No internet? No game for you!
So, earlier today I read that Diablo III will require an always-on internet connection for the game to operate, even for single player mode. This saddens me. Diablo III is easily on my “really want it” list of upcoming games, and the “always on” connection issue won’t bother me too much I think, but it’s a problem I feel the need to address.
When Assassins Creed II came out for PC, the game had a horribly draconian DRM method that required you to be constantly connected to the internet. That’s enough to decry in its own right. What Blizzard has going on though seems to be a need to be constantly connected in order to access content. Since the content appears to be so integrated with the single-player mode, you need to be always on for it to work. If you lose a connection, then you’re booted out. Whether or not the always-on connection contains DRM or not is irrelevant. This issue is they are selling a game that comes with a hefty single-player mode that cannot be played offline. This is not smart.
Internet, for as widespread as it is, is not always available or stable enough to warrant a need of an “always-on” connection. There are games where this is okay. An always-on connection for an MMORPG makes sense because that’s what it needs to be played. If you’re buying a game you can’t play because it requires internet to be played and you don’t have the internet you’re certainly lacking in common sense. But the issue is Diablo III and Assassins Creed II have single-player that should be accessible regardless of your connection. They are making an assumption that is preventing them from reaching potential customers. In the article, executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo says ”I want to play Diablo 3 on my laptop in a plane, but, well, there are other games to play for times like that.” Sure, you likely shouldn’t be playing Diablo on a plane, but what about in my home? Rural areas of the USA may only have dial-up such as where my mother lives.
They are forgetting the fact that not everyone who wants to play these games has internet. When you have a game that requires an online component such as a multi-player mode, fine. But I should be able to play single-player whenever I damn well choose. I don’t need to communicate with other players. I don’t need to have constant access to cool online features. I do need to be able to play my game. It is folly of the worst kind to produce a product that requires a service you may or not have, when that product shouldn’t need that service in order to operate. Just because you can assume everyone has access to that service, doesn’t mean that you should.
Having lived in a place that an “always-on” internet connection was impossible no less than 2 years ago, this fills me with a certain amount of distaste. Is this an issue for me currently? No. But it is issue I understand and speak out against on behalf of those with whom I once shared the plight of crappy internet.
 |
Join the discussion! 0 comments made so far! |
Filed under:Soap Box Tags: diablo iii, gaming |
