Blizzard Declares LAN Will Be a "Footnote" in History

[CAPPINJACK]

Honestly, 99% of the people crying about the absence of LAN in SC2 were just going to try to pirate it anyway.

100% of people who make these kinds of sweeping generalizations are idiots.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Meh, I suppose you could still simulate LAN over something like Hamachi, right?

Use Hamachi, everybody wins.

Do that, and the only people that really win are the pirates. A real LAN party wouldn't be able to happen because everybody would be on the same internet connection, resulting in what would most likely be horrendous, unplayable LAG. Hamachi enables people to play with replicated CD keys, it doesn't remove the need for the internet.

EDIT: also, hamachi is a relatively simple program, which won't allow a game with no LAN support to facilitate a LAN game.

Concerning your edit, I was just thinking that. If they have their own servers as well, there isn't any legitimate way around this is there? Or if you buy one copy and acquire >_> <_< another, that could balance it out? I mean cap'n hook wins either way, right?

I'm not quite sure what you mean, but in answer to the question I think you're asking, piracy with a view to playing on Battle.net 2.0 sounds like a very, very difficult thing to do. Maybe impossible, my knowledge of CD keys and such is not extensive enough for me to really answer that. If you have a legit key, you can play online. If you have a duplicated one, only the first person to use it can.

What might be interesting would be LAN with the same sort of check. E.g. you can LAN but the game is incompatible with identicle CD keys. If that were possible, and piracy were ruled out, that would be a really interesting development, and I wonder if (Activision-)Blizzard would then impliment LAN capabilities. That depends, I suppose, on their motivation for the lack of LAN. If it's not piracy, then that wouldn't help.

It would not be that hard to have it check the keys and such but then you break that protection and you can lan without restriction. IMO they are focusing unreasonably on a natural occurrence in software, almost more natural than people buying it.

True. As long as I can play the game, I can pirate it. They can make it difficult, time-consuming or expensive to pirate the game, but as long as the game is in my computer, I can break the protective code and play, even if it means rewriting code from the ground up. Not even OnLive can stop a really determined pirate.

As I said in this post

More ranting from a moron...but here I go anyway...

You don't fight piracy directly its a losing battle, instead you make a better product you advertise the shit out of it if you can and if make it for PC have single player work fully offline, then you can get online support(no patches,ect without online activation) and play by signing up and putting your key in again. A mix of steams account and IDs passive key check system on D3 and Q4 would do as much if not more for you than OTT DRM schemes that only really benefit the DRM companies and the suits looking good to the witless board's and shareholders............

edit

I had some very interesting conversations with 2Kelizabeth on the 2K forms mod though try as they might they still don't quit get it they see it as a default bottom line issue and the consensuses(people not buying) are dismissed as issues revolving solely around piracy, not product quality issues.

Corporate Business really took over gaming in the early 2000's if not late 90s and that mindset drives their perception and demeanor meaning they treat the consumer as the lowest common denominator they seek to spread sales out too.

gaaa I am in a rage and forgot my thoughts...mmmm are there any more points to flame? LOL

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

Why would they remove that? me and my friend used to play diablo II lan and direct IP, we were hoping for the same in Diablo 3, I suppose the thing to do now is just wait and see.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

I see why they won't keep the LAN. But I wish they would, it's so much easier and less laggy when you don't have to use Battle.net.

R.I.P L.A.N

 

[Virgil]

My ear's pressed against the wall for what they will say after seeing the 100,000 mark passed.

Likely nothing. They're expecting to sell millions upon millions of copies, and they probably will. Even if you pretended that everyone that 'signed' the petition absolutely won't buy the game ever if it doesn't have LAN support, even though most of them will anyway, you're still talking about a pretty minor percentage of their expected sales.

The success of WoW has shown Blizzard that there's more than enough of an audience who will play their games with an internet connection. They'll play while connected to a LAN, they'll play in internet cafés, they'll play from dorms, during conventions - pretty much everywhere that LAN play once dominated. With today's audience, LAN games are a niche of the niche that is hardcore gaming.

And that's ignoring all the other benefits they get from connecting everyone with an online portal, which are pretty substantial (if only by making piracy and used game sales more difficult).

 

[Agrael]

It would be a great LAN-party game, but it's kinda hard, when it has no LAN support.

But, a'las - I'll still get it, cause I love it, like if it was my son.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Or you could both buy the game, sit next to eachother, and log into BNET.

And how are we supposed to do this on a Local Area Network?
Every LAN party I've ever been to has been on an internal network, usually set up specifically for said LAN party. The amount of bandwidth needed to have twenty players on one connection is prohibitive.

Even five or six players on one connection generates too much bandwidth, LAN is the only practical solution.

And once again, it's only here in the first place because of piracy. Whether it works or not is beside the point. Rampant piracy came before the failed solution to it. If it weren't for greedy slobs stealing everything rather than shelling out the cash this wouldn't be a problem, would it?

Actually whether it works is entirely the point. If you punched a door and broke your knuckles you wouldn't keep doing it until you broke your wrist. Yet that's exactly what games companies are doing.

The DSi would be a classic example, Nintendo must have sunk millions into it's piracy proofing. Cracked within 12hours of release. Why didn't they put the money into a better battery or cameras that are worth a damn? The entire process is wasting money and only damaging paying customers. They're the one's getting install limits, duff cd keys and downright rude customer service (I had a problem with BF2142, EA's response to my questions amounted to 'Fuck you' or more precisely 'Fuck you dishonest English pirate' The game cost me £45).

It's all well and good screaming RAMPANT PIRACY as a justification but the DRM has done precisely nothing to prevent this, why continue with it?


I suppose LAN players will just have to wait for the LAN compatible torrent to appear, it'll happen... I predict within 5 days of release.

 

[Nazulu]

Did the merger with Activision just bring out the stoopid gene in Blizzard?

Your fans really want LAN support, so you say it's dead.

Perhaps Blizzard just don't understand that a lot of the world is still on dialup?

Thats the first thing that came to my mind as well. I don't think they thought it through at all.

That's not really a fair comparison. DOS got replaced with systems that did everything it could do and better.

LAN and b-net fulfill different multiplayer functions. LAN is for those without internet access, slow internet access or just want to play with people in the same room and not have to go through the internet.

Thats the other thing I was thinking about. What a stupid comparison!

I'm surprised these weren't said sooner, very disappointed with you lot on the first page.

Honestly, 99% of the people crying about the absence of LAN in SC2 were just going to try to pirate it anyway.

100% of people who make these kinds of sweeping generalizations are idiots.

That goes without saying, but you said it so good stuff.

 

[AceDiamond]

My ear's pressed against the wall for what they will say after seeing the 100,000 mark passed.

Likely nothing. They're expecting to sell millions upon millions of copies, and they probably will. Even if you pretended that everyone that 'signed' the petition absolutely won't buy the game ever if it doesn't have LAN support, even though most of them will anyway, you're still talking about a pretty minor percentage of their expected sales.

The success of WoW has shown Blizzard that there's more than enough of an audience who will play their games with an internet connection. They'll play while connected to a LAN, they'll play in internet cafés, they'll play from dorms, during conventions - pretty much everywhere that LAN play once dominated. With today's audience, LAN games are a niche of the niche that is hardcore gaming.

And that's ignoring all the other benefits they get from connecting everyone with an online portal, which are pretty substantial (if only by making piracy and used game sales more difficult).

I'd like to point out that many people's copies of games like Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 are connected through Steam (or even purchased through Steam) and they have LAN capability still. Admittedly, piracy would still be a problem. But I honestly feel that stopping piracy altogether is impossible, and thus you should only work on trying to get rid of the actual criminals, by not using things like invasive DRM or even this.

 

[Joens]

Eh, as long as there's a compatible multiplayer version i can play with my friends, it's all good

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

My ear's pressed against the wall for what they will say after seeing the 100,000 mark passed.

Likely nothing. They're expecting to sell millions upon millions of copies, and they probably will. Even if you pretended that everyone that 'signed' the petition absolutely won't buy the game ever if it doesn't have LAN support, even though most of them will anyway, you're still talking about a pretty minor percentage of their expected sales.

The success of WoW has shown Blizzard that there's more than enough of an audience who will play their games with an internet connection. They'll play while connected to a LAN, they'll play in internet cafés, they'll play from dorms, during conventions - pretty much everywhere that LAN play once dominated. With today's audience, LAN games are a niche of the niche that is hardcore gaming.

And that's ignoring all the other benefits they get from connecting everyone with an online portal, which are pretty substantial (if only by making piracy and used game sales more difficult).

Pretty much, hopefully B.net 2.0 wont be a lag fest..... it really would be silly to over look lan connections completely. But then again it might be a RTS its not that much different than wow so lag might not be a huge issue, I'm more worried about them sneaking in a subscription or micro transaction model....... Something is coming with the new B.net and its not going to be all that.....

 

[Wandrecanada]

Because it's not like Blizzard doesn't have any love for LAN. They do. They love LAN. It's just, it's not working out any more, and it's time to move on.

Did anyone else just get the phrase,"I love LAN. I love LAN." stuck in their heads in a Steve Carell voice?

 

[samsonguy920]

Did the merger with Activision just bring out the stoopid gene in Blizzard?

Your fans really want LAN support, so you say it's dead.

Perhaps Blizzard just don't understand that a lot of the world is still on dialup?

It's the same old saw, companies use the best of everything to make their games, and expect their customers to be using the same thing. Only in this case it is IMPOSSIBLE since most isps are at least two steps behind, overburdened, and not always well-staffed. Games that should run smoothly over a LAN in the basement, are instead going to lag, and then get cut off for whoknowswhat reason. (like in my case, the phone line getting cut by kids with big machines pretending they know how to rebuild a road just down the street from me)
I'm not a supporter of piracy, but this just gets me feeling the temptation...

Because it's not like Blizzard doesn't have any love for LAN. They do. They love LAN. It's just, it's not working out any more, and it's time to move on.

Did anyone else just get the phrase,"I love LAN. I love LAN." stuck in their heads in a Steve Carell voice?

If it includes Steve Carell curled up into a fetal position, then yes. And how in all things goobledygook is LAN not working anymore? If anything it is the reverse that is true. The internet is not working anymore. LAN is tried and true, and can stay with us forever.

 

[iggyus]

I am sure some ingenious hacker will find a way of spoofing a battle net connection on a LAN a month or two after Starcraft's release. The end result might not be the same as if Blizzard had implemented it, but if enough people want something the internet usually figures out a way of giving it to them.

This. Starcraft simply is so popular in the LAN circles that there will be someone who will make a 3rd party LAN tool and give the finger to Blizzard

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Did the merger with Activision just bring out the stoopid gene in Blizzard?

Your fans really want LAN support, so you say it's dead.

Perhaps Blizzard just don't understand that a lot of the world is still on dialup?

It's the same old saw, companies use the best of everything to make their games, and expect their customers to be using the same thing. Only in this case it is IMPOSSIBLE since most isps are at least two steps behind, overburdened, and not always well-staffed. Games that should run smoothly over a LAN in the basement, are instead going to lag, and then get cut off for whoknowswhat reason. (like in my case, the phone line getting cut by kids with big machines pretending they know how to rebuild a road just down the street from me)
I'm not a supporter of piracy, but this just gets me feeling the temptation...

Screw piracy its just to soon for a dedicated connection for a game you don't pay a monthly for...

 

[Emphraim]

Blizzard does realize that now without LAN, people have even less of a reason to buy the game. Starcraft 1 is almost perfectly balanced and playable over LAN so most people will probably stick with that.

Besides, within a month after release, pirates will have LAN back into the game, or at least their own servers for B.net.

 

[samsonguy920]

Did the merger with Activision just bring out the stoopid gene in Blizzard?

Your fans really want LAN support, so you say it's dead.

Perhaps Blizzard just don't understand that a lot of the world is still on dialup?

It's the same old saw, companies use the best of everything to make their games, and expect their customers to be using the same thing. Only in this case it is IMPOSSIBLE since most isps are at least two steps behind, overburdened, and not always well-staffed. Games that should run smoothly over a LAN in the basement, are instead going to lag, and then get cut off for whoknowswhat reason. (like in my case, the phone line getting cut by kids with big machines pretending they know how to rebuild a road just down the street from me)
I'm not a supporter of piracy, but this just gets me feeling the temptation...

Screw piracy its just to soon for a dedicated connection for a game you don't pay a monthly for...

I'm not That tempted. Does get me to thinking that maybe that next big Blizz MMO over the horizon? Is going to be Battle.Net 3.0, where you have to pay $15 a month to play all Blizz games multiplayer. *bonks head on desk*

 

[manaman]

I am sure some ingenious hacker will find a way of spoofing a battle net connection on a LAN a month or two after Starcraft's release. The end result might not be the same as if Blizzard had implemented it, but if enough people want something the internet usually figures out a way of giving it to them.

This. Starcraft simply is so popular in the LAN circles that there will be someone who will make a 3rd party LAN tool and give the finger to Blizzard

Yeah I was going to mention something along these lines. It will probably also be included with the pirated copy of the game. Which is doubly funny since piracy is the most likely reason for them NOT including LAN support. They want people to have to use their servers to play with others so that they cannot do what many of my friends did in times past. Install the game to all the machines at the LAN party off one copy.

Anyway I will still buy it, I loved logging onto battle.net and playing on the ladder games. Had a damn good score back in the day when I played StarCraft. Several of my gamer friends and I even had a clan.

 

[BonerMacTittyPants]

I bet that a month after Starcraft 2 release there's going to be somekind of mod or software that will let you play via LAN. The same rules apply as in economy. Where there's a need, there are codemonkeys who will deliver.

 

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Think of the Koreans! All they do is have LAN competitions in SC1.