Friends, and dear readers, I need to apologize to you. Many of you, Im sure, have looked at Diablo 3 and said it was utter garbage due to “DRM.” I have argued against you, and I still do not believe always on is so much DRM as how the game was designed. In fact, I actually favored the game on launch. However, your words have proven prophetic in a way I could never have seen coming. And now, I am forced to agree with you.
I am now writing after reading the startling news. First on Gamespy, then on PC Gamer, and even on Destructoid. There can be no denying it. Blizzard has opted to punish their audience by forcing a portion of them to wait 3 days after they buy their game before they can play beyond what we all saw during the open beta.
Excuse me, but what? Why? Why the HELL would any developer treat any of their audience like this? It’s not like the game was DESIGNED to make you wait for 3 days to finally play the full game you bought with your hard earned cash… and that would be a stupid design choice to make with absolutely no benefits for the player. But then why?
According to all sources, the answer is "combat fraud and other malicious activities that can weaken everyone’s play experience." So in short, THIS is DRM of the worst kind. It was designed not to try to lock the game from people who didn’t pay for it (however annoyingly heavy handed some get about that), but to make people who bought the game prove they wont be criminals with it. It’s soul purpose is to put legitimate customers who PROVED THEY ARE LEGITIMATE on trial so they don’t become UNLEGITIMATE later. This has to be the biggest dick move I’ve ever seen any game company do, and frankly, Blizzard has proven themselves in one move worse then anything anyone else at Activision or at EA is.
Personally, I have thought about re-installing the game and playing a few friends who were just about to get the game. I already finished it on normal, and so I’ve seen what the bosses are like and all the cut-scenes. It was one hell of a weekend, actually. But this pretty much kills my need to play ever again. I do not want to encourage a company pulling this kind of shit, especially when they offer me nothing new. And to take it one level further, this was the only franchise Blizzard had for me. When this game ended, I was already pretty much set to count them out of my gaming life. Now, they have set it in stone. If they are willing to do this to their customers, they have lost any chance of regaining one… even IF they announced Diablo 4.
DRM is not abuse by default. It is not pleasant to have to use a key to unlock any door, but that is the reality of the world.… However, this is everything critics of DRM claim it to be. I’m done with Blizzard, curse their black vile hearts.
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