Battle.net is No More. Say Hello to Blizzard App

[Steven Bogos]

Battle.net is No More. Say Hello to Blizzard App

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Blizzard has removed its battle.net branding from its game client, which is now simply Blizzard App.

Last year, Blizzard announced that it would be killing the Battle.net branding [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/168462-Blizzard-Drops-the-Name-Battle-net] for its gaming service. Today, an update for the Battle.net client has executed the initiative, removing all mention of the service. You'll notice that the Battle.net logo has been replaced with the Blizzard logo, and the application has simply been renamed to "Blizzard App".

"Over time, though, we've seen that there's been occasional confusion and inefficiencies related to having two separate identities under which everything falls - Blizzard and Battle.net," wrote Blizzard of the transition.

Blizzard says that the transition is purely a superficial one: everything will work exactly the same way and use the same servers as it did when it was Battle.net. The Battle.net URL also still works (for the time being).

Battle.net launched more than 20 years ago alongside the release of the original Diablo, and pioneered the way PC gamers play video games online.

Permalink

 

[Rastrelly]

They killed Battle.net! You, bastards!

 

[Zydrate]

Yea, I'm indifferent. Still says Battle.net on my desktop, though the icon is indeed new.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

*lines up 21 starcraft marines and does a 21 gun salute while sad music plays*

Battle.net was a cool name and had a cool logo and had nostalgia for so many people, it's a shame to see it retired like this.

 

[darkhippie]

Just changed over this second as I was reading this article! Battlenet does sound a bit 90's so I'm not surprised they changed.

 

[megs1120]

*lines up 21 starcraft marines and does a 21 gun salute while sad music plays*

Battle.net was a cool name and had a cool logo and had nostalgia for so many people, it's a shame to see it retired like this.

Nuclear launch detected.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I don't like change.

 

[Fappy]

Anyone else remember the Gamespy client?

 

[Mister K]

Ooooh, Blizzard App, how creative,

 

[Silence]

I don't like change.

This.

Battle.net was my youth in Warcraft 3, for god's sake! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Also ok. New name is boring.

 

[Imre Csete]

Good old D2 days.

O unid Shaco N IK maul

 

[Avnger]

Eh, no real surprise here. Consistent branding makes sense from a corporate standpoint.

On the plus side, we all now have an excuse to talk about "the good old battle.net days" in 5 years or so.

 

[Hawki]

So, yesterday, not only was that the explanation for why battle.net rebooted itself, but it's also the reason why there's a bland "Blizzard App" tag on my toolbar.

Damn you Blizzard! Damn you to the Black Abyss! I cast thee out into the Void, so that your soul may do nothing but roam the Twisting Nether for eternity!

 

[bladestorm91]

This perfectly sums up how uncreative this decade has been compared to the last. One is a nice tough sounding name and a stylish icon design, the other is named like a cheap mobile application and an icon with literally their company name on it which you can barely read.

Something so small yet so indicative of how far the industry has fallen and how corporatized it has become. Yes I read too much into it, I'm bitter and cynical as fuck with the whole AAA gaming industry.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

So the idea is to go from a really cool sounding name to a really boring sounding name for purely superficial reasons? Ok, that's stupid. What brain dead corporate fuck thought that was a good idea?

This perfectly sums up how uncreative this decade has been compared to the last. One is a nice tough sounding name and a stylish icon design, the other is named like a cheap mobile application and an icon with literally their company name on it which you can barely read.

Something so small yet so indicative of how far the industry has fallen and how corporatized it has become. Yes I read too much into it, I'm bitter and cynical as fuck with the whole AAA gaming industry.

That about sums up my feelings on it too.

 

[LTenhet]

And it'll only take 20 years for people to actually stop calling it Battle.net. If it ever happens, because Blizzard App is a horrible, horrible name.

 

[Xeorm]

And it'll only take 20 years for people to actually stop calling it Battle.net. If it ever happens, because Blizzard App is a horrible, horrible name.

This. Precisely. Don't get me wrong, I understand the idea of branding. It's something you always have to keep in mind.

But at the same time, this is terrible branding. Bnet was a well known name, and easily shortened down to two syllables, with a fun, recognizable symbol. It's the perfect idea of what you want for a product's branding. The Blizzard App is terrible. You confuse the app and all that goes with it with your actual company name. It also doesn't shorten well, as I need to use "the" and "app" when talking about it. Best I can do is "The Blizz app". Gross. The icon at least works I guess.

Reminds me of when Gamestop bought Impulse and renamed their app "Gamestop". Terrific marketing there! Big surprise that Impulse went away and stopped competing with Steam. Morons.

 

[Nazulu]

I wonder if they'll 'simplify' their logo one day because it looks too interesting. Maybe one day they'll just call themselves Snow to avoid any excitement.

 

[FalloutJack]

So, I'll stop getting spam on my email account saying that my non-existent account there is being misused, and please would you click this totally legit link for more information? Good.