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World of Warcraft: Only One Thing To Do
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In his latest column, Jon Wood shares his thoughts about Blizzard's Real ID system and the implications for players. The bottom line is that players have one question to ask themselves and, depending on the answer, have only one thing to do in response. Check it out!
Now, this article isn’t meant to condemn the move or to support it. I’m sure that you’re going to get plenty of that from nearly any video game site you might visit in the near future, and there are two good reasons why I’m not the one to start spouting off about it: 1) I don’t play World of Warcraft, so this move, at least for now, doesn’t affect me in the slightest. 2) As a condition of my job, I post on a volatile internet forum on a daily basis using my real name. You’ll notice, for example, that this column isn’t listed under Stradden, but rather under Jon Wood so I’m more in the “what’s the big deal” camp that I would be otherwise.
Find out what that one thing is in Jon's column.
Comments
I quit WoW several years ago because of all the stupid decsisions Blizzard was making. This new change just means I wont play Starcraft 2 either.
People always like to say "Well then just quit" or "Speak with your wallet." The issue is that course of action doesn't work on its own. It is like voting, sure you could just go out and vote and hope that enough people vote your way but that isn't really going to accomplish anything, there is a reason why every candidate has a support team who's whole job is to get people to vote for them and not the other guy. In order to get something accomplished you have to campaign for your cause, because just like voting in real life, when it comes to voting with your wallet a lot of people either 1)Don't ever vote or 2)Don't have a clue of what they're actually voting on.
When it comes to a new bill for example, a huge portion of our country don't have a clue about anything (arguable a larger percentage of the population then does understand the issues). Those people still vote one way or the other, but since they don't understand the issue at hand, they have to be led to vote one way or another.
Nothing has ever been accomplished in life by people sitting back and choosing a side on an issue in peace and by themselves. Everything has been accomplished by campaigning for a side and getting people to realize why they should vote your way. So saying people should just quit if they don't like it is not enough, they need to try and convince those who will automatically side with blizzard no matter what they do, that what blizzard is doing is wrong and bad for the future of gaming.
Blizzard gets away with a lot of stuff, and it has nothing to do with that stuff being a good thing to do. It has everything to do with 90% of their player base being completely apathetic and just siding with Blizzard no matter what happens. That is a bad thing. It's not enough to speak with your own wallet, you have to convince others to join you.
My sentiments as always, "put up or shut up". Nothing more ridiculous than people ranting over an over on a board that shows they're still paying to play the game.
"You can spit in my eye only 16 more times, and THEN I'm leaving!"
Quit the game, and post in your exit survey why you're quitting. Enough people quit, they'll learn. Posting how much you hate the decision while still paying for the game makes your words empty and pointless, literally. You might as well be saying how much you hate a restaurant's food with a mouth full of it while ordering the second course and leaving a huge tip.
Credibility, it's not just for breakfast anymore.
Re: SnarlingWolf, nothing gets accomplish by ranting and paying, either. If you don't like it, quit. If enough people quit, it will change. If you are the only one that quits, then it's just you that doesn't like it. It's called capitalism, and it really is that simple.
What you want is to eat your cake and have it to, you want Blizz to value you as a person and your input, but to Blizz you are .00000000001% of their game population. Keep in mind, they deliberately and with forethought of the consequences alienated 1% of their gaming population by making the upper tiers of the game easier and more available. They intentionally decided "we have 30% of the game being seen by 1% of the population, and if we change it, that top 1% will very likely leave the game, but the other 99% will enjoy it more....very well, sacrifice that 1%".
As a consumer of a 12 million player game, your words could not be more empty, because they're not heard in the cacaphony. If you quit, and you are alone, then it's just you, go play something else. If enough people quit, Blizz will have to change to save the cash cow. Not rocket science.
Good column. Wish more people here had as level a head on their shoulders as Mr. Wood (myself included).
"If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse." - Henry Ford
How can I quit that which I am not subscribed to?
I left WOW over 4 years ago, so not much I can do to voice my displeasure about this move.
I am a long time fan of the Starcraft and Diablo franchises and this move will ensure that I won't be purchasing either title, but they'll never know it unfortunately.
So raging on forums is about the only recourse, though I am seriously considering actually sending them a snail mail just so they get an appreciation of my disagreement on their policy.
Unlike John, my name is very unqiue and its far too easy for people to locate me therefore while he might not care, it matters a great deal to me.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Totally agree that walking away is a very important step. But honestly, you generally shouldn't just up and quit everytime the devs propose a change that offends you. There needs to be the opportunity for the devs to hear feedback (they announced they are going to do something soon, they didn't just go and do it), then assess as to whether or not they're still making the best decision.
There needs to be the 'hey if you guys are serious about this change, I'm gonna quit' dialog.
If the devs stick to their guns, fine, it's time to make good on your promise to quit.
BUT...
It needs to be public. It doesn't need to be hate filled or ranting or whatever (agree childish ranting can seriously compomise your cause), but your decision to leave needs to not just be addressed to the devs, but to the current consumers and potential consumers as well.
Word of mouth is the most powerful decision making tool a consumer has going for them, and if you want to make your point heard by any dev, they need to know you're not just taking your account from them, you're taking an unknown number of potential accounts as well. That DOES sting them where it counts. Which is good. Not because you can have a feeling of revenge, but because showing that the players can't be screwed over is a GOOD thing for everyone (even the devs) when it comes to the next product being an actual improvement in MMO's and not just a more efficient money making scheme.
This is the strongest way to protest this. If a person truly feels that they are being slighted by Blizzard then your best course of action is to cancel your subscription. Money is very powerful thing. Screaming, rantng and raving has little to no effect if you're one of millions of little fish in a school at sea.
People have already started leaving over this. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more each day. I'm giving Bliz. a chance to come to their collective senses. If this is pushed live, the next step would be in game if this is successful. I never signed up for World of Facebook. If this does in fact go through, don't worry. I will be leaving. There's too many other mmorpgs out these days to have to put up with this.
I agree with the article. As for hurting the company by quitting, it should'nt matter to you if you get a thousand people to quit when you do. To thy own self be true, If you arent happy then leave and happy wishes to the people that don't mind the changes and stay.
One thing is for sure though, for those that stay they will probably be alot nicer to people knowing that some nut job with anger issues could hunt them down because they know thier real name.
Work hard Play Harder
This is a volitile board? No..... 8P
Anyways right on target in terms of speaking with the pocket book. Personally, I have never really gotten into WoW all that much and don't play it currently. So I'm unaffected by their choice of putting someone's real name on a forum board. I also don't tend to troll boards except here (must be the volitility). So even if I did play the game I likely wouldn't be in their forums. So either way this doesn't bother me too much but I certainly can understand why people would be hot under the collar on this one.
1. They will loose their current forum identity, good or bad most people probably have been there for years under their current id.
2. It's certainly not a common practice to use one's given name on a forum and hasn't been since the days of Prodigy Online.
3. People worry about the nut job factor, will these crazy people on the forums hunt me down for my oppossing opinion?
I'm sure the list could expand but it's definitely a "bold' move. I think from Blizzard's aspect they're doing this as a way to virally market their game. Whats the old addage, "The only thing worse than being talked about... Is not being talked about."
Sage words. Put your money where your mouth is, or so. I don't have subscribed any Blizzard product and I am sure as hell never to buy any. But you can spread the word to friends and family, so they are aware.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
Well said, well written. Finally, some brevity on the situation.
This. Cya D3 and SC2!
EvE doors
See the best doors on EvE-on!
Agree.. I am not going to use the new forums but it is not enough to put me out of the game. That is as simple as it is.
This have been a good conversation
Well you completely 100% missed what my post was saying, truly.
I want to have my cake and eat it to? I don't subscribe to WoW, and I no longer plan on buying SC2 which I had been looking forward to. So where is the cake again?
Might want to reread my post and see if you can figure out how you were able to completely misinterpret it to feed into your opinion of people who don't like the change. I don't give Blizzard one cent of my money.
Cancelled my SC2 pre-order today due to this stupidity and according the saleswoman there were a few others cancelling for the same reason.
Good article, Jon. Well-argumented and level-headed.
Only language Blizz understands is: Money ! Take it away from them and you'll find Kotick kneeled before your door.
I've left WoW since a while by now and it's been one of my best decisions. However I fully support this campaign because Blizzard's initiatives tend to become market-standard. And that's not a thing I would like. I avoid FB and other social networks like Black Plague for my privacy's sake.
Sometimes, resistance is not futile...
"because it is so rarely backed up with action."
um wrong. This comment alone basically obliterates any credibility the article had going for it.
People very often do quit games because of bad decisions by the devs. However, you can strike a much harder blow by sticking around and complaining until other people are upset not only at bliz's decision, but also by all the complaining. You can also convince others, which means even more complaining and more potential subscriber loss.
Just quitting and moving on is what bliz wishes the complainers would do.
So, in the end, each and every WoW player out there needs to ask themselves on very simple but very important question:
Do I feel strongly enough about the changes being brought in by the REAL ID system to honestly pack up and walk away from WoW, potentially forever?
If you answered yes to that question, then you need to actually do it. If you didn't, you need to seriously ask yourself if getting all worked up is a good use of your time given that you're not willing to exercise the only real power you have in your relationship with Blizzard to make a difference.
this^^
BestSigEver :P
for me I don't care really, I don't play WoW , and also it only affect they official forums, motive some games the fansite forums are far more usefull then the offcial one.
also jsut a link just for the fun of it XD
http://thenoobcomic.com/index.php?pos=378
I think you and Mr. Wood are both correct. I think a lot of people do quit over bad decisions, but many do complain over and over ...stay on official forums.....in game.....and keep complaining.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
I haven't logged on to these forums for years, but I wanted to say something, even if it is just the same things you've been hearing since this news announced.
This move is just mind boggling. It's clear to me now that this is no longer the Blizzard we remember from a long time ago. The Blizzard that made 3 amazing franchises and the most sucessful MMO in the world? No, that Blizzard is gone, and all that's left is a puppet of Activision. I've been told the majority of Blizzard employees are just as distraught with this decision as many of us and WoW players are.
I won't be cancelling my subscription, but my view on the company has changed dramatically and I now feel weary about giving 15 dollars a month to them. I'm also seriously questioning if I want to buy Starcraft 2. Should Real ID ever be required in game, you can kiss my ass goodbye, along with half the playerbase.
Come on Blizzard, kick Robert Kotick out of your company, please don't be the next Star Wars Galaxies.
Jon, are you the Lord Humungus? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ttKJwvFIgw
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
I am in that boat too. If you type "Jon Wood" Facebook search, you probably have several to choose from. If you put my name in there, you get me. Just me. If you google my name, everything that comes on the first several pages of hits is me and stuff I have posted under my own name.
Re: People complaining and quitting:
I have noticed that some changes cause people to flee from a game-- I hate to bring it up anywhere, but there was that SWG NGE thing that seemed to cause a fairly large exodus. It doesn't even matter that the policy didn't change when those people left because it no longer applied to them. They go play other games and SOE doesn't get their money.
On the other hand, back when EQ1 was still all the rage, there were protests from time to time, in game and in the forums, and sometimes things got changed, but mostly they didn't. People would throw fits about problems with or changes to their classes, swearing they'd quit, but mostly they didn't-- they just switched to a different class. So, it does seem true that people will rant and froth all over the forums and in-game, but don't actually quit.
I think all MMO players should care, because if Blizzard pulls this off, you can bet that every other company will be doing something like it in a year or two.
I'm thinking about what Kyleran said, maybe all those people voicing their protests, should send Activision a good old fashioned paper mail letter. It is too easy to delete e-mail. If nothing else they would have to hire a truck to take them away ... would draw some attention eh?