UPDATE: We received an update from Blizzard stating that "StarCraft 2" now has a 12+ rating in South Korea and is no longer marked with an adults-only 18+.
The final release date for "StarCraft 2" must have come as welcome news in South Korea. Those who appreciated the announcement will undoubtedly be even happier, however, to know that Blizzard plans on making "SC2" available to them for free. In fact, everyone in South Korea with an active "World of Warcraft" account will also get access to "SC2" for no additional charge at all.
The offer, which was announced at an event in Seoul will be a "a way of giving something back to such a supportive and skilled community of players," "StarCraft 2" lead producer Chris Sigaty said, according to IGN.
I can think of quite a few "WoW"-player pals of mine who wouldn't mind such added value arriving to their U.S. accounts, but Americans expecting a similar offering here would be best served to familiarize themselves with the "StarCraft"-playing demographics of South Korea, where the game has been linked to death by exhaustion from marathon gaming habits.
I'd say that the game's Adults-only rating in the country might help to sift out immature gamers who don't know when to say when if that man who died in 2005 hadn't been 28. Still, maybe fewer Korean younglings will be drawn into such dangerous daily routines.
Would you like to see Blizzard offer "SC2" for free to American "WoW" players? What are your expectations like for the game? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.