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World of Warcraft and Battle.net web services currently down [Updated]
For reasons unknown, World of Warcraft and Battle.net web services are all down for the count this morning. Social media speculation lays blame at the feet of Diablo III, but judging by my barbarian's continued ability to run roughshod over Azmodan's legions, that may not be the case -- the Diablo III service appears to be operating perfectly fine. Of course, the possibility remains that some aspect of Diablo III's current operations is placing excessive strain on other areas of Battle.net's infrastructure, and the targeted blame may yet be accurate. We have yet to see a statement from Blizzard on the downtime, but we will update you as soon as we do. Update: The game-side issue appears to be an issue with the login server. If you are already logged into World of Warcraft ... don't log off if you want to keep playing! Update #2: The Battle.net downtime appears to have been resolved.
Diablo 3 internet hiccups don't penalize players
Some of you may have experienced this first hand, but if you've yet to suddenly go offline while playing Diablo 3, here's what happens. First, your game will lock up for a minute or so, then you'll be sent back to the character selection screen.According to Eurogamer, at this point you'll log back in and find that you've retained all gold, experience and items – no penalties there. Once you get back into the game, you'll start from your last checkpoint.The decision to require a constant internet connection initially received some blowback from the community, but it would seem it's not as bad as initially thought, at least in one regard. Eurogamer even notes that being booted back to the character selection screen didn't happen every time – occasionally the game would resume as if no disconnect even occurred.
Blizzard launches Battle.net Item Restoration service
With the advent of transmogrification, void storage, account-wide pets, and lots of other item-dependent features, it's seemed a little odd that Blizzard hasn't been allowing item restores via the GM queue. Well, that apparently ends today -- both the inability to do so and requesting to do so via GM ticket. Now, your Battle.net account page has a brand-new service: Item Restoration. It's a free service that you can perform once every 30 days to retrieve lost, deleted, or vendored items immediately. In the event that you disenchanted an item instead of deleting or selling it, you'll still go through the regular GM ticket line to have your case looked at. Kudos to Blizzard for finally making this service available -- it was a huge stress on the GM queue and an inconvenience for players. Now everybody's happy. Probably. Announcing: Battle.net Item Restoration Starting today, players can access a new system that will allow players to recover World of Warcraft items that they may have sold, destroyed or disenchanted: Battle.net Item Restoration. With this new self-service option the recovery of an item or items that were recently deleted or sold to a vendor can be restored to a character immediately when using the ticket submission system on our support site. For any items that were accidentally disenchanted the same method can be used to request a review by Customer Support for restoration. This restoration option may only be used once every 30 days on active World of Warcraft accounts that are in good standing. As this option has a limited availability and use, we still encourage caution when selling, deleting or disenchanting items. While Customer Service always strives to help whenever we can, with the introduction of this self-help feature we will no longer be able to assist with these types of requests. Additional details can be found in the following Support Article: Battle.net Item Restoration. source
Should there be a hide option for RealID?
No matter how much we may love playing with our guilds and friends, sometimes we just want to take some time off and play in single-player mode. However, with the pervasiveness of the RealID system, is it truly feasible to go off the grid to do this? Syl over at Raging Monkeys attempts to tackle this very problem, arguing enthusiastically that we should be allowed this option, that it would not only be convenient but also would benefit those relationships we have built both in-game and out. Personally, I'm a bit torn on the issue. On the one hand, I can identify with this situation, as I have been there many times before. My own friends would always want to level alts together, but our goals for those characters never quite lined up. I'd find myself creating secret alts on another faction, sometimes on another server -- not only to experience more of the story and lore than I had before, but to just be alone. Of course, this was all before the RealID system was implemented, because after its debut, I was not able to start a new draenei paladin or blood elf rogue without being flooded with questions and, admittedly, a little guilt. On the other hand, there is a very simple solution to all of this: Put your foot down. If someone asks why you're on Area 52 rolling a worgen warlock (or why you're even rolling a warlock in the first place, yuck), I think we all can agree that the best solution would be to honestly and delicately state that you need some time off, away from all of your in-game obligations -- including those inquiring minds. But is confronting your pursuers really that easy? For some, this type of thing comes naturally, and I for one am extremely envious of these people. For others, confrontation of this sort is not something we want to deal with, and the option to hide from RealID becomes a safe, albeit passive-aggressive, option. What do you think? Is this a feature that Blizzard should be working on, or should these players find other means of enjoying the game in solitary peace?
Blizzard brings Balance and Battletags to Battle.net
Blizzard Entertainment has been steadily updating the Battle.net online multiplayer service recently, presumably in anticipation of Diablo 3's release next year. Last week, the company introduced what it's calling the Battle.net Balance, a currency total stored on its servers that players can use to pay for Blizzard items -- from a World of Warcraft subscription to in-game items and plushies in the company store. This is where funds not translated directly into cash will go from the real money auction house in Diablo 3, whenever it arrives. Today, Blizzard introduced the BattleTag system, which is a specific public username that will identify players publicly on Battle.net services (similar to Xbox Live's Gamertag name). This is likely the compromise Blizzard came up with over its controversial Real ID service, which was originally meant to utilize real player names. BattleTags are not unique, but players will have a number in their public profiles that will let you identify just which "touchFuzzygetDizzy" you're talking to. BattleTags will appear first in the Diablo 3 beta, and get used in all of Blizzard's games and services sometime after that.
Blizzard introduces universal BattleTags to its titles
When Blizzard first rolled out Battle.net's Real ID feature, many players were timid (read: incensed) about using it due to the fact that it revealed players' real-life names to fellow gamers they added. These worries can be easily laid to rest with Blizzard's latest announcement: the addition of BattleTags. What's a BattleTag, you ask? Well, simply put, it's a screen name by which you are identifiable across all Blizzard games, only without the privacy concerns of Real ID. Real ID, however, will continue to exist along with BattleTags, so players can use whichever method they so desire. BattleTags are currently being tested in the Diablo III beta, and the feature will be available to Diablo III players when the game launches. The feature will also be rolled into World of Warcraft and StarCraft II, but the studio isn't ready to give solid dates on when that may take place. For the full details on BattleTags, including instructions on how to claim your own, head on over to WoW Insider and have a read.
Blizzard announces new Battle.net BattleTags
Blizzard has just announced and posted a FAQ about its upcoming Battle.net feature BattleTag, a feature separate from Real ID that connects players across all of Blizzard's games with a screen name rather than your own full name. BattleTags seems to be Blizzard's response to the community's privacy issues with Real ID, in which many players want to make new connections with people they meet in game but are not willing to share so much personal information. BattleTag will eventually have access to all of the grouping and queuing features that Real ID users currently have access to. Not only will your BattleTag be your identifier across Blizzard games, but it will also be used as your forum handle on the community websites. These handles are not unique, so you could potentially have the same name as someone else, but you'll have an identification number that appears after your name in your profile so that people can find you and send you messages. BattleTags do not interrupt your Real ID friends or any other feature. Again, BattleTags are optional, and you are still able to post on the forums using your World of Warcraft characters or StarCraft II account. BattleTags are rolling out soon in the Diablo III beta and will be available for everyone at a later date. Personally, this is exactly what I wanted from Real ID, now pared down to a manageable, private screen name. My real friends can stay on my Real ID list, and my online friends, guildmates, and other people can use my BattleTag. This new feature is a great response to players' concerns, and I cannot wait to try it. Hit the jump for the full FAQ and learn all about BattleTags.
Battle.net undergoing emergency maintenance
Moments ago, Daxxari announced that Battle.net is coming down for immediate urgent maintenance. Players logged in to Battle.net should be able to play as normal, but the system may prevent people from logging on. Maintenance is expected to last from 2:30 p.m. PST to 4:30 p.m. PST. Daxxari announces urgent Battle.net maintenance We will be performing an urgent maintenance on Battle.net which may prevent players from logging into the system. Players who are currently logged in should be able to continue to play normally. We expect this downtime to begin at 2:30 p.m. PST and end at approximately 4:30 p.m. PST. Thank you for your patience while we improve the Battle.net system. source Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
The Lawbringer: The relationship between Blizzard and PayPal
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Mathew McCurley takes you through the world running parallel to the games we love and enjoy, full of rules, regulations, pitfalls and traps. How about you hang out with us as we discuss some of the more esoteric aspects of the games we love to play? On Wednesday, Blizzard announced that PayPal would be its payment service partner for the new Battle.net wallet and Diablo 3 real money transaction Auction House coming with the release of the next Diablo game. Was anyone really surprised at this announcement? I sure wasn't, but that's because I already knew PayPal would be the payment service partner for the Diablo 3 real money Auction House from the moment the Diablo 3 real money Auction House was announced. I'm not trying to be smug here, because you knew it, too. You just didn't know that you knew. The relationship between Blizzard and PayPal is an easy one to decipher because of the nature of the business Blizzard is getting into with the Diablo 3 RMT Auction House. Auctions for real money are firmly in PayPal's wheelhouse because, shocker of shockers, PayPal is owned by eBay. When you think about the feasibility of the RMT Auction House and all of the legal ramifications that go along with it, you point to the eBay model of online auction facilitation for what works and provides the path of least resistance. This article is not a critique of PayPal as a service. There are plenty of places on the web to find that type of article. Instead, The Lawbringer will look at the actual services that Blizzard provides with PayPal, why PayPal was the obvious choice for real money transactions, and how PayPal's integration into Battle.net is not the potentially apocalyptic scenario that a few have presumed.
BlizzCon 2011 will host two StarCraft 2 global tournaments and more
Blizzard has shared the plan for two big e-sports events at BlizzCon in Anaheim, CA, and it looks like there's going to be a full plate of noobs, ownage and ggs yet again this year. Not only will the Global Battle.net Invitational showcase some of the best StarCraft 2 players from Blizzard's online multiplayer service, but the 2011 Global StarCraft League Final matches will be held at the same event, pitting the best of the best at the game against each other. Those are just the two StarCraft 2 events -- Blizzard traditionally also holds contests and tournaments for World of Warcraft arena matches and the World of Warcraft TCG at BlizzCon, and though we haven't seen an official announcement yet, it's possible we'll see some Warcraft 3 or even Diablo 3 e-sports play as well. Outside of competitive play, Blizzard usually also offers new content for attendees to play through, so Diablo 3 specifically, plus any other unannounced games, may be playable too. Tickets for the October 21-22 event are sold out, but the tournament play will likely be streamed online through "virtual tickets" later on this year.
iPhone Mobile Authenticator temporarily removed from iTunes store
Those players using the iPhone Mobile Authenticator in conjunction with their Warcraft accounts may want to note the latest news from Community Manager Lylirra on the official Blizzard forums. Due to an issue with the latest version of the authenticator, the app has been removed from the iTunes store, to be replaced with a new version at a later date. Don't panic if you happen to have the authenticator tied to your account -- all current authenticators will continue working as usual, but players looking to download or update the app for their iPhone or iTouch devices will have to wait until the new version is released. Also note that whatever this issue may be, it is not a security issue; your account is perfectly safe. Follow after the break for the full announcement.
Predicting Battle.net's social future
If you think we've scratched the surface of Battle.net cross-game implementation with Real ID, you are going to be amazed at what is coming next. Do I know any of this for sure? No, of course not. I base my predictions on three simple facts: Blizzard has created an account-based loyalty program that has encapsulated each and every one of its games; Blizzard is chock-full of smart individuals who understand community, as illustrated by the new community website; and Blizzard has made your account mean something into perpetuity. If you think Battle.net is sharp at 2.0, you can't even imagine 3.0.
Blizzard introduces Dial-in Authenticator
If you do not have an authenticator or mobile authenticator on your account, Blizzard has just introduced an alternative. The Dial-in Authenticator, now available for those without authenticators, is a new Battle.net feature that will hopefully help those players who don't have some sort of authenticator already on their account. Here's how it works. When you sign up, you'll be asked to make a toll-free call from a specific phone of your choosing to authorize login attempts with the battle.net account. You get to assign the phone number that is used, and if there is something unusual about the login attempt on your account, you'll be asked to call the toll-free number to verify you are you. An example of unusual activity would be playing from a different location than you normally do. In other words, if a keylogger gets hold of your account information and attempts to log in, they'll be prompted to call the number -- and they won't be able to go any further, because they don't have your phone and they don't have your PIN. You will only be asked to call if it's an unusual login -- otherwise, you can continue to log in and play with no worries. The Dial-in Authenticator is currently only open to U.S. residents, and it only covers World of Warcraft accounts -- although Blizzard may update it to cover more countries in the future, as well as StarCraft 2 accounts. In order to sign up for the Dial-in Authenticator, you must log into your account on Battle.net, then go to Security Options and choose to add the Dial-in Authenticator. If you already have an authenticator on your account, you must remove it in order to sign up for the dial-in service; you cannot use more than one security method at a time. For more information on the service, check out the official FAQ on Blizzard's website.
WoW: Cataclysm pre-orders now available through Battle.net
If you're eager to hasten the world's demise -- and you've seen the internet, so why wouldn't you be? -- you can now log in to your Battle.net account and pre-order World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. The expansion, which promises to wreck and rearrange the realm of Azeroth, will become available for download at 12:01 a.m. PST on December 7 (and 12:01 a.m. CST in Europe and Russia). Online pre-orders will be granted automatic access to the expansion's content as soon as Blizzard's servers go live. As with director Roland Emmerich's take on armageddon, there are few caveats you should be aware of before going in. You'll be charged as soon as you place your pre-order, and you will have to log in to World of Warcraft at least once before launch date in order to begin a background download. Cataclysm's Collector's Edition bonuses, like the in-game pet, will only be available with retail copies. Maybe Blizzard is trying to tell you something.
New Blizzard community website, forums begin testing in November
The announcement came out this morning on the EU forums that Blizzard is getting ready to roll out its new community website and forums for World of Warcraft some time in early November. Anyone who has been to the community site for StarCraft 2 will already be aware of some of the new features including a more advanced forum system than what we have now. Features will include the ability to report a post for trolling or spam without changing pages, being able to see a quick summary of the thread by mousing over and letting players up- and down-rate responses. The current forums will be set as locked during the beginning of the transition and then will be completely removed toward the end. This means that if there are any old guides, posts or fun things from days of old that you want to see moved to the new forums, you should copy them to your own computer now. One thing that is curiously missing from the announcement is what alternative Blizzard has developed to its original Real ID forums concept since it was thrown out. StarCraft 2 has a centralized handle that is associated with your Battle.net login, and it is the same handle/avatar that's used for multiplayer games. Hopefully, they'll provide more details on issues like this as things start to lead up to the changeover. The full blue post is after the break.
Blizzard's Battle.net director on Real ID, cross-game integration and BlizzCon
During GDC Online, Blizzard's Battle.net project director Greg Canessa presented a "postmortem" for the latest version of the service, which enables online play and discussion for Blizzard's titles, most recently StarCraft 2. Speaking to Joystiq before the talk, Canessa was happy to discuss the recent past of the service with us, and talk a bit about the future. Battle.net is in use by all 12 million World of Warcraft players, three-plus million StarCraft 2 players, and other users, but it recently came to the attention of an even larger audience when controversy arose over Blizzard's decision to implement Real ID, requiring users to identify themselves by their real names on Battle.net. Forum users did not respond kindly to the sudden and mandatory attachment of their real names to their comments, flames and LOLcats, and that part of the plan was cut, with Real ID still being implemented in non-forum features. "The vision behind Real ID," Canessa said, "was to maintain parallel levels of identity: we have that sort of anonymous character level of identity, and then that Real ID tier that spans games, and there are incremental features that you get for being part of the Real ID community. The vision for that spanned games, got into cross-game chat and so forth. In reality, the in-game social suite was very popular, the cross-game chat that we did, the stuff within StarCraft 2.
Blizzard: Use StarCraft 2 trainers 'at your own risk'
Big Blizzard is always watching! Earlier this week, Cheat Happens reported one of its users was banned in StarCraft 2 after utilizing trainers in single player. Blizzard apparently had suspended his account for 14 days over "exploitative activity." The idea is that even though these trainers are being used in single player and against AI opponents, the effects of earning achievements alters the "prestige" of a player's online persona, a supposed Blizzard rep responded via an alleged email. We contacted Blizzard ourselves for a bit of clarification on the matter and were given a statement, which you can read past the break.
Battle.net authenticators limited to one account
Blizzard is changing up the security on their authenticators a bit. This isn't a major change and shouldn't affect that many people. Starting now, if you happen to have multiple Battle.net accounts (not multiple WoW accounts under one Battle.net account), then each account must have its own authenticator. This means if you have separate Battle.net logins for zergrush@somedomain.com and taurenfever@example.com and you want to use an authenticator, you'll need to buy two. If you've just got taurenfever@example.com and all of your games are under that Battle.net login, then you're perfectly fine. This is not retroactive. If you already have two accounts linked to a single authenticator, everything will still work as it does right now until you unlink that authenticator. The full blue post detailing the changes is behind the cut below.
Real ID and Battle.net get expanded privacy settings
Blizzard has come through with its promise of updated and more expansive options for its controversial Real ID feature, connecting Blizzard's games through use of real names as identifiers. The new options allow you to opt out of being listed in the "Friends of Friends" of other users, to deactivate the ability to be seen in Starcraft II's Facebook feature, or to turn off Real ID altogether. To change your Battle.net privacy options, log in to your account's Battle.net management page and select Settings, then Communication Preferences. Now all we need is an "go invisible" feature on Real ID, like most instant message clients have, and I'll be a happy Real ID user. The full announcement by Nethaera is below: Nethaera -- New Battle.net Privacy Settings We'd like to make you aware of the new Real ID-related privacy options we've introduced to Battle.net. These options provide Real ID users with additional tools for customizing the service based on their preferences, enabling the ability to opt in or out of the Real ID "Friends of Friends" and "Add Facebook Friends" features or to turn off Real ID altogether. Real ID offers an optional, convenient way for keeping in touch with real-world friends you know and trust, whether they're playing World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, or one of our future games. The "Friends of Friends" and "Add Facebook Friends" features provide you with even more options to stay connected while you play by making it easier for real-life friends to locate each other on Battle.net. You can easily enable or disable these features through your Battle.net privacy settings by logging in to your Battle.net account at http://www.battle.net/. source
StarCraft 2's designer stands by tradition, promises updates 'soon'
To hear Starcraft 2 designer Dustin Browder tell it, creating games at Blizzard takes years of fighting and yelling rather than coding or creating art -- every little decision is a "a three-week or longer holy war." Browder says that the controversial decision to release the RTS as three titles was made to get the game out faster -- after all that arguing, Blizzard figured that it needed to release something, and if that had been the whole game, we'd have been waiting even longer. As it was, he says, "we wanted to get a product into consumers' hands sometime before the end of the decade. Even that we didn't quite make, I guess, but it was still sooner!" Browder answers fans' concerns about how closely the second game resembles the first by suggesting that adapting RTS competitors' innovations wouldn't have made the game more successful. "I haven't really seen another gameplay experience that's attracted millions of players with hundreds of thousands playing online," he says. "I have not seen someone else be successful by removing economy. I have not seen other RTSes be successful by removing micro." And finally, he says to look for future updates coming to the game, both in the form of patches to Battle.net, and in the other versions. There's no timeline set yet for the paid user maps program, but Blizzard is working on more art for modders, and updates "for our fans to get more value out of Battle.net." As for what updates will be in the second retail title, Heart of the Swarm, Browder seems to hint that Blizzard just hasn't decided yet. They must still be throwing things and yelling down in Irvine.
