While everyone else is ranting and raving about Diablo III and having to be "always connected" to Battle.net to play it - even in single player - our very own Andrew Eisen takes a different approach with the following heartfelt letter.
If Blizzard listens, this could be the best Christmas ever! Check out his heartwarming plea to Blizzard to your left or visit YouTube.
NyuRena: You nailed it James! Yikes..06/18/2013 - 1:56pm
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james_fudge: With MS willing to share with the government, an always listening device should give everyone pause.06/18/2013 - 1:37pm
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james_fudge: you can't turn off the Microphone on the Kinect and it has to be plugged in. It's not rocket science.06/18/2013 - 1:35pm
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E. Zachary Knight: The Humble Bundle Guys just don't like me having money in my pocket do they? https://www.humblebundle.com/06/18/2013 - 1:12pm
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E. Zachary Knight: CMiner, I know that my Android camera is off unless I am using an application that turns it on. Same with the microphone.06/18/2013 - 12:38pm
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CMiner: Can you turn off the camera on an iPhone? Like, -really- turn it off, not just change a setting that -tells- you the camera is off?06/18/2013 - 12:13pm
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james_fudge: when they make it a requirement, yes they are06/18/2013 - 12:10pm
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CMiner: I just don't think Microsoft bears any more (or less) responsibility for privacy with its Kinect camera than do the makers of laptops or smartphones with integrated cameras.06/18/2013 - 12:00pm
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Imautobot: The ability to operate the console without the camera is key. It's a peripheral, not directly integrated into the console, and yet it behaves as if it is. Thankfully I don't have kids, and won't have an Xbone either.06/18/2013 - 11:49am
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CMiner: Oh, I agree that the decision to make the kinect mandatory/always listening is terrible.06/18/2013 - 11:48am
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E. Zachary Knight: CMiner, and the easier the provider makes to do such things, the better. The fact that the XBone will not even funtion without it plugged in and turned on in some fashion makes a world of difference from a PC Webcam.06/18/2013 - 11:38am
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CMiner: It takes steps on the user's part to ensure 100% privacy (unplugging, uninstalling, putting tape over it, not putting it in the kid's rooms, etc)06/18/2013 - 11:29am
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CMiner: My point is that no webcam producing company can guarantee that no one will ever ever ever be able to access video from that webcam without your knowledge and permission06/18/2013 - 11:28am
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E. Zachary Knight: Of course at that point, you are still opening up yourself to Windows zero day vulnerabilities and back doors that they are happy to share with the government before Windows users.06/18/2013 - 11:26am
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E. Zachary Knight: Cminer, I don't because I wipe the OS and reinstall something more secure, Linux. Even still, just wiping the OS and reinstalling Windows fresh removes all the bloatware PC companies install.06/18/2013 - 11:26am
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E. Zachary Knight: I agree that the Kinect requirement of the XBone has my civil liberty senses tingling. Just another nail in the coffin for me.06/18/2013 - 11:25am
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E. Zachary Knight: Honestly, I wouldn't put anything with an integrated camera in my kids' rooms. You are just asking for trouble. Of course, I am not a fan of having tvs/videogames/computers in kids rooms in general.06/18/2013 - 11:24am
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CMiner: In the case of integrated webcams on laptops, do you have the same concern that people at Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc might be spying on you?06/18/2013 - 11:24am
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E. Zachary Knight: I love awesome indie devs. Incredipede is free if you run linux! http://www.incredipede.com/linux.html Thanks @ColinNorthway You're the best.06/18/2013 - 11:23am
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Imautobot: More creepy is that the Xbox Camera can see in the dark. Now we're in Buffalo Bill territory.06/18/2013 - 11:21am
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Comments
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
My first knee-jerk reaction to the online play mandate for D3 was that it was directed at "stopping" infringement. I realize now that it wasn't the main reason they did this. It was because of the cash auction house they added that they require online play. Any player not online is 100% certainly not going to be generating profit for them because they can't take part in the auction house.
Why does this matter? It matters because Blizzard charges you when you put up the auction, they take a cut when the auction is won, and then they take a cut when you go to cash out your sales. So for those of you who can't count, that's 3 times they take a piece of the action. Three times! It's all a plan to milk millions of people and make money for doing absolutely nothing. Anyone who's not online isn't contributing to this free revenue for Blizzard, that's why we won't get offline play. Anything they say to the contrary is pure bullshit.
-Greevar
"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
"Anyone who's not online isn't contributing to this free revenue for Blizzard, that's why we won't get offline play."
True, but anyone who's not online may as well not buy the game period as they can't play any part of it. That's a sizeable chunk of change Blizzard is throwing away right there. Blizzard may not get the "nominal fee" from the offliners but at least they get the revenue from them purchasing the game in the first place. Not to mention the good will generated from catering to all their fans, online or not.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
"True, but anyone who's not online may as well not buy the game period as they can't play any part of it."
That's my point. People who want to play offline won't buy it, they will just download a cracked version. And it will be cracked, just like the Ubisoft DRM.
-Greevar
"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
Right, which is why it would behoove Blizzard to cater to its offline fans as well.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
That's good. I remember seeing part of this in the comments of the last post. And it is something I wish they would comply with.
They put all this crap in a game to stop piracy and tell us that they [The pirates] aren't cracking their DRM. It's like the part in Harry Potter where the Ministry of Magic denies that You-know-who is dead and is not coming back, when you know good and well that he is. In that vein, the game industry denies that the DRM is being cracked when pirates are cracking the DRM left and right and sometimes either right before or after the game is released, despite the face that the DRM is supposed to stop the pirates. But it's not stopping the pirates, just the loyal paying customers.
I bought GTA IV and the DLC packs for PC despite the DRM in it and the fact you need to be connected to install it. If GTA V ends up being where you need a constant connection to play it, is where I draw the line.
It begs to question: Is this about stopping piracy or keeping total control on the customers who buys your product, and not to mention keeping total control of the product long after it leaves their hands. Kinda like selling a VCR to someone and making they buyer use the VCR in ways you see fit, over letting the buyer using HIS VCR how he wants.
Sorry for the rant. The video really was good and I hope something good comes out of it.
- W
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
I'll add, Andrew, you're a very good presenter and I'd like to think good things will come of it, for yourself and the people/media form you're representing.
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
BRAVO!
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
I hope your sister put in her own PS for you as well.
-Austin from Oregon
Feel free to check out my blog.
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
Hehe, you make good use of humor, and glad I see soemone else who enjoys the M.A.S.K. toys.
Re: Going Over Santa's Head.. to Blizzard
I'm just glad I'm not the only one who's in their 30s and still loves their M.A.S.K. toys.