BlizzCon '09: Behind Blizzard's Walls

[Lord S. Binkleheimer]

I hope they announce they're going back to their roots at some point, I.e not milking World of warcraft. Starcraft seems like a nice step forward then two steps backwards from what I've heard, no LAN?, buying the other campiagns as expansion packs? (I hope I'm wrong). I would also love a new warcraft stratagy game but I reckon that isn't going to happen. Diablo sounds good aswell, wish it was still in 2d graphics I liked that style but hey they need to attract the new gamers.

Hopefully this blizzcon will restore my faith in blizzard as a company but I doubt it sadly.

1. Milking is a relative term. Especially since they regualry give out free content patches that could qualify as a whole new x-pac by some MMO standards.

2. LAN isn't needed anymore. Most of hte people that will buy the game already have a high speed internet. With a PC powerful enough to play it, it's practically a must.
They're releasing the other campaigns seperate as to prevent delays well into the teens of 2k. Plus they stated they'd qualify as standalones.

3. Warcraft is now an MMO. There won't be a WC4 for a long time.

4. D2 was only in such graphics because that was effectively the best they had at the time. Next you're going to complain about the new art style aren't you?

 

[Amnestic]

2. LAN isn't needed anymore. Most of hte people that will buy the game already have a high speed internet. With a PC powerful enough to play it, it's practically a must.

Sigh, you could have just left this. Thread was a 5+ page thread on this when Blizzard made the announcement and another two concerning the petitions people had made about it. Please go read that, the "high speed internet" point is discounted and moot when you have 6+ people trying to access Battle.Net all at once.

 

[Sevre]

Can I get a price check on a 10-foot Orc Statue?

 

[Gingerman]

I hope they announce they're going back to their roots at some point, I.e not milking World of warcraft. Starcraft seems like a nice step forward then two steps backwards from what I've heard, no LAN?, buying the other campiagns as expansion packs? (I hope I'm wrong). I would also love a new warcraft stratagy game but I reckon that isn't going to happen. Diablo sounds good aswell, wish it was still in 2d graphics I liked that style but hey they need to attract the new gamers.

Hopefully this blizzcon will restore my faith in blizzard as a company but I doubt it sadly.

1. Milking is a relative term. Especially since they regualry give out free content patches that could qualify as a whole new x-pac by some MMO standards.

2. LAN isn't needed anymore. Most of hte people that will buy the game already have a high speed internet. With a PC powerful enough to play it, it's practically a must.
They're releasing the other campaigns seperate as to prevent delays well into the teens of 2k. Plus they stated they'd qualify as standalones.

3. Warcraft is now an MMO. There won't be a WC4 for a long time.

4. D2 was only in such graphics because that was effectively the best they had at the time. Next you're going to complain about the new art style aren't you?

1)I wouldn't regard free content as milking but WoW has been out for what over five years now? and they haven't done anything with it apart from add new places to do the same tasks over and over. (played WoW myself until just after the Wotlk)

2)LAN may not be needed but it is useful, what if me and my friend are in the same room and just want to have a friendly game without the hassle of connecting to the internet, going onto Battle net then going through the process of creating a game whilst sharing a internet connection ? because believe me my internet would stick its fingers up at me for trying that and not only that what about the LAN centres who would like to have a internal tournament? they'll have to get all the memebers to create a Bnet account login and then tell them the server details and wait until they do so, a long way round for a short cut if you ask me.

3)I doubt that blizzard will even think about WC4 never mind put one into development so I didn't have my hopes up there.

4)I said I liked the 2d style not that I hated the new one, the 2d style I felt help give the game that sinister environment its famed for. Infact the new one I have to say is quite good its bright and vibrant when it needs to be and dark and oppressive when it calls for it so no I'm not going to complain. I guess I'm just one of these old folk that thinks that 2d shouldn't go out of the window just because the halo generation scream and cry for good shiney graphics instead of 2d shiney graphics. (Not saying that your one of those people naturally)

 

[Lord S. Binkleheimer]

2. LAN isn't needed anymore. Most of hte people that will buy the game already have a high speed internet. With a PC powerful enough to play it, it's practically a must.

Sigh, you could have just left this. Thread was a 5+ page thread on this when Blizzard made the announcement and another two concerning the petitions people had made about it. Please go read that, the "high speed internet" point is discounted and moot when you have 6+ people trying to access Battle.Net all at once.

Couldn't just leave that out now could I?
Has anyone ever thought that maybe they have no idea what Blizzard is planning?
Has it ever occrued to anyone that maybe all they need to do is just verify one at a time and then play? Instead of logging on all at once?

Clearly LAN parties are totally lag free. There is clearly no way lag exists in a LAN party.
There is also no way for the network to overload and fail at a LAN party.
Nope, it never happens.

 

[Lord S. Binkleheimer]

1)I wouldn't regard free content as milking but WoW has been out for what over five years now? and they haven't done anything with it apart from add new places to do the same tasks over and over. (played WoW myself until just after the Wotlk)

2)LAN may not be needed but it is useful, what if me and my friend are in the same room and just want to have a friendly game without the hassle of connecting to the internet, going onto Battle net then going through the process of creating a game whilst sharing a internet connection ? because believe me my internet would stick its fingers up at me for trying that and not only that what about the LAN centres who would like to have a internal tournament? they'll have to get all the memebers to create a Bnet account login and then tell them the server details and wait until they do so, a long way round for a short cut if you ask me.

3)I doubt that blizzard will even think about WC4 never mind put one into development so I didn't have my hopes up there.

4)I said I liked the 2d style not that I hated the new one, the 2d style I felt help give the game that sinister environment its famed for. Infact the new one I have to say is quite good its bright and vibrant when it needs to be and dark and oppressive when it calls for it so no I'm not going to complain. I guess I'm just one of these old folk that thinks that 2d shouldn't go out of the window just because the halo generation scream and cry for good shiney graphics instead of 2d shiney graphics. (Not saying that your one of those people naturally)

1. I see what you mean. There is only so much you could do with WoW as is. The model has been set up, so they can only add while slowly changing.
Plus that's what MMORPG's are, repititon and the like. The only thing different are the storylines

2. Well, we're now going into a place that isn't confirmed. We have no idea how Blizz will handle this. They could just use B.net as a verification tool, then allow a quasi-LAN thing to go on. Plus, why not have a B.net account? Makes life alot easier with keeping track of their games.
Blizz only knows how many times I had to replace my lost CD's.

3. But the ycould go and work on a new series...

4. Well that's a first. Someone who ISN'T bitching about the new look of Diablo. I am shockprised. While 2D is nice, and it does have it's merits, most people nowadays want some better aesthetics to go with the gameplay.
Plus D2 was more D2.5ish. The models were generally 3D, the map was mostly 2D.

 

[Amnestic]

2. LAN isn't needed anymore. Most of hte people that will buy the game already have a high speed internet. With a PC powerful enough to play it, it's practically a must.

Sigh, you could have just left this. Thread was a 5+ page thread on this when Blizzard made the announcement and another two concerning the petitions people had made about it. Please go read that, the "high speed internet" point is discounted and moot when you have 6+ people trying to access Battle.Net all at once.

Couldn't just leave that out now could I?
Has anyone ever thought that maybe they have no idea what Blizzard is planning?
Has it ever occrued to anyone that maybe all they need to do is just verify one at a time and then play? Instead of logging on all at once?

Clearly LAN parties are totally lag free. There is clearly no way lag exists in a LAN party.
There is also no way for the network to overload and fail at a LAN party.
Nope, it never happens.

LAN going down is less likely than BattleNet having problems. As a long time WoW subscriber I'm all too aware of Blizzard servers coughing and dying suddenly or crazy lag spikes for absolutely no reason - the kind of thing which can turn the entire games around. Starcraft 2 is going to be ridiculously popular online, over multiple timezones which means that there will be no real "downtime" for their load. Every hour will be peaktime for them.

And they have to do maintenance at some point.

Of course LAN parties aren't totally lag free, but as you increase the size you decrease your share of the 'high speed' (or, not so much) internet. LAN lags less than everyone connecting to B.Net through one connection. You and I both know this.

2. Well, we're now going into a place that isn't confirmed. We have no idea how Blizz will handle this. They could just use B.net as a verification tool, then allow a quasi-LAN thing to go on. Plus, why not have a B.net account? Makes life alot easier with keeping track of their games.

If they were to allow LAN assuming you all verified your BNET account at the start of the game, why not say that? All they've said so far is "No LAN." If all you needed to do was log on to BNET long enough to show them you have a legit copy of the game, then make that your announcement instead. I daresay that'd put a hell of a load of grievances with the announcement to rest, including mine.

They haven't said anything of the sort though, which is the cause for my objections. You may have faith in Blizzard but I just had to suffer through yet another patch of Death Knight tank nerfs, 90% of which were entirely uncalled for and have put us at the bottom of the tanking totem pole so you'll forgive me if I'm not all too pleased with Blizzard right now.

 

[Infamousphelps]

WTF - am i the only alliance player who didn't need this to help confirm that Blizz hates allaince QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ way to support horde blizz. good thing the horde out number us so bad, that our server is too full for new players, which after seeign this, probably would roll horde QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

 

[skeanthu]

Hey why didn't you ask Blizzard what's up with the $40 bucks streaming price? All the money we have paid them over the years and they can't throw us one bone? Like $4.99 for the stream?

 

[not a zaar]

This seems more like a hype piece than a news article, maybe it should be in the Gaming Discussion forum?