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It just hit me what Blizzard is trying to do for SC2/Esports. The keyphrase is "No LAN support for SC2". So what does this mean exactly? Well it means every single multiplayer game will be played over Battle.net 2.0, from the average noob vs. noob match, to WCG matches, OSL, MSL, GOM, Courage Tournament, every single game!
I read a rumor over on www.diii.net that players creating a player profile for SC2 will first have to register an account with Blizzard (I think this is currently in place already for the WOW people, not sure though as I don't play WOW). This will probably be done ingame when logging onto B.net2.0 for the first time. This means your credit card (optional) will be linked to your player profile. Think about it, the companies behind the tournaments will most likely have their own channels provided to them by Blizzard, containing schedules for upcoming matches, results, replays, etc.
The plot thickens... NOT! All there is left to do is join, say the OSL channel and pay the 10$ (or whatever) it costs to see all matches for season 2 live, or maybe pay 1$ to see two matches of your own choosing. I'd imagine you would be able to join a game room with a number of slots open for players before the game starts. Once the game is underway you will be able to choose English / Korean, or whatever language is provided for casting. An option to turn off the chat of others watching the game would be nice. I read in an article on www.diii.net that the technology for watching live games is in place more or less, there is some way of basically taking one copy of the game as it's played and then distribute it to say 10 others who in turn distribute it to 10 new ones each, etc. Obviously subscription for a channel would also provide you with replays that perhaps are added to a replay list under your profile. They would have to be somehow linked to your account - i.e. only able to watch them when logged in, otherwise you could send them to friends who then had no incentive to pay.
All this means there will be no more watching crappy quality vods on youtube, now it's live action in super high def! - at a price of course. This is also in thread with the comment made by a Blizzard producer during the last Blizzcon, that there would be no ingame support for video exporting a replay. Makes sense now, basically there is no need.
All of this is obviously speculation. But I don't think it's unrealistic at all. I can imagine the number of professional teams to explode aswell as salaries for the really gifted players (Jaedong!!!) to skyrocket.
Can't wait for SC2.
What you guys think, this is completely absurd and far fetched or quite possible?
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Sweden33723 Posts
When did they say there wouldn't be LAN support for SC2?
When did they say they wouldn't support replay to video, I thought they weren't sure when asked at Blizzcon? (Don't remember exactly)
I assume they would implement LAN like latency over BNet if there's no LAN support.. It's weird anyway, I'd really like a source.
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I guess some of your points could be pretty sound. After all Blizzard hasn't wanted to elaborate yet on the subscriptional status of their service since the new version of battlenet is going to be so radically different. If it's going to offer so much more than just battlenet 1.0 improved in some areas, the payment fees might yet after all be pretty justified.
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On January 13 2009 09:28 FrozenArbiter wrote:
When did they say there wouldn't be LAN support for SC2?
When did they say they wouldn't support replay to video, I thought they weren't sure when asked at Blizzcon? (Don't remember exactly)
I assume they would implement LAN like latency over BNet if there's no LAN support.. It's weird anyway, I'd really like a source.
Yeah... not having lan support seems like a really bad idea. What if b.net goes down? Yeah, blizzard has shown great integrity in the past (bnet still up for starcraft... 10 years old), but what if the servers crash, or they just go down, or they stop supporting it, etc?
I feel like you should ALWAYS have a lan option... like why not 
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Is there really no LAN support for SC2? Where did that quote come from?
I'm really not ready to believe that they would do that unless I see some cold hard evidence. LAN support is in every multiplayer game I can think of.
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Diablo 3 won't have LAN support and I doubt SC 2 will have it either. Blizzard seems to really want to push Battlenet 2 as the new premium multiplayer platform.
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I don't think the OP is saying that blizzard has announced no LAN support, I think he's just speculating on what they might/should do. But yeah, no LAN support = no thanks.
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I for one won't miss LAN support as long as Battlenet 2 is as good as Blizzard claims it will be.
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Well, the case of Diablo 3 is different... Most people afaik play Diablo on battle.net, while SC is a hugely popular LAN game. I kinda don't like the idea of not having LAN, but if the new battle.net is so worth it...
Quick google search yields this Karune Q&A:
StarCraftWire.net: Will it be possible to play Starcraft II at LAN Parties?
Karune: While the idea is still there, the main focus right now is Battle.net and Multiplayer to determine whether or not LAN will be available.
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LAN support is huge. Besides the obvious Battle.net crash scenario, what will happen to just plain old LAN parties?
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Fuck live action super high-def for a price, I'd rather just watch crappy-youtube-vods for free
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On January 13 2009 09:42 klizzer wrote:
Well, the case of Diablo 3 is different... Most people afaik play Diablo on battle.net, while SC is a hugely popular LAN game. I kinda don't like the idea of not having LAN, but if the new battle.net is so worth it...
]
Only reason why SC is a hugely popular LAN game is that Starcraft's Battlenet is extremely outdated.
If Blizzard can improve Battlenet as much as they did between SC and WC3 I doubt many people will miss LAN.
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It'd be a fucking disappointment if SC2 had no LAN-support.
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10387 Posts
it would be pretty damn stupid to NOT include lan support imo
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There is no way they will release it without LAN. Don't spread such nonsense unless you have really hard evidence
On January 13 2009 09:46 Eury wrote:Show nested quote +On January 13 2009 09:42 klizzer wrote:
Well, the case of Diablo 3 is different... Most people afaik play Diablo on battle.net, while SC is a hugely popular LAN game. I kinda don't like the idea of not having LAN, but if the new battle.net is so worth it...
] Only reason why SC is a hugely popular LAN game is that Starcraft's Battlenet is extremely outdated. If Blizzard can improve Battlenet as much as they did between SC and WC3 I doubt many people will miss LAN.
You have no idea
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Osaka27179 Posts
Unless you have a source for the no-LAN support, don't post. I have a hard time believing Blizzard would not allow their games to be played offline.
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Sweden33723 Posts
On January 13 2009 09:46 Eury wrote:Show nested quote +On January 13 2009 09:42 klizzer wrote:
Well, the case of Diablo 3 is different... Most people afaik play Diablo on battle.net, while SC is a hugely popular LAN game. I kinda don't like the idea of not having LAN, but if the new battle.net is so worth it...
] Only reason why SC is a hugely popular LAN game is that Starcraft's Battlenet is extremely outdated. If Blizzard can improve Battlenet as much as they did between SC and WC3 I doubt many people will miss LAN.
The difference between SC and WC3 bnet is relatively tiny tbh :/ The difference would *have* to include LAN latency BNet play for me to not think it's a gigantic disappointment losing LAN.
And honestly, I think it should be there regardless..
On January 13 2009 10:06 Manifesto7 wrote:
Unless you have a source for the no-LAN support, don't post. I have a hard time believing Blizzard would not allow their games to be played offline.
On January 13 2009 09:42 klizzer wrote:Well, the case of Diablo 3 is different... Most people afaik play Diablo on battle.net, while SC is a hugely popular LAN game. I kinda don't like the idea of not having LAN, but if the new battle.net is so worth it... Quick google search yields this Karune Q&A: Show nested quote +StarCraftWire.net: Will it be possible to play Starcraft II at LAN Parties?
Karune: While the idea is still there, the main focus right now is Battle.net and Multiplayer to determine whether or not LAN will be available.
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Osaka27179 Posts
Fair enough, although I hope that was just a BS vague answer because that is an awful decision.
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Bad decision.
Both Lan and Bnet have their own purposes and cannot be substituted for one another.
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EPT
