realID: gtfo!

So the RealID forum changes were called off!

I'd like to take some time to speak with all of you regarding our desire to make the Blizzard forums a better place for players to discuss our games. We've been constantly monitoring the feedback you've given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums. As a result of those discussions, we've decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums.

You know what this means?

I CAN RESUBSCRIBE! WOO, PARTY!

My previous blog post seems rather silly now, after that announcement, but I'm leaving it up as a reminder of what this game meant to me and how close I was to losing that (MELODRAMA!).

Thanks to all those players who spoke up against the RealID changes and voted with their wallets! There were so many people who said they had already unsubscribed when this madness was announced. It's nice to know that we were able to make our voices heard.

However, the RealID thing is not exactly over yet:

Over time, we will continue to evolve Real ID on Battle.net to add new and exciting functionality within our games for players who decide to use the feature.

Hm...I wish they wouldn't leave us in the dark about what their ideas are for this feature. Only time will tell what Activision's true long-term plans are.

realID: so does this mean goodbye?

By now, everyone on the internet has heard of the RealID forum changes and the subsequent massive outrage that rose up from the community. Just from skimming the original announcement post on the forums, you could see that the vast majority of players think this is the worst idea in the history of Worst Ideas, ever. Blizzard has done quite a few things in-game that I didn't agree with, but I've kept subscribing because in the end, whatever little annoyance I had was far outweighed by my enjoyment of the game itself. I got over it. However, these new RealID changes are a dealbreaker for me. I realized that, however much I enjoy this game, just can't support the direction it's going.

Read More