Blizzard looking at free-to-play StarCraft II multiplayer

If they do go F2Play then they better not sell it for 60 bucks full price.

He say "We don't know how [Blizzard] would monetize it mmmm

First they should make a real money AH :P  Then i am sure they will get some ideas how to get more money heheh

NO that's a slap in the face to the people who supported and brought Starcraft!

Probably because they want to sell user created maps.

well if their goal is to attract more ppl to try competitive esports it definitely could work. I really dont think they will restrict unit access. that would be ridiculous. please dont compare free sc2 to LoL, they are not even close. most likely they will come up with some other portraits maybe convenient functions and stuff.

those of you that are bringing up the leavers problem. wc3 was not free it never stopped dota from having leavers. a normal rts game is alot more fast paced and generally has less leavers. those that play custom games are generally not that serious and will have more leavers. and with the tpye of gameplay most custom games have leavers should be expected. f2p will increase your player base and is a good thing. Now you have more ppl wanting to play your games especially the less popular ones.

but i have to say i do not like the f2p idea either and do not think it will make them rich. The game will only last if the content can keep the players. Free to play can attract people to try but the content is what will keep them.

I think a f2p sc2 ruins the image of the game and if multiplayer is free i wouldnt want to pay the same price for single play campagn only. and i wasnt too impressed with wol single player.

?? ok starcraft 2 is already free

make the single player free to play and I will be interested

Then that means i spent 60 bucks just for the singleplayer? Dont make multiplayer f2p.

They might make more money in the short term if they do this, but in the long term, Starcraft won't be considered a "serious" franchise anymore by anybody and it will hurt them.  They might as well release a bunch of crappy Starcraft games every year until nobody buys them anymore like what happened with the Command and Conquer series.

I am sorry but that's just wrong.  You can't start to add nickel-and-diming in a game that was released two years ago.  That's totally unethical.  If you want to do this for your next game, fine, but don't ruin Starcraft 2 please.

I think Mr. Browder, was testing the ground.  He did said ?looking at? and ??how to monetize it.?  Key words when someone is trying to get feedback and suggestions. 

I suggest that BigPoints should be a test case for Blizzard to look at what ?not? to do and what to do. If you don?t know who BigPoints is they are creators of Battlestar Galactica, Deepolis, Dark Orbit, Pirate Storm,  Farmerama, Spel and other ?free-to-play? games. 

People will pay to play more so if you get them hugged at the beginning with the ?free-to-play? business model.  The key point is how your present it to the players.  As long as SC2 is not modify to make the NOOBS happy like Bigpoint try to do with Deepolis there will be a free-pay-play SC2.  As for the 60? maybe they could do what StarTrek Online (STO) did when they went free-to-play.

Just remember you were a NOOB too and we need fresh meat  to keep things going.

@Noble_Knight1

The new WoW?

It sounds cool, until you realize F2P against a paid player could really suck. Hmmm...

I really think people are seriously overreacting to this article.  While I won't argue the evils of the F2P model (trust me, I don't like it either), you're all acting like they just made the ENTIRE GAME this way.  It's just the multiplayer portion!

You can avoid the whole irritation by simply purchasing the retail copy.  It's that simple.  Just buy it, like you normally would.  You'd have access to everything the game offers without having to hassle with all the micro-transaction garbage that F2P users choose to deal with.

You guys are making this out to be a lot worse than it actually is.

Blizzard, cut your bullshit plz, our patience has limits. Think about how you're going to fix D3 instead of fucking up SC2

Does this dumb ass company realize that if they screw up the only 3 franchises hey have, they will be begging on the street?  

And for just $5.00 you start with double the vespene gas!

free to play is the future, why can't people just accept it and move on, it benefit everyone because you can play for free and pay to for the game you like to spend more time on.

We are going to need The Reapers to arrive early this cycle to stop the CHAOS.

Blizzard was looking for a way get free add space for SC2. Maybe Torchlight 2 did better than what they've antecipaded. Mission accomplished. Their statement is void of content.

What do you mean? SC2 was always free to play multiplayer. I am not sure what these guys are talking about? Someone please elaborate.

No thats bullsh*t Blizzard!

Im all for free games but people wont want to pay for single player, of course they will download the multiplayer version if its free.

If anything make people pay for online to stop lag and noob kids/adults ruining games by leaving.

I wouldnt be happy if they charged me for online use either but dont open Starcraft up to just anyone to get from a free download. its a terrible idea blizzard. 

Please stop wrecking the Classic Blizzard games Activision, u money hungry pigs!

Idk how they'd monetize it either.

first they fucking ruin diablo 3 then they fucking want to fucking put starfuckingcraft 2 free? fuck them and their fucking pandas! yeah cause pandas are the way to fucking go

fuck blizzard i payed fucking 60 euros for that fucking game! IF THEY GO FREE TO PLAY I WANT SOME FUCKING BONUS

Activision is going to allow this? lol

Oh god no. Not my StarCraft. Please!! Anything but my StarCraft...

I think the solution here is simple. if they REALLY want to monetize StarCraft via f2p, they should do this:

- The multiplayer portion of the game is free, updates and all.

- The pro Battle.net ladders cost money to opt into, as normal.

- The single player campaign still costs money.

There. Simple, clean, effective, and doesn't turn the game into pay2win. But honestly, I've been dreading the day this would happen. I was seriously afraid that after the Diablo 3 fiasco, Activision Blizzard wouldn't be able to make it to Legacy of the Void without either a steep drop in quality or a change in business model. Hearing this reaffirms my worry. Sadly, I will still buy Heart of the Swarm regardless because Zerg has always been my favorite race, but it's looking worse and worse for the far-off third installment...