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StarCraft 2 to lack LAN support, no chance of a console release
Take a look at any recent Blizzard title and try to come up with the single most influential feature they have in common. It's not hard to realize the impact multiplayer functionality has had on their games, all the way back to the original Diablo. The three major Blizzard franchises all pretty much depend on multiplayer support now. Thus, it was somewhat surprising to learn that the company apparently will not be including support for local LAN plan in the upcoming StarCraft II.
In an interview with IncGamers, Rob Pardo of Blizzard specifically mentioned that they have no plans to include local multiplayer support for the game. Instead, all multiplayer features will only be available for Battle.net users. This will remain a free service, so you won't find any complaints there, but the lack of support for LAN play has the potential to be a controversial move. Not everyone would have access to Battle.net at all times, and some people might just want to bring friends over to play.
In the same interview, it was also revealed that there is a “zero percent” chance that StarCraft II will appear on any modern console, with Blizzard dead set on the PC as the only supported platform. I'm still looking forward to the future release of StarCraft, but it does seem possible that Blizzard may end up alienating players as a result of these decisions. What's your opinion, is Blizzard making a mistake?
In an interview with IncGamers, Rob Pardo of Blizzard specifically mentioned that they have no plans to include local multiplayer support for the game. Instead, all multiplayer features will only be available for Battle.net users. This will remain a free service, so you won't find any complaints there, but the lack of support for LAN play has the potential to be a controversial move. Not everyone would have access to Battle.net at all times, and some people might just want to bring friends over to play.
In the same interview, it was also revealed that there is a “zero percent” chance that StarCraft II will appear on any modern console, with Blizzard dead set on the PC as the only supported platform. I'm still looking forward to the future release of StarCraft, but it does seem possible that Blizzard may end up alienating players as a result of these decisions. What's your opinion, is Blizzard making a mistake?
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User Comments (38)
Post a comment| TomSEA on June 29, 2009 4:16 PM | One small win for PC gamers. Now we know for sure we're not going to be playing some crappy port of a made-for-console game. The lack of LAN capability is surprising though... |
| tekkaraiden on June 29, 2009 4:24 PM | I'm sure someone will come up with a LAN crack/hack/patch. If enough complain Bizzard will add it in. |
| purity999 on June 29, 2009 4:40 PM | No LAN support sucks. Being in Military if they send you to say, Iraq, your SOL as you don't have internet access. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. |
| MrAnderson on June 29, 2009 4:40 PM | The lack of LAN support is a major disappointment. I can think of only one reason, pirated copies over a LAN. I think they may loose few diehard fans for it. I'm not one, so they probably would loose me. I have enjoyed playing with friends via LAN parties or college campus matches. They could still maintain security for BattleNet. Valve has been successful regarding keeping the online aspect of their games locked down. The resources that Blizzard now has should be able to at least match that. I can, however, understand not having it produced for the console. It could take a good deal of development effort to make playing the same game on a console fun and intuitive. This is still an area in which PCs have an advantage. There is still small inroads into RTS games that are equally engaging experience from PC to consoles. Changes in interface can affect balance and an assortment of other things we may not consider at first. |
| snowchick7669 on June 29, 2009 4:42 PM | Apparently Diablo 3 isn't going to have LAN support either. Not fun 
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| Guest on June 29, 2009 5:26 PM | Yea cause no one has cheated in CS... ever |
| Guest on June 29, 2009 5:58 PM | I am just happy they continue to support MAC - not just PC - with every release 
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| Rick on June 29, 2009 6:11 PM | Apparently Diablo 3 isn't going to have LAN support either. I don't appreciate Blizzard forcing me to use Battle.net when we know good and well they delete your characters and account within 45 days of inactivity.Maybe I want to take a break for a few months and come back. I don't want to have to worry about characters I've been playing for years to disappear. |
| Darth Shiv on June 29, 2009 6:16 PM | Very poor decision by Blizzard. One of the best things about Starcraft was lanning with your mates. Considering once the blizzard server check is done and the game is found, the battlenet servers aren't needed anymore so it wouldn't be impossible to remove the middleman anyway. Hacks away! |
| Guest on June 29, 2009 6:52 PM | well there goes at least 1/3 of starcraft 2's potential userbase, lan party players. most informal lan parties i go to purposely disable internet access to keep people from overwhelming the network with torrents and the like. |
| snowchick7669 on June 29, 2009 7:09 PM | Don't understand why Blizzard would want to cut LAN, unless we are going to have to pay for something like Battlenet on Diablo/something similar for Starcraft. Grr. So much LAN parties now = Internet parties? |
| tengeta on June 29, 2009 7:19 PM | Blizzard has made endless bad decisions with the StarCraft franchise... Go back to making your WoW more addictive so you assholes can make more money. At this point, I feel like I want nothing to do with Blizzards new games. |
| snowchick7669 on June 29, 2009 7:30 PM | It's kind of sad, especially the people coming from Diablo 2 and Starcraft and having rather high expectations. Although LAN capability isn't that high? Hopefully they have a revelation and change their mind *fingers crossed* |
| hellokitty[hk] on June 29, 2009 7:37 PM | I think LAN makes sense, I can say i've seen MANY MANY "illegal" LAN parties from only a single copy of starcraft, and of course, there are the many illegal versions of starcraft which only support LAN, along with bnet emulators. I'm sure blizzard will provide better bnet support and include latency options, or at least expect MasterOfChaos and his friends to port chaos loader into sc2, so bnet should be just the same as LAN. If you're in the minuscule group of people who would buy valid copies and have LAN but no internet, i'm very sorry, you will suffer under anti-piracy. |
| snowchick7669 on June 29, 2009 7:46 PM | Was wondering when HK would pop in  Hopefully blizzard improve their bnet then. Plus I'm sure people will figure out a way around it in due time, however legal or illegal it may be. Never ceases to suprise me |
| Relic on June 29, 2009 7:49 PM | Wow this is a huge disappointed imo, while I still will be getting the game I have to say this is one bone headed decision. I just don't see how the positives outweigh the negatives in this situation personally. While the PC only decision and no consoles is great, no LAN is really shocking .
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| Rick on June 29, 2009 8:48 PM | unless we are going to have to pay for something like Battlenet on Diablo/something similar for Starcraft. Blizzard has stated recently that battle.net will remain free.
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| Guest on June 29, 2009 9:18 PM | NO LAN SUPPORT? WHAT THE.................. BLIZZARD YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING! Don't kill one of the important factors that made the game a hit! Being able to play LAN games with Warcraft 2 and Starcraft made me and my mates get so into the games because we could simply connect our computers up with each other to play! It totally rocked! Who needs a crappy console? When you can get the best from the PC game experience! LAN is even better now! As we all have laptops which makes it even more accessible to pay against and with each other. Blizzard have always had great AI and piping me and my mates against 4 computers was so much fun! People seem to forget that? It's not just about the ability to be able to play against other people over battle.net but to play with your mates at home as well, either against each other or allied against the computer. I'm sure its not a lot of work to make it possible blizzard... you have plenty of time to make it available. Not making a function, that so many people luv, on Starcraft 2 would be a 'HUGE' mistake! Your taking your time to make it right for the fans arn't you? So don't make it wrong by cutting one of the most important functions of the game. Its better for it to be available for people to use rather than not available for people when they wld like to use it! *********I HOPE YOU READ WHAT THE FANS WANT BLIZZARD.... NOT ONE FAN WILL SUPPORT THE MOVE FOR 'NO LAN' CAPABILITY! NOT ONE!*********************************************************** |
| hellokitty[hk] on June 29, 2009 9:40 PM | *********I HOPE YOU READ WHAT THE FANS WANT BLIZZARD.... NOT ONE FAN WILL SUPPORT THE MOVE FOR 'NO LAN' CAPABILITY! NOT ONE!*********************************************************** I support it.EDIT: I'm glad snowchick7669 was waiting for me to respond... Rick, didn't I play with you on starcraft one sometime last year? |
| mattfrompa on June 29, 2009 10:27 PM | No LAN support? Well thank goodness, lord knows I HATED that feature. /sarcasm With these types of decisions, and modern consoles shifting to more one player per box games and encouraging internet only for multiplayer, I am really starting to think gaming is on a decline for me. Oh well, more time to build pcs I guess... |
| Amigosdefox on June 29, 2009 11:40 PM | Here's a petition http://www.petitiononline.com/LANSC2/petition.html |
| snowchick7669 on June 30, 2009 12:31 AM | @HK I must say that I have grown a liking to your opinions, however nonconforming they may be. They are always a good read
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| Rick on June 30, 2009 12:47 AM | ;769306']Rick, didn't I play with you on starcraft one sometime last year? Yes, I actually think you did. Protoss carriers FTW! |
| complexxL9 on June 30, 2009 1:10 AM | It is only logical. Best anti piracy method. If you want to have a value of multiplayer, you have to buy the game. I support this move by Blizzard as this is better then any other DRM out there. |
| Notorio on June 30, 2009 2:54 AM | what a bad move IMO, LAN is what made their games fun and famous, and now they take that away sayin that it's not relevant since the 90's? They surely don't understand their own games. Now we gotha rely on the internet, their server, the ISP, to be able to play games even when everyone is in the same room, what an inconveniences. What would they lose by including a simple LAN capability anyway? what ever the case, you are deducting value to your product. Lets see how many pirate this game |
