There can be no doubt that some of the best gamers in the world are from South Korea. The WCG is a witness to what the Korean gaming force can do. Even outside the WCG, whether it's StarCraft, Warcraft, Counter-strike, and even Tekken, there's bound to be a Korean or two among the best. So now comes this Craiglist posting, where you get to learn StarCraft from a real Korean, and no not a fake one.

Itching for more StarCraft II updates? Well, you are just in time because Blizzard has just unveiled a new trailer video for the game in an event in South Korea. This particular clip focuses on the Zerg Swarm and the new units that come with it. Watch the video after the jump!

Electronic Arts' CEO, John Riccitiello, has given a hint that the superstar publisher may soon experiment with new pricing models in the near future. Riccitiello has predicted that the usual pricing and revenue models will soon need to change, after emerging markets have defeated the US$ 59.99 premium price point for video games.

"In the next five years, we're all going to have to deal with this. In China, they're giving games away for free," said Riccitiello. He believes that soon the rest of the world will reach the forked road and accept change. "People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model."

At the start of 2007, Electronic Arts became one of the major worldwide publishers to have given away a current game for free. EA Sports' FIFA 07, Electronic Arts' previous bid in the virtual soccer market, was practically given away to gamers and fans in South Korea.

It must be noted that the game was at first downloaded for free within piracy rings, but soon EA accepted that there was a growing trend in a much larger gaming market (in population) that Western companies would soon have to face. Gamers now want something for nothing, and EA was generous enough to oblige.

FIFA 07 no longer appeared for retail on shelves, and the game was offered free for download over the Internet. In order for EA to gain something out of the gesture, the publisher marketed game "enhancements" for a minute microtransaction fees. Unsurprisingly, it was widely accepted. Korea's gaming economy flourished with microtransaction business models.

Riccitiello notes that as more publishers accept the online distribution model, Electronic Arts may begin testing out different pricing models for its wide lineup of games.

  

Some would've missed it, but it's a well known fact that South Korea embraces StarCraft like a national sport. By the looks of it, StarCraft 2 will also cater to the needs of hardcore elite pro-players. Associate producer Tony Hsu had a word with CVG to say just that.

"We have to appeal to the hardcore players, especially in Korea," said Hsu. There's no need to worry though, because you don't have to reach levels of 'kekeke' just to play a fun game. It's one of those "easy to play, hard to master" games, he added.

For fans of the original title who grew to love Terran grunts, zealous Protoss units, and the overwhelming Zerg, a lot of new goodies are in the bag. Those who've been keeping tabs would know that new elements have been added, such as warping and units with automatic special skills.

Even with all that jazz, StarCraft 2 will stay true to its roots of being both hardcore and noob-friendly. "A lot of RTS games you see on the market are watered down, they make it easier for gamers to play. But I think we can entertain everyone at the same time, that's what we're trying to do," Hsu continued.

The Entertainment Software Association has applauded the recent forging of a free trade agreement between the US and South Korea which will not only make it easier for publishers to bring games to and fro, it also helps fight software piracy.

According to the USA, opening better trade relations with one of the most economically-successful countries in Asia will result in "non-discriminatory and duty-free treatment for all digital products." This means that both countries will enjoy equal opportunities in the market to sell their wares.

This also means, according to software publishers, that the campaign against piracy has been bolstered because intellectual rights will be safeguarded whether they're in retail stores or up for sale in the internet.

Both the US and South Korea have populations where gaming is a big business. They also have extensive broadband connections among the citizenry to make them two of the world's most wired nations. Business opportunities abound as the game makers in the regions are innovative and successful at what they do.

Capcom's not letting their guard down even if they already have a strong presence in the market. Gamasutra sat down for an interview with Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Research Christian Svensson, and he talked about Capcom's future with much focus on Wii and downloadable content.

Svensson expressed his confidence with Resident Evil 4 going to the Wii, saying "anytime you sell another copy to another user, it expands the brand." Even with the PC version getting patches for improvement, he believes that the Wii version of RE4 is going to be the best out of four platforms.

While Capcom will be releasing several titles available for download on PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms, Svensson stated that it's more difficult to make a Wii downloadable game because of filesize limitations. On the good side, he confirmed the possibility of making original content on Wii if Nintendo gets their processes in order. Apart from that, the only main problem for making downloadable games available is the coordination required between them and the company of the console they want the game on.

Support for Windows games haven't been decided yet, but Capcom is trying to extend its market by focusing on the PC. "If you look at a lot of the developing markets like China, South Korea, and India, the gaming platform of choice is the PC" says Svensson. They seem to have great plans indeed, as he believes that Monster Hunter: Frontier will be big when it goes live in Japan.

For the full interview, check out the Read link below.

 

So you want to attend StarCraft, Diablo Series">Blizzard's World Wide Invitational, huh? Good news, then fellow Blizzard fans: the World Wide Invitational to be held in Seoul, Korea won't have an entrance fee at all. According to Blizzard's eternally burning Nethaera, the entrance fee is completely free. Interested attendees, however, will have to register at the event. Yes, you have to be there to register.

The World Wide Invitational will be held from May 19-20 at the Olympic Gymnastics and Fencing Stadiums in Seoul. As officially stated before, the WWI will reveal all of Blizzard's current and future franchises for the coming years. But as rumored, it seems this particular event will make or break the dreams of many StarCraft fans waiting for a successor.

The bad news is that the Invitational still requires you to shell out big bucks for a ticket to even get to Korea, and bide the evenings at a decent hotel room. Unless you live in Southeast Asia and row your way to South Korea across seas and intend to spend your nights in a cozy corner in front of the Stadiums, we're pretty sure many of you Blizzard-heads are tearing your eyes out.

So we guess us World of Warcraft players should just get back to grinding, raiding, trolling, nerf calling, ganking and online chick-hunting, and miss out on all the exciting E-sports competitions, unique panel discussions by the Blizzard developers themselves, and several face-melting hands-on attractions... Yep, so are the days of our lives.

How would you feel if we tell you that the newly-confirmed title from Blizzard Entertainment, StarCraft 2, is not going to be a real time strategy (RTS) game just like its predecessor, but an MMORPG one?

We know your heads are reeling right now because most fans feel like StarCraft is StarCraft, the ultimate RTS title of its time. One can't fix what ain't broke. The rumor started from online video game site Computer and Video Games, saying that its "well-placed U.S. sources" have informed them that StarCraft MMO will be revealed at an upcoming Blizzard event on May 19 in South Korea.

We don't know about CVG's sources but there is indeed an event in SoKor later this month - Blizzard World Invitational. If we are to believe CVG's report, we should all stop calling the new title StarCraft 2 because it's not a sequel. The site's "well-placed U.S. sources" added that it's going to be an MMo spin-off.

Also, we have to keep in mind that StarCraft already has an installed fan base. What happens now to World of Warcraft (WoW) and the rest of the MMO genre? Two Blizzard title battling it out for the top spot? It may sound like golden chimes to Blizzard but not necessarily for fans.

We guess we have to wait until May 19. En Taro Adun! (Yay for... World of Starcraft! -ed.)

StarCraft, Diablo Series">Blizzard announced today the details on their third annual Worldwide Invitational to be held in Seoul, Korea. As you know, the annually-held Worldwide Invitational is Blizzard's way of reaching out to their hordes and legions of fans, get their users' thoughts on their games and basically just foster a connection with the Blizzard-gaming community.

When: May 19-20, 2007
Where: Olympic Gymnastics and Fencing Stadiums in Seoul, South Korea

Like in the previous years, this year's event will also be open to gamers of all ages who will be able to join tournaments on Blizzard titles like World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, etc.

For the non-competitive peeps, the event will also feature panel discussions with the Blizzard developers that'll tackle various topics including game development. Blizzard will also be staging hands-on attractions in the said event. Blizzard's Mike Morhaime says,

With a wide variety of themed activities and competitions to participate in, the Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals are a great way for us to show our appreciation to our players. We're looking forward to creating another memorable show for them this year as well.

Stay tuned as we bring you more details on Blizzard's 2007 World Invitational.

 

CMP - the folks responsible for organizing the Game Developers Conference has recently confirmed that they will host a Korean GDC come September this year.

Ah, Korea, land of awesome kimchi, mass-produced MMOs - no offense to the really good ones that came out, cyber athletes/celebrities, the World Cyber Games, and female MMO gamers who sell their virginity for uber in-game items. (A Ragnarok Online myth that's yet to be confirmed, quick, call Jamie and Adam!)

Anyhow, GDC Korea is set to take place from September 13th to 5th at the Bexco Convention Hall in Busan, South Korea. The event is said to capitalize on the country's "fast growing" games community. (What? It's still growing?)

The event is said to consist of a two-day conference on the 13th and the 14th, and an Expo that will run for the full three days. The event is said to also be organized in part by Busan Metropolitan City. For more details on the event, feel free to click our read-link below. It should lead to the official site.