[s]blizzard[/s]
With Starcraft: Ghost coming out next year, and the recent acquisition of Swingin’ Ape Studios, Blizzard Entertainment is fully prepared to enter the console market. Ghost was originally scheduled for 2002, then 2003, but in the years since, current generation consoles have grown old. With the newest Xbox coming out in less than 2 months, the “typo” in the Blizzard catalog may have been deliberate after all.
By the time SC:G is released in 2006, most avid Xbox gamers will have bought a 360, so it seems like a bad idea for Blizzard to release a version of Ghost for the technically dated original Xbox. Following the same logic, it makes no sense to release ghost for the weaker PS2, or the almost dead Gamecube.
Three of the most recently posted jobs have the words "Next Gen" right in their names, so Blizzard is more than likely pursuing support for 7th generation (PS3, Xbox 360, Revolution) consoles in Ghost. The job titled "Next-Gen Game Physics/Collision Programmer" is likely related to the Xbox 360’s Havok physics engine, used notably in Halo. The Next-Gen Tools Programmer position cites "MFC, Win32, and DirectX coding experience" as one of the requirements, and since the 360's graphics system mirrors that of the upcoming Windows Vista, this could mean there is a chance that Ghost will be ported to PC after all (Microsoft has tried to create similar architectures for both systems, to allow easy crossover for developers). The latest job, Next-Gen Engine Programmer, pretty much confirms the rumor, since Xbox 360 is designed to be hardware-intensive in its graphics.
While Blizzard may be posting these jobs simply in order to expand the capabilities of the newly founded console section, it seems more likely that it is so they can port the game to the new Xbox (and others) rather than release it for current-generation consoles when the 360 is already, and having the game seem dated. If Blizzard was confident enough to buy Swingin' Ape Studios before they've even finished their job, it is safe to assume that Ghost will be the first in a line of top-notch console games from Blizzard's new division.
Links
Blizzard Employment Page - Job descriptions
Gamespot - Rumors about Ghost for next-gen consoles
Starcraft: Ghost FAQ - The official word
Blizzard is hiring again, with a number of console-related openings on the list of nearly 50 jobs. Will Ghost be undergoing further development for next-generation support?
With Starcraft: Ghost coming out next year, and the recent acquisition of Swingin’ Ape Studios, Blizzard Entertainment is fully prepared to enter the console market. Ghost was originally scheduled for 2002, then 2003, but in the years since, current generation consoles have grown old. With the newest Xbox coming out in less than 2 months, the “typo” in the Blizzard catalog may have been deliberate after all.
By the time SC:G is released in 2006, most avid Xbox gamers will have bought a 360, so it seems like a bad idea for Blizzard to release a version of Ghost for the technically dated original Xbox. Following the same logic, it makes no sense to release ghost for the weaker PS2, or the almost dead Gamecube.
Three of the most recently posted jobs have the words "Next Gen" right in their names, so Blizzard is more than likely pursuing support for 7th generation (PS3, Xbox 360, Revolution) consoles in Ghost. The job titled "Next-Gen Game Physics/Collision Programmer" is likely related to the Xbox 360’s Havok physics engine, used notably in Halo. The Next-Gen Tools Programmer position cites "MFC, Win32, and DirectX coding experience" as one of the requirements, and since the 360's graphics system mirrors that of the upcoming Windows Vista, this could mean there is a chance that Ghost will be ported to PC after all (Microsoft has tried to create similar architectures for both systems, to allow easy crossover for developers). The latest job, Next-Gen Engine Programmer, pretty much confirms the rumor, since Xbox 360 is designed to be hardware-intensive in its graphics.
While Blizzard may be posting these jobs simply in order to expand the capabilities of the newly founded console section, it seems more likely that it is so they can port the game to the new Xbox (and others) rather than release it for current-generation consoles when the 360 is already, and having the game seem dated. If Blizzard was confident enough to buy Swingin' Ape Studios before they've even finished their job, it is safe to assume that Ghost will be the first in a line of top-notch console games from Blizzard's new division.
Links
Blizzard Employment Page - Job descriptions
Gamespot - Rumors about Ghost for next-gen consoles
Starcraft: Ghost FAQ - The official word
