In an interview with Wired celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Age of Empires franchise, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer teased the possibility of a Starcraft revival if Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved. The recent announcement of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 4 for Xbox shows that Microsoft is interested in bringing RTS games to the Xbox platform, and there are few RTS games as iconic or influential as Blizzard’s sci-fi classic, Starcraft.
Released for PC in 1998 by developer Blizzard, the original Starcraft took the high fantasy aesthetic of Blizzard’s hit Warcraft strategy games and gave it a sci-fi makeover, creating one of the most iconic franchises of all time in the process. With multiple playable races to choose from, each with their own tech tree and unique strategies, Starcraft became a hit with fans worldwide due to its easy to learn yet hard to master gameplay. Following the release of several expansion packs and a 2010 sequel, the last entry in the franchise was 2017’s Starcraft Remastered. Blizzard’s seeming lack of interest in the franchise in recent years has frustrated many fans, illustrated by Shang Chi’s Simu Liu asking Blizzard developers to save Starcraft in early 2022.
In an interview with Wired discussing the 25th anniversary of the classic RTS franchise Age of Empires, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer was asked about the future of the Starcraft brand if Microsoft’s approval of Activision Blizzard is approved. While Spencer was unable to discuss the particulars of any potential Starcraft projects given the ongoing legal issues around the acquisition, he did take the time to express his love for the franchise, describing Starcraft as “a seminal moment in gaming.” Spencer also noted the impact that Starcraft had on console gaming, with 2000’s Starcraft 64 serving as one of the first examples of a full-featured RTS appearing on consoles. The lasting impact of the franchise was on full display in 2021 when Starcraft was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Although any potential Starcraft revival is still years away, Spencer expressed genuine excitement about the idea of working with Blizzard to revitalize the franchise at some point. Spencer’s excitement echoes Microsoft’s seemingly renewed interest in the flagging RTS genre after the somewhat unexpected success of 2021’s Age of Empires 4, now coming to Xbox consoles in 2023. The recent announcement of Age of Mythology: Retold only serves as further proof of Microsoft’s dedication to showing that the genre can still be relevant in today’s gaming landscape.
For many RTS fans, Starcraft served as their entry to the genre. For others, it marked the start of a life-long obsession. Whether fans were enjoying the surprisingly deep story of the games’ campaign modes, or working on the perfect build queue for the cutthroat multiplayer matches, there are few games that can capture the excitement of Starcraft, and few franchises more deserving of a new lease on life.
Source: Wired