Even if Blizzard doesn't release StarCraft II by the end of the year (which they officially maintain is still their target) it's clear that the long awaited sci-fi RTS sequel will sell tons of copies, especially in South Korea where the original game is basically their national sport. One well known analyst seems to agree that the game will be a hit but his estimates might actually be on the low site.

Gamasutra reports that Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes the game will sell 4 million copies for Blizzard and its parent publisher Activision Blizzard in whatever quarter it ends up shipping to stores. We think that number could actually be on the low side. We think the game will be a huge hit in the US and Europe but Patcher might be underestimating the South Korean sales. Blizzard has said that the original StarCraft has sold over 11 million copies since its launch in 1998 and roughly about half of those sales have been in South Korea.