Blizzard Banning Single Player Cheaters?

[Delusibeta]

Right then, something interesting appeared on Rock Paper Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/10/11/blizzard-bans-single-player-scii-cheaters/] linking to a article [http://www.cheathappens.com/article_blizzardbans.asp] by trainer site CheatHappens. The jist of it is that apparently, Blizzard have been accused of banning and suspending people who cheat (using external tools) in the single player modes of StarCraft 2. Of course, we don't know if the people on the receiving end of the bans only used the trainer for single player, however a quote attributed to Blizzard does lend credence to the accusation:

?While single player games only appear to be you and a computer at first, your achievements and gamer score also carries weight and prestige for your online play,?

which some 360 users may agree with.

I do have to admit, if these reports are substantiated, then I do think that Blizzard has gone a bit too far. What do you think/pick holes in this report and shout at me for badmouthing Blizzard?

 

[procyonlotor]

The thing is. Starcraft 2 has its own inbuilt cheats. However, if you use SC2's cheats, your singleplayer achievements for that campaign are disabled. Using external tools means circumventing Blizzard's rules, not to mention they wouldn't accept 3rd party apps in the first place whatever their purpose.

 

[Woodsey]

If it somehow affects your online play (in a meaningful fashion), and SC2 has in-built cheats anyway, then I'm less inclined to object to this.

It's a little odd though.

 

[Verlander]

The thing is. Starcraft 2 has its own inbuilt cheats. However, if you use SC2's cheats, your singleplayer achievements for that campaign are disabled. Using external tools means circumventing Blizzard's rules, not to mention they wouldn't accept 3rd party apps in the first place whatever their purpose.

This. I don't think it's particularly out of line, you can cheat if you want to (can be fun), or you can play the game normally. People take games seriously, as most people on this site can appreciate

 

[HellbirdIV]

Even cheating in single-player using 3rd party methods rather than the usual built-in codes is still using 3rd party software to hack, modify and abuse the game. Wether used in multiplayer or not, I can imagine Blizzard might take issue with people screwing with their magnum opus.

 

[sosolidshoe]

Even cheating in single-player using 3rd party methods rather than the usual built-in codes is still using 3rd party software to hack, modify and abuse the game. Wether used in multiplayer or not, I can imagine Blizzard might take issue with people screwing with their magnum opus.

Huh, used to be that when you bought a game, you owned that game and could enjoy it's content in whatever manner you saw fit. Now apparently you're somehow insulting the developer's artistic sensibilities if you cheat or mod the single-player aspects of the game, and they can take away your right to use a product which you legally purchased.

I'm sorry, but to me that seems a lot like bullshit. There is a clearly defined rationale behind banning people who cheat in multiplayer - they are giving themselves and unfair advantage in a competitive environment. That doesn't apply to single-player, even achievements for actions completed within single-player. When servers and matchmaking are provided by the developer, the developer has the right to enforce it's own rules on players who choose to engage in the multiplayer aspect of the game. However, the idea that because the developer requires an arbitrary connection to a server in order to play the single-player game, they should also be able to prevent people from playing that game? Nope.

Just another reason to pirate games, well done Blizzard, you've leapt willingly on to the bandwagon that's ruining your own industry.

 

[Nolanp01]

Even cheating in single-player using 3rd party methods rather than the usual built-in codes is still using 3rd party software to hack, modify and abuse the game. Wether used in multiplayer or not, I can imagine Blizzard might take issue with people screwing with their magnum opus.

Huh, used to be that when you bought a game, you owned that game and could enjoy it's content in whatever manner you saw fit. Now apparently you're somehow insulting the developer's artistic sensibilities if you cheat or mod the single-player aspects of the game, and they can take away your right to use a product which you legally purchased.

I'm sorry, but to me that seems a lot like bullshit. There is a clearly defined rationale behind banning people who cheat in multiplayer - they are giving themselves and unfair advantage in a competitive environment. That doesn't apply to single-player, even achievements for actions completed within single-player. When servers and matchmaking are provided by the developer, the developer has the right to enforce it's own rules on players who choose to engage in the multiplayer aspect of the game. However, the idea that because the developer requires an arbitrary connection to a server in order to play the single-player game, they should also be able to prevent people from playing that game? Nope.

Just another reason to pirate games, well done Blizzard, you've leapt willingly on to the bandwagon that's ruining your own industry.

Agreed, what somebody does in singleplayer is their own business. Multiplayer is a competitive environment as you stated and cheating/hacking should not be allowed there, however in singleplayer there should be no limitation.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

Weight and prestige??? I'm not going to listen to that 12 yr old female dog no matter what his gamerscore is. STFU Blizzard

 

[JaysonM]

I personally think it was a bit hasty banning people for the single player violations, I'm sure it's written in there ToS that they are eligible to do it but I don't think banning them instantaneously was the right answer. A warning or a suspension would of brought the message across since most people who were committing the crime would of most likely been ignorant of the ramifications.

Multiplayer hackers can go to hell though...

I'm sure blizzard have every right to do it.. but it kind of falls under the category of "dick move".

 

[Irridium]

Add this to another reason why achievements are bullshit.

Its a damn single player game, and people who do cheat don't give a shit about achievements. They don't carry any weight or prestige in any game. No one gives a shit.

This is just ridiculous, and Blizzard is basically doing this because they can.

Its their damn game. They can do whatever the hell they want with it/to it so long as its not copying it and giving it away.

The EULA says otherwise, but those don't carry any credence at all since they're only shown during installation. After you bought the thing.

This is straight up bullshit. Fuck achievements.

 

[Erana]

Ban?
Just remove their achievements/ scores and disable that feature for them. Give 'em a warning too, then. Downright banning someone for single player what-nots is like stealing!

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Then how about you remove achievements in the first place? It's pretty stupid that I can't do what I want in a single player game. This is why a closed, controlled environment is bullshit. You can't do anything to the game the developer doesn't want you to do.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Seriously?? They use TRAINERS in Starcraft 2???

Easy Mode is so ludicrously simple, any asshole can beat the game on it in about 8 hours.

The only reason you would use those would be to farm achievements. WHOO HOO! I GOTS A BIGGER IRRELEVANT SCORE THAN YOU!! I AM TEH GREATEST!!

 

[Frankster]

I'm not a big blizz fan but I've at least respected them until now despite some iffyness.

Now I worry, I'm the kinda person who does like to mess around in single player/campaign and mod/cheat it (ex: maybe I feel like making goliaths awesomely OP on the hardest difficulty setting as they are my fav unit and I'd like to use only them, also making them 1 pop cap ).

But as I understand it, the above example would see me banned? I feel like WoL isn't my game, but more like having a ride on another kid's swing where I gotta follow that kid's rules lest I'm not allowed on the swing anymore (not the best metaphor, but you get what I mean....)

Also I don't give a toss about achievements/gamer score, so maybe there's a correlation between that and willingness to change the single player to suit your own needs.