StarCraft was the game that really pushed eSports into the limelight, so it makes sense that Blizzard Entertainment is continuing to push the online aspects of StarCraft II. Their latest trailer for the upcoming expansion, Heart of the Swarm, focuses on eSports and multi-player features for the game.
The video is narrated by Kevin Johnson, Community Manager for StarCraft II, who presents some of things the team has been working on.
One of the most requested features in the original game was the ability to watch replays with other people. Heart of the Swarm will be enabling this, allowing for teams to study matches together, or for friends to socialize while they watch. This will accessible through the replay menu, which will now have a "Watch With Others" button that opens up a Battle.net lobby.
A much more ambitious feature being added is called "Take Command." This allows users to watch a replay, pause at any point, and jump into the game as one of the players. This includes both replays that you personally participated in, as well as other players' matches. This could be an incredible tool for both professionals and amateurs alike, allowing gamers to study match ups, and see what could've been done to create a different outcome.
Additionally, Heart of the Swarm will add a feature called "Recover," which will allow players to resume games if someone's network drops or they're otherwise disconnected. This will obviously solve a lot of the headaches associated with both professional eSports, as in the past, games typically had to be restarted when technical errors like these occurred.
Lastly, StarCraft commentators also now have access to more visual options, allowing them to fully customize the UI. In addition, Heart of the Swarm will be adding "physics" options that enhance the look of the game, allowing for an even more exciting broadcasting experience.
Heart of the Swarm is out on March 12th.
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