StarCraft 2

[mannerbot]

Ewww...

http://news.bigdownload.com/2008/10/...ze-battle-net/

Blizzard has been running its online multiplayer services for nearly all of their games for free via Battle.net (save of course for the subscription based MMO World of Warcraft). All those Warcraft RTS games along with the Diablo titles and the original Starcraft have had its multiplayer servers running at Blizzard's expense for many years.

However, with two upcoming non-MMO games on the horizon (Starcraft II and Diablo III) there may be some changes coming for Battle.net and it's likely that its many, many customers won't like it. According to our sister site Joystiq (covering a Diablo III gameplay panel at BlizzCon this weekend) the game's producer Jay Wilson was quoted as saying, "We are looking to monetize Battle.Net so that we get to keep making these games and updating features. We kind of have to." So what does this mean exactly? Will people have to pay to play Diablo III and Starcraft II online? Will more ads appear on the Battle.net web site? At the moment there's no clear word on the future of the service.

[Rumpy]

They should just roll the profits of monthy WoW takes into keeping Battle.net going. If they kept it up for years before the money printing press, why do they need to do it now?

[sleeve]

"Monetizing" battle.net does not equal monthly fees necessarily. Free multiplayer has always been the keystone of SC/WC's massive popularity, especially in South Korea, and Blizzard knows this. It'll probably take the form of increased advertising, and that's fine. Battle.net has been underexploited for years in this regard. Hop onto a server today and you'll see the same sad banner ads that have been running for 4-5 years. Why shouldn't Blizzard take advantage of all those eyeballs?

[FirstBlood]

I blame Activision

[epmode]

That and WoW's success.

Anyway, I don't expect any monthly fees or anything, but we'll see more ads and a la carte features. WoW's full of this stuff. Charging for name changes, character server transfers, etc.

[Rumpy]

I just watched the CG teaser trailer, Blizzard still has one of best CG houses on the planet. So awesome.

[Rumpy]

Starcraft 2 1vs1 video

[Cowutopia]

I just watched the CG teaser trailer, Blizzard still has one of best CG houses on the planet. So awesome.

Animation studios should hire them out for shit. It's top-quality.

This game makes me tingle in my pants.

[Cowutopia]

You can load scv's into the command center now? Wow. Even faster expansion.

[Razor Ramon]

I cannot wait for this game.