Play StarCraft for free with updated graphics

[hellokitty[hk]]

StarCraft, the classic strategy RTS from Blizzard Entertainment, has been updated and is now available for free as of this morning. A fully remastered version with 4K graphics is also in the works, slated for release later this year (at a cost).

StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War together is iconic for being one of first games to become an eSports, particularly in South Korea where viewers would flood entire stadiums dedicated to hosting StarCraft matches. StarCraft's huge success in South Korea paved the way for eSports to become an internationally recognized phenomenon.

Despite the release of StarCraft II, StarCraft: Brood War has retained popularity in South Korea, where there is still a lively professional scene and regular tournament broadcasts.

As of patch 1.18, StarCraft and its expansion, StarCraft: Brood War are free, and revamped with modern OS support and remastered graphics and sounds. The first patch in over eight years brings numerous much needed improvements including:

• Support for Windows 7, 8.1, 10, and Mac Beta 10.11 and above
• Improved graphics
• Added anticheat
• Low latency multiplayer
• Fullscreen and windowed options
• Improved multiplayer experience

Although Blizzard has thus far allowed third party servers (e.g. iccup, fish) to implement these features on their own, Blizzard has vowed to work with developers to make patch 1.18 compatible.

StarCraft patch 1.18 is a precursor to StarCraft Remastered, a re-imagining of the classic RTS in 4k graphics, slated for release in summer of 2017. StarCraft Remastered edition will need to be purchased separately, but Blizzard promises that players with patch 1.18 and the upcoming Remastered edition will be able to do battle with each other online.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/69006-play-starcraft-free-updated-graphics.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Thanks for the offer Blizzard but I'll graciously pass. It's really not my kind of game, but there'll probably hordes wringing their hands with glee.

 

[MannerMauler]

I'm glad. I already have it for free (one of the easiest games to get online) but this sounds awesome! This is one of the first real games, along with AoE2, that I played.

 

[VitalyT]

I followed the instructions for installing it, and I don't see in new graphics in the game.

Isn't it the one that was supposed to have the new high-res graphics? I see none of that.

I thought it was going to be this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeeY9wriu0

But it is just the same old crap.

 

[Panda218]

I followed the instructions for installing it, and I don't see in new graphics in the game.

Isn't it the one that was supposed to have the new high-res graphics? I see none of that.

I thought it was going to be this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeeY9wriu0

But it is just the same old crap.

Starcraft remaster won't be out until late summer and then you can expect High-res graphics. I think this is just a minor bump to the original SC and mainly focuses on optimization for online play. I'll have to give it a shot when I get home as I only played Warcraft back in the day and never touch the Starcraft series until #2 was released.

 

[Nicragomi]

I followed the instructions for installing it, and I don't see in new graphics in the game.

Isn't it the one that was supposed to have the new high-res graphics? I see none of that.

But it is just the same old crap.

I think you missed the part where it said...

StarCraft Remastered edition will need to be purchased separately

 

[Panda218]

I think you missed the part where it said...

Even once remastered comes out it won't be anything close to SC2 graphics

 

[Squid Surprise]

I followed the instructions for installing it, and I don't see in new graphics in the game.

Isn't it the one that was supposed to have the new high-res graphics? I see none of that.

I thought it was going to be this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeeY9wriu0

But it is just the same old crap.

The game will be 20 years old next March.... it's pretty impressive that people still want to play it... calling it "crap" just shows your own ignorance...

They're releasing this for FREE - I actually payed $60 for it back in 1998.... still have the box and original CD

 

[andrewdoyle88]

So many memories playing online defense games

 

[Catweazle]

"StarCraft, the classic strategy RTS from Blizzard Entertainment, has been remastered and is now available for free as of this morning."

This article is wrong, they are only releasing the original version for free, NOT the remastered version, which oddly the article itself later states. The free version has some updates to work better on modern operating systems but it is not the remastered version.

 

[amghwk]

Are you sure it's the remastered version that is free???

The latest patch is to allow installs on moderns systems. It is not the remastered version.

The Remastered version is yet to be released, and if I am not mistaken it will be a new purchase.

 

[Julio Franco]

Honest mistake by the author, now corrected.

 

[VitalyT]

The game will be 20 years old next March.... it's pretty impressive that people still want to play it... calling it "crap" just shows your own ignorance...

They're releasing this for FREE - I actually payed $60 for it back in 1998.... still have the box and original CD

You misread it. I called the graphics crap, not the game. I still have the original disk too.

 

[Squid Surprise]

You misread it. I called the graphics crap, not the game. I still have the original disk too.

lol... I didn't misread... you simply mis-spoke

The graphics aren't crap - just "crap" for modern games... for 1998, they were pretty nice

 

[GreenNova343]

Starcraft & Brood War are the reasons why, when I read the review for an upcoming game & keep hearing about how "visually stunning" it is, or how the graphics are so "realistic & lifelike", & how so much attention was paid to the visual details, I find that the first question I ask is, "...but how is the gameplay?"

Don't get me wrong, I like the graphics quality in SC2. But I like the gameplay more. And that's why I still have both of my copies of SC & Brood War (got the 2nd set when I thought one of the sets had gone bad, plus it meant I could let a friend play on the laptop while I used the desktop). I still love playing the original. And there are very few games out there that provided so many different multi-player maps of various sizes for free with the core game.

 

[Adhmuz]

I followed the instructions for installing it, and I don't see in new graphics in the game.

Isn't it the one that was supposed to have the new high-res graphics? I see none of that.

The full remaster will be out later this year, for the time being they simply updated the menus to be higher resolution, got rid of that horrible rainbow pallet effect that happened due to higher bit color of modern systems and widescreen display now have black bars on the side with the option to stretch to fit. Also they revamped the multiplayer side of things a bunch, but I guess you would have had to have played it recently to notice these things.

 

[Raytrace3D]

I followed the instructions for installing it, and I don't see in new graphics in the game.

Isn't it the one that was supposed to have the new high-res graphics? I see none of that.

I thought it was going to be this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeeY9wriu0

But it is just the same old crap.

The game will be 20 years old next March.... it's pretty impressive that people still want to play it... calling it "crap" just shows your own ignorance...

They're releasing this for FREE - I actually payed $60 for it back in 1998.... still have the box and original CD

Heck yeah! I got this game as a high school graduation present in '98. The retail box had the Terran Soldier on the cover. BEST gift ever.. I still play it!!