Blizzard Attacks StarCraft II Cheat Developers

[FFMattCR]

I've seen a couple of comments about this and i'm gonna have to agree,

When I'm done with a game's story etc, It does keep me interested in single player for a bit longer if I can mess about with god modes and stuff like that (Oblivion's developer console for example), I'd rather not have to possibly pay for/ download any sort of program for this though

But obviously hacks and mods for multiplayer are just unfair and a bit silly really

 

[Sir Prize]

If you find a cheater, just ban them from the game or whatever you need to do to get rid of the cheats. I think useing VIDEOGAME cheaters is going a little far, I mean come it's a junvile action taken to seriously.

 

[AceDiamond]

Let's see how other companies have handled cheaters

Valve: Removed items from the backpacks of people who used idling programs in TF2, rewarded those who didn't cheat

Bungie: Reset the points of people who exploited daily challenges in Halo:Reach, eventually moved onto two-week bans

Blizzard: LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT

So excuse me if I think Blizzard is not only overreacting but sending a bad message.

 

[GoGo_Boy]

So you actually don't have a problem with Blizzard filing lawsuits against Hackers ciortas.
So why go off topic again and again?

 

[Alar]

Let's see how other companies have handled cheaters

Valve: Removed items from the backpacks of people who used idling programs in TF2, rewarded those who didn't cheat

Bungie: Reset the points of people who exploited daily challenges in Halo:Reach, eventually moved onto two-week bans

Blizzard: LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT

So excuse me if I think Blizzard is not only overreacting but sending a bad message.

Perhaps they are overreacting, but Blizzard wasn't well known in the past for dealing properly with hackers and the like. If they're overreacting, then it's probably because they're trying to shape up their image against these people they consider threats.

I'm not saying that a lawsuit was necessary, but I can understand why Blizzard did it in the first place. The fact that they're doing anything at all is good. The fact that it's a lawsuit? Perhaps going overboard. Then again, the guys who sold these cheats did make money off of it.

 

[Moray]

Along with this Blizz oughta incorporate coding in the game paying recognition that someone is using these cheats, and announce it globally in multiplayer. Then the legit players can know right from the start that they are playing with a cheater/dilhole and kick him if it is possible or just leave the cheater/dilhole all alone as a cheater deserves to be.

This is a better idea, and doesn't infringe on anyones rights

Why dont blizzard already do this?

Because if they could detect cheats that easily they would either auto ban people or just fix the game so they don't work???

Other games companies can do it, even ones where the games have been out for YEARS and the crackers/hackers have had years to slowly take the games apart piece by piece

maybe if blizzard actually employed some good coders or security people, instead of using outsourcing to get the game running on time, and then fixing stuff later by updates/expansion packs

All the people in this thread defending blizzard should have a good long look at themselves in the mirror, people like you are helping ruin the games industry, not the crackers/hackers. Their damage can be undone in seconds by well set up servers or good coding, The support you are giving blizzard over this will make them think its OK to treat their customers like dicks and last for many years

 

[Gindil]

I'm not saying that a lawsuit was necessary, but I can understand why Blizzard did it in the first place. The fact that they're doing anything at all is good. The fact that it's a lawsuit? Perhaps going overboard. Then again, the guys who sold these cheats did make money off of it.

Somehow, that's shaping up to be a bad argument...

If I buy after market parts for a car, my car doesn't increase in value. It makes me more likely to be stopped and increases my insurance but that's a choice I make.

If someone wanted to mod a game from HL2 and charge money, they were free to do so. But because Blizzard decides THIS particular modification is bad, they need to sue to get their point across?

 

[Baldr]

First off if you look at the above examples of TF2 and Halo Reach. They are glitch/bad player behavior. No code was hacked or rewritten.

Second, if your making money off of someone's intellectual property while potentially destroying the ability of the owner to make future profit, then a lawsuit is more than justifiable.

 

[toquio3]

Someone should sue Blizzard for charging $60 for a third of a game. Good thing I dont buy or care about Blizzard's products anymore.

 

[Fearzone]

I gotta admit Starcraft 2 gave me two good weeks of enjoyment. Not bad for an Activision product.

 

[Daft Ghosty]

Let's see how other companies have handled cheaters

Valve: Removed items from the backpacks of people who used idling programs in TF2, rewarded those who didn't cheat

Bungie: Reset the points of people who exploited daily challenges in Halo:Reach, eventually moved onto two-week bans

Blizzard: LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT

So excuse me if I think Blizzard is not only overreacting but sending a bad message.

The first two aren't actually as serious, when it comes to the bussiness standpoint. TF2 item hacking isn't actually all that important: The game is balanced so that even if somebody has every item available through hacking, it won't automatically make me lose. In fact, I probably wouldn't even notice the difference.

Exploiting Halo to get extra armor doesn't actually affect the gameplay at all, so that won't decrease the future sale-value of a game.

However, hacking a competitive online multiplayer game to give yourself an incredibly unfair advantage, especially in a game where a matter of seconds in unit command and even just knowing where an enemy's units are makes all the difference, does. Blizzard is right to sue, whereas Valve and Bungie weren't.

Your misinformed. The trainer in question was used in the single player portion of the game. What blizzard is calling online is that they were signed into their Bnet acct while playing, and not as guest. Getting the achievements as they did so. The achievements have the same affect in SCII as the hats, and armor do in TF2, and Halo Reach. If this were hackers who were making multiplayer cheats, to be used online playing other players, then I'd be right there too, saying to burn the scum. But it is not. Blizzard belief is that you are considered online, even when playing the solo campaign.

 

[Ed.]

Okay, so Blizzard, and Ubisoft games are off my list. Activision? Still undecided...

I can see now why Valve gets so much love.

Blizzard is off your list for... giving a fiscal middle finger to multiplayer cheaters?

Huh.

sp
no for the fact you cant even modify SP they took out dedicated servers too

 

[standokan]

Once blizzard smells you you're dead and you know it, watch your steps because you don't wanna end up like owner of that WoWserver.

 

[Ken Sapp]

I have always been a fan of Blizzard since I first played Diablo and Warcraft II. I eagerly followed the news of Starcraft II since its original announcement. Unfortunately they have taken the stance of being total dicks on this issue. Their argument regarding the "Prestige and weight" of single player achievements is BS. Achievements have no effect on online play, they do not affect ladder standings and they do not give any bonuses when in an online match. Since they can obviously detect these trainers all they have to do is disable achievements the same way they do if you were to use the built-in single-player cheats. When people start cheating in legitimate multiplayer matches they can ban them all day long for all I care but punishing someone for cheating in single player beyond disabling or removing achievements is only going to hurt Blizzard in the long run in my book.

And for those who keep bringing up the EULA, a EULA is not enforceable unless it is able to be read and agreed upon before the sale of the product. When you add that to the fact that many game stores will not allow the return of PC games once the shrink wrap has been broken Blizzard hopefully will find this to be a losing battle.

I have no pity for those who cheat in multiplayer and receive just punishment but banning for the use of cheats in single player is way over the line.

+1 to you. That was a very good post. It speaks tot he heart of the issue without getting to vocal like I did =)

Thank you. I should also add that there is precedent for EULAs being invalid if not presented and agreed upon before the final sale.

First off if you look at the above examples of TF2 and Halo Reach. They are glitch/bad player behavior. No code was hacked or rewritten.

Second, if your making money off of someone's intellectual property while potentially destroying the ability of the owner to make future profit, then a lawsuit is more than justifiable.

Regardless of the fact that Blizzard has already made money off the people using trainers as (excluding pirates) they have already bought and paid for the game. Where has Blizzard lost potential future profitability due to the use of single player trainers? If anything it makes the game more accessible and therefore more likely to sale future expansions/chapters/etc...

 

[lacktheknack]

Okay, so Blizzard, and Ubisoft games are off my list. Activision? Still undecided...

I can see now why Valve gets so much love.

Blizzard is off your list for... giving a fiscal middle finger to multiplayer cheaters?

Huh.

sp
no for the fact you cant even modify SP they took out dedicated servers too

Yet again, the single player hacks affect multiplayer on a social level.

And can't modify singe player? Explain this.

 

[tehroc]

This article smells pretty damn biased too.

Corruption at the media level. They write articles based off what access it gives them. To hell with journalism its all about kissing ass and asking softball questions to gain access.

 

[tehroc]

"That, in turn, causes users to grow dissatisfied with the game, lose interest in the game, and communicate that dissatisfaction, thereby resulting in lost sales of the game or 'add-on' packs and expansions thereto."

Sued for negative word of mouth advertising coming to a courtroom near you!

They're being sued for tampering with a product to generate negative word of mouth. Not for spreading negative word of mouth.

Correct but this will set a precedent where they refer to Blizzard vs permaphrost in future lawsuits claiming they lost profit due to poor reviews..

 

[deth2munkies]

I'm extremely surprised it hasn't been brought up yet, but there's a reason why this and all the bannings are happening: The Battle.net 2.0 Warden. The reason why bans and lawsuits and the like haven't occurred as often before is because anti-cheating technology was very limited. The Warden can search all related files on your computer as well as any in-game mods, so it can find cheaters with nearly 100% accuracy, so there's less need for temp bans, suspensions, or in-depth investigation.

All they really had to do was get a report from the warden, do a search online for the files, and boom, they had the hackers responsible for making them and instant proof.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

snip

There wouldn't be any problem if every single one of their fucking games wasn't one of the best selling PC games of all time and SC 2 was an improvement, and because that isn't actually the case, it makes it at the very least questionable as to the harm piracy causes for them specifically.

Not even the lack of LAN, but the lack of any P2P alone has hurt Starcarft 2's playability by a shitload. Try playing one of those FPS/brawler maps on B.net, see if you like the lag.

Really, you don't have to look much further than the exclusion of LAN (which gimps the non-B.net part of SC2 utterly and completely), the lack of cross-region play, the fucking horrible popularity system, the forcing of people to play on their servers and their ridiculously politically correct stance on custom games to see that this game is no longer for you and me. Blizzard does not give a shit about anyone who played Warcraft 3 or Starcraft, this is marketed purely, solely and completely to the casual gamer who won't give a shit, and/or, in fact, will salute these decisions.

Frankly, if you think it's a conspiracy theory to think that Blizzard doesn't give a shit about anyone with an IQ above 50, well, I don't know what to say to you.

Other than the lack of LAN, they've stated that they're working on implementing both cross-region play and a fix for the popularity system.

LAN doesn't bother me. I've been PC gaming for 20 years now and I haven't had a LAN party since, I don't know, 2003?

This thread is filled with nothing but whiners. If you're selling a program designed to hack a game, the developer is incredibly justified to go for the throat.

This article smells pretty damn biased too.

Corruption at the media level. They write articles based off what access it gives them. To hell with journalism its all about kissing ass and asking softball questions to gain access.

Wait, how is correctly referring back to Blizzard's past legal victories in a "this isn't looking good for the cheat developers" sense biased? That's legal precedent, my friend.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Before anyone else jumps on an anti-cheaters band wagon here, these people are not being sued because they enable cheating in multiplayer. In fact at least some hackers said they would change their programs to work STRICTLY in single player after Blizzard started banning players. No... Blizzard have been banning players who used these programs in single player, Blizzard allows cheating like this anyway via in-game cheats, it is just that trainers allow for greater options.

So what is it about? Money.

Edit: For reference please see this correspondance http://www.cheathappens.com/article_blizzardbans.asp

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions naturally, but the facts are that Blizzard are not playing totally kosher here.

Working in single-player == influencing multiplayer.

By the way, linking to that cheathappens article is laughable. You really think that a site that sells cheats doesn't have a financial interest in the matter? lol!

I'm confused, though. Everyone acts like Blizzard is suing the people who were using the cheats, which would be pretty dumb. But They're just suing the people who are creating, distributing, and selling the cheats. Which seems fine to me.