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Did Blizzard steal your name?
GreenLanternFan
Member Posts: 374
Alright, so I haven't played WoW in a long while and as hypocritical as it may seem coming from someone that despises what WoW has become, I thought I would take a peak at the Cataclysm site in order to determine whether or not the game was worth coming back to when the expansion arrives. Perusing the site eventually lead to me heading on over to the Armory to look up my chars and reminisce. Upon doing so, I was amazed to see that there were now twenty if not hundreds or more characters that shared the same name as some of mine.
Now before you jump to conclusions, stay with me on this as I'm not talking about names like Legolas (I would never) or even Guinness (I did, a Dwarf Hunter named after my favorite beer). I am referring to names that I came up with on my own that I've never seen in any game I've ever played since WoW. Names that I came up with, like the one that was a jumbled combination of the names of two of my exes, for example.
Coincidence, I think not. There is no way that all these others came up with these names on their own or that all these people were even inspired by my character. No, I am lead to believe that only Blizzard the "unimaginative" the "stealer of ideas" is leaching the names that others create for their random name generator. Therefore, my suggestion would be, for those that regard certain character names, be careful as to which names you use in WoW. Chances are, many others will eventually end up with said name, growing fonder of it, and perhaps even taking it with them to a future game thus preventing you from using it.
I realize that many of you won't give a $#!7 regarding your names as it is quite obvious in most games I play. However, I do know that there are those of you that have 1 or more names that do have sentimental value therefore, I thought I'd share.
Your fail comment, failed.
Comments
How many millions of people? Short of an inane amount of random characters in a name, odds are somebody may just come up with the same name. Add in if you ever posted with that name somewhere, tada. It has nothing to do with Blizzard, and to suggest that it does is kind of...well, they frown on saying things like that here.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
If u won't say ur character name then i can't take a serious conclusion. I make up most of my nicknames ("Fawarendan" for example), but i've seen them around a couple of times.
Playing: Starcraft II.
Played: Tibia, Ragnarok Online, Ultima Online, Guild Wars, World of Warcraft.
Wanna play: Guild Wars 2, SW:TOR, Final Fantasy XIV, Diablo III.
I made my usual name by playing Dungeons and Dragon for xbox, then changing 1 letter in a default name for the fighter. Thus spawned Asltok.
I agree completely, 'somebody' may come up with the same name, but 50 to even a hundred or more, c'mon. I am speaking of names that I had that shortly after the armory had first come out, upon searching it, I was the only one with those names. Now there are dozens if not more players with said names. Like I stated previously, I can understand a few copycats or even 1 or 2 others randomly coming up with some of them, but I have a hard time believing in those numbers.
Your fail comment, failed.
What does your first sentence even mean? Seriously, look at it again, read it and see if you can understand it because I not only see no reason for you to shorten 'you' to 'u' or 'your' to 'ur' but I have no idea how someone can "take a serious condition." Small typographical errors are one thing, no one is perfect, but this is just...well, I just don't have enough words.
In any case, I've seend character names that I've created and found highly unique elsewhere when searching the interwebs so I can see where you're coming from. That said, the OP would do well to re-read the ToS/EULA and note that everything you make or do within the game world really is the property of Blizzard, likely stretching to what people name their characters. It's terribly unfortunate but all we really do receive is a license to play the game.
(1)TL:DR must be your way of saying that thinking hurts. Then again, this may explain why it looks like you responded to the post without using your brain.
(2) It's not about community, is it? You just have nothing better to do.
Now you are just being 100% picky. I'm used to shorten "you" to "u", "your" to "ur", "you are" to "ur" and many other little things that may seem unnecessary, but i'm a gamer, not a freaking writer. Also u probably misunderstood my sentence, because i never said "take a serious condition". However, i'm not sure if "take" is really the best thing to say here, but it's not that hard to mentally replace it with "make" or "bring up", because that's clearly what i meant to say. Also keep in mind some people @ the internet don't have english as their first language, even with that fact nobody ever complained about my english, actually most of my online buddies show surprise when i bring this up (it may not be 100% gramatically correct, but even freaking google understood the sentence for gods sake, i tested it after ur post). Grammar nazi's...
Playing: Starcraft II.
Played: Tibia, Ragnarok Online, Ultima Online, Guild Wars, World of Warcraft.
Wanna play: Guild Wars 2, SW:TOR, Final Fantasy XIV, Diablo III.
Gah, you're right, you did say "take a serious conclusion" and I apologise for my misreading of you're horribly poor sentence. That's a serious apology and I am seriously saying that you should tell me what you mean (or the OP in this case) instead of having us figure out what you mean for you. At that point we may be putting words in your mouth and no one wants that. So, in the future, understand there is a distinction between clear writing and a grammar nazi. I'll leave it at that, there's no reason to hijack this thread.
(1)TL:DR must be your way of saying that thinking hurts. Then again, this may explain why it looks like you responded to the post without using your brain.
(2) It's not about community, is it? You just have nothing better to do.
OP, have you ever figured that the Armory might just be so accessible that people saw your character, liked the names, and then bit on it?
Or maybe that your names were not as unique as you thought they were? (especially if any are references to anything else)
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
Also lot of people see you in game and say to themselves "that's a cool name", log into another server and create an alt, or two.. then someone sees them in the armory, on the new server, or they put their new cool named character in a forum sig... process repeats
Sorry OP but it's highly doubtful Blizzard loved your name so much they "stole" it.
Your first point is valid and I have thought about that being the case and it very well could be. However, I do believe the names that I was using were very unique in some cases. Like I stated before, one was a name that I derived from combining 'parts' of the names of exes of mine. So, in that instance, I highly doubt someone just happened to wind up with the same thing by coincidence.
Your fail comment, failed.
Impossible to say exactly how things become the way they do but do remember. like other posters said, there are millions of people playing add to that many different languages and cultures so there is a chance of something meaningless in one language might mean a totally different thing in another language.
Maybe your made up name actually means Hero in Hebrew?
All statements I make is from my point of view unless stated otherwise.
I never said that Blizzard "loved my name so much they stole it". Don't be one of those forum idiots that manipulate what someone else posts to make your own post seem more valid or cooler. I simply was eluding to the fact that maybe WoW is capturing the names that are not already in the database for its random name generator and using them, that's all.
I do see the validity in your first point although, are there really that many people lacking the creativity to come up with their own name and copycatting others instead? Or, is it more likely that WoW is capturing the names for use it it's random name generator and others are simply choosing the name that is generated for them upon character creation. Either way it sucks seeing the names that have a bit of sentimental value to me being so blatantly repeated.
I just need to build a bridge and get over it, I guess.
Your fail comment, failed.
YES, lol
At first I was gonna flame, but reading the OP more closely and knowing how shrewd blizzard can be I would have to agree with OP. Whats the best place to find fantasy names in abundance if not blizzards own servers. I'm not saying this is what must've happened in OPs case, but if this wasnt happening in some form I'd be surprised.
Every single Swanea on the Armory was a character of mine.
Dude I'm sorry and I'm really not trolling here but really who gives a shit? It's a name. Besides out of the millions and millions of people that play WoW you really think that the names you came up with were so immensly original and creative that it's impossible for anyone else to do the same? But I digress... who cares....
Most people go through life pretending to be a boss. I go through life pretending I'm not.
I just dont beleive you. How can you even know there is 100s of characters with the same name as you have? You cant use the same name in the same server, this is impossible there aint enough server to make it. Otherwise, you could have tried to make a Character with your 'original' name in many other server and its said 'name already in use', you cant have crossed 50 times 'your' character's name. Armory could have give you a complete list of the characters with your name but what would it proove ? There is more chances that you created your character AFTER someone else with the same name as yours.
Also, have you consider that 'your' name might have bin popular before you used it in WOW? Wich would result in a egg or chicken appeared 1st conflict. Maybe also 'your' name might means something in an other language or mean something in WOW world like if you use Thrall as a name, thinking your original... and naturally are not within WOW.
I'll add to this that it might be someone who liked your name and just copied it. Why accuse Blizzard when your dont have a single proof.
Once again as many others said before we need to know 'your' name ... I am sure it is something as Sapurface... or critodeath...
We've all done it. That's right, I didnt invent the priest named "Healgasm" but I took it to another server. He was the man for coming up with that name. I just made it a legend.
What are the odds?
Well it happens. I once constructed a name for a pen & paper character (that is offline) I thought to be truly unique by using a "dwarven dictionary" and combining a few words which I also altered to sound good for a name. Still I found at least one person who came up with exactly the same name online.
Hi. Its called "the armory". Thx for playing.
When I started playing FPS years ago I put two words together : terror and piranha and came up with Terranah. I was pretty surprised when I was interviewing nude models for my art studio and one of the models that applied was named Terrana. Wierd coincidence, but it just proves there are so many names to go around. I almost felt like it was one of those meant to be type things. She was a dancer and had a nice figure, but I was getting apps from 20 year old girls also with dance experience so I went with a young ballet dancer. Bla bla bla. I'm rambling.
I know what you mean, back in 2008 I noticed WTF in the armory over 80 people using my signature name that I used for my Night Elf Hunter. When I complained to CSR nothing was done, when I complained on the forums it got deleted. When I complained again with my lawyers firm attach to email they finally sent a reply of sorry but we do not have the means to prevent other players from using your name. They expect me to fall for that crap? You got to be kidding me, almost every MMO that have played since World of Warcraft had some form of name protection to where no one can use your name. World of Warcraft seems is the only MMO that allow copycatting of names......
Guess this happens a lot in wow then, i had 2 chars that were unique in name now there is heaps of them ppl on the same server even copied them and just used those strange letters to change it a bit lol. But its wow who cares, even the guild I am in has had their name copied now.
all i got was Nude models
http://theultimatecombo.com/blog/
Dual blog with 2 nerds:)
Why why why did you go to all that trubble and i guess money for a lawyer just for a name in game?
http://theultimatecombo.com/blog/
Dual blog with 2 nerds:)