype will be extraordinary. Nostalgia is a powerful tool, and could lead to a massive boost in profit for the company.