With the release date of the long-awaited StarCraft II still up in the air, longtime StarCraft players have found solace in playing the original game to no end. Masses of gamers continue to play the game as they wait for the follow-up’s “to be announced” status to change to a specific date. StarCraft II’s ambiguous launch date isn’t as bad as it seems, though. Despite the gripes of StarCraft veterans, the delayed launch of StarCraft II has allowed new gamers, young and old, to experience all the great gameplay of the sci-fi real-time strategy title.
I was recently scheduled to work five overnight security shifts at the Anaheim Convention Center. During my breaks, I would often find a coworker and friend of mine playing StarCraft on his laptop. He was enthralled by the game, and it was interesting to see how loyal he continued to be to the game despite its original 1998 release.
A big shock came when I talked to my friend one day. He told me he made our boss—a 55-year old biker who has nary a positive thing to say about anything—try the game during one of our overnight shifts. I asked him what our boss’s thoughts on the game were, expecting criticism from the wily old man. My friend then began talking in a gruff, comical voice as to imitate our boss and said, “Wow, this game is really good! You get to do a lot of things with your troops, and you can kill the enemy in different ways!” Not the most detailed—or riveting—of descriptions, but a positive reaction nonetheless from someone who claimed only games such as Call of Duty and Halo were worth playing.
My boss liked StarCraft so much that he said he wanted his very own copy of the game. I certainly would have never expected such a thing, but some games can draw the attention and admiration of even the most hostile individuals. StarCraft garnering the interest of a crude, critical, foul-mouthed security guard is definitely something special, and it shows that anyone from a timid high school student to an older man with a tough guy attitude can enjoy the greatness of StarCraft.
Here’s hoping my boss is just one in a legion of new StarCraft players in the 50-60 year range. Here’s hoping more fans of all ages give StarCraft a try, whether it’s on the PC, Mac, or Nintendo 64. And here’s hoping that the sequel’s unannounced launch is not seen as a bothersome wait, but as a window of opportunity for new gamers to join the StarCraft fan base.
