Behold the Giant Battle.net 2.0 Preview

[Grey_Focks]

well, while it certainly looks nicer (anyone know how this will affect Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2?) but I'm a bit undecided on the option to pay for user made content. First off, how will they decided what must be paid for (and how much) and what will be free? Is it entirely up to the uploader, or will blizzard have some hand in it? Also, anyone who plays DotA knows that new maps are released periodically with new updates, balance changes, heroes and items. Will blizzard introduce a way to simply update pre-existing maps, or will we have to pay for each new one?

 

[Credge]

I think I'm the only one here who isn't impressed by this.

How many years has it taken for them to make this? Don't reply, that's rhetorical.

I've lost my confidence in Diablo 3 :|.

 

[Freshman]

YAY!!!!! NEWS ABOUT STARCRAFT.

OT: they better get a good skill ranking system....

 

[chozo_hybrid]

YAY!!!!! NEWS ABOUT STARCRAFT.

OT: they better get a good skill ranking system....

That's all I care about in all this, and that my computer can run it.

 

[Zer_]

From experience, skill ranking systems only work to a certain degree. Looking at Quake Live, you see that the ranking system is very wonky. I've had new players getting classified as Tier 4 (2nd highest tier, and my Tier), then they get their asses kicked and start whining.

This could be both good and bad, and I honestly hope Blizzard does a good job at keeping equally skilled players together. To me though, I just don't like having matchmaking with a ranking system. How is a newer player going to learn from the better players if he never plays against them?

 

[Littlee300]

Now I think your making half this crap up... I am bet Blizzard wouldn't make a marketplace, or show commercials. (I do expect bill-board type ads though)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/starcraft-ii-to-allow-paid-for-mods
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/cloud-play-and-more-for-battle-net
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/12/ads-come-to-battle-net-as-activision-monetizes-free-service.ars
http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/104/1044979p1.html
https://us.battle.net/account/creation/tos.xml

NO NO NO NO! MY MIND REJECTS IT! ):
I stand corrected...

 

[Nurb]

I still say they are planning to start having people pay subscription fees for using multiplayer at some point, since they disallowed any LAN or multiplayer that doesn't go through their servers

AND the people behind Modern Warfare 2 taking control away from the players in the same manner were discussing making the third game subscription based.. its all the same publisher so that means they'll probably apply the future MW game restrictions to Blizzard's IP, and who knows what they're going to get their greedy mitts into.

 

[Weaver]

In theory the GFWL matchmaking for Dawn of War 2 was also supposed to be "trueskill" dependent, and adjust based on how well you did. But the game would match you up with fucking anyone. It didn't learn and it didn't care - it was a pile of shit.

I'd frequently get paired up with a person who was only on their first or second game against people who had ~700 games under their belts.

 

[Weaver]

I still say they are planning to start having people pay subscription fees for using multiplayer at some point, since they disallowed any LAN or multiplayer that doesn't go through their servers

AND the people behind Modern Warfare 2 taking control away from the players in the same manner were discussing making the third game subscription based.. its all the same publisher so that means they'll probably apply the future MW game restrictions to Blizzard's IP, and who knows what they're going to get their greedy mitts into.

I wish Bobby Kotick was never born. He is the absolute worst thing to happen to gaming. If I woke up and read my morning news that he was bludgeoned to death, I would fucking smile. I swear, I would smile.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

I'm in the "Loves RTS' but Fails at them" boat with you John.


I love RTS' more than any other Genre of game (Maybe it ties with FPS) and I am a complete failure at most of them.

 

[Nurb]

I still say they are planning to start having people pay subscription fees for using multiplayer at some point, since they disallowed any LAN or multiplayer that doesn't go through their servers

AND the people behind Modern Warfare 2 taking control away from the players in the same manner were discussing making the third game subscription based.. its all the same publisher so that means they'll probably apply the future MW game restrictions to Blizzard's IP, and who knows what they're going to get their greedy mitts into.

I wish Bobby Kotick was never born. He is the absolute worst thing to happen to gaming. If I woke up and read my morning news that he was bludgeoned to death, I would fucking smile. I swear, I would smile.

we're at the point where people who love games and work up the ladder by making them, are slowly fading away, and no longer the ones who run the gaming companies. They will have no say if they ar part of a big publisher unless they refuse to let themselves be purchased. Instead the people who run the game industry are greedy executive suits put in place by shareholders. They aren't a game company, they're a corporation doing what it's supposed to do.

To the big companies, a loyal gamer is a ripe target for a shakedown to squeeze out every last penny.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/01/activisions-bobby-kotick-brings-cash-but-not-heart.ars

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/09/actiblizzard-ceo-kotick-policy-rewards-profits-removes-fun.ars

 

[Flying-Emu]

Seriously, are we still matchmaking based on skill? For the love of fuck, it NEVER WORKS.

I get the distinct feeling that the people who create these matchmaking systems haven't the slightest clue how statistics work.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Whatever. I still have not forgiven them for marketing each campaign as a separate "expansion", and I'm not buying into the whole "it will allow us to deliver higher quality campaigns" defence.

When did it become okay for developers to start charging for every little feature? Between monthly fees, DLCs, expansion packs and "premium content" - not to mention the game itself - gaming has suddenly become a very expensive hobby. Now they're apparently going to be charging for additional maps! They might as well just recode the game so that instead of harvesting minerals you just swipe your damn credit card every time you want to build a unit.

 

[Weaver]

Whatever. I still have not forgiven them for marketing each campaign as a separate "expansion", and I'm not buying into the whole "it will allow us to deliver higher quality campaigns" defence.

When did it become okay for developers to start charging for every little feature? Between monthly fees, DLCs, expansion packs and "premium content" - not to mention the game itself - gaming has suddenly become a very expensive hobby. Now they're apparently going to be charging for additional maps! They might as well just recode the game so that instead of harvesting minerals you just swipe your damn credit card every time you want to build a unit.

Don't say that, they might be listening!! Though it would be fun to have my bank phone me and say "We require more vespine gas"

 

[Asehujiko]

Looking at the 4th pic down: LOST TEMPLE IS BACK!!!

Edit, aw crap: it's a mock up screen.

 

[kingmob]

Seriously, are we still matchmaking based on skill? For the love of fuck, it NEVER WORKS.

I get the distinct feeling that the people who create these matchmaking systems haven't the slightest clue how statistics work.

Tbh, it should be quite 'easy' to do, but yes, you need to know how statistics work and it needs a lot of attention. However, if it works it is a huge selling point. Imo it is the missing link between casual public play and hardcore online gaming. Once perfected we might finally see these elusive "easy to learn, hard to master" online games, where being competitive is also fun and easy.

 

[MorteSphere]

Well, I'm excited, even though my computer is too shitty for SCII.

- More spyware (Blizzard has the right to store and read every message you transmit over it, for security reasons of course)

You should only care about this if you do shit that you shouldn't do.

 

[Nemu]

YAY!!!!! NEWS ABOUT STARCRAFT.

OT: they better get a good skill ranking system....

That's all I care about in all this, and that my computer can run it.

Am I sad for having a wish list for computer components and eagerly awaiting my taxes to come in?

Wotever, I don't care, I am buying a computer specifically for SCII (never played I, tho), WoW's next X-Pac and Star Wars: ToR. My 5-year old comp isn't BAD, but I'd rather just completely start over for the next crop of my attention-soakers.

 

[benbenthegamerman]

Yes I can see them, the awesome new Battle.Net features...

- Matchmaking
- More commercials
- More spyware (Blizzard has the right to store and read every message you transmit over it, for security reasons of course)
- More control (Blizzard has the right to any content (redistribute, modify and sell) you transmit or post on the Battle.Net including pictures, sounds and most certainly maps)
- Map "Marketplace" (no more "free maps" for everyone like in the first StarCraft or WarCraft 3, they got IG shops you can pay money for 3rd party maps in, and the authors even get A PORTION of the earnings, how generous of you Blizzard)
- Item shops
- Facebook like "ID-page" so you can "distinguish" yourself...
- No LAN or playing with friends anymore, everyone HAS to be logged in to the great Overlord hivemind B.Net and every person HAS to have a key of the game (and every following Add-On) to be able to play with friends or family.
- Achievements (yay, thanks for keeping track of how awesome I am Blizzard... everyone's been eagerly awaiting those on the PC)

Thank you ACTIBlizzard, I can't fucking wait...

that was bitter. Something wrong?