Internet petitions brought back MST3k, made the PS3 cheaper and stopped 1up from getting bought out...


...OH WAIT...

Its not like this one is unjust (the petition).

How the hell are LAN parties supposed to play without LAN or other events.

If it's an english-language only petition, 90% of the SC population won't even care about it.

The people who want to play this game the most (South Koreans) don't care about LAN because every child is connected via neurological surgery to the broadband hive-mind upon birth. I should know, I was there.

Has an internet petition actually ever worked?

I think it's a given that every Starcraft player would prefer LAN play, but if it was removed from the game, only a very small handfull would actually refrain from buying it. Blizzard knows this, the bastards...

But regardless, I'll sign! I'll be damned if I gotta buy more than one copy to play some MP action with friends. Of course, I don't play multiplayer on these types of games anyway, but still!

Besides, I'll probably just pirate it anyway and enjoy the single player campaign muahahahahaha! (Not serious, FBI don't arrest me!)

Jim Sterling sez:
> I have a feeling that Blizzard isn't yoinking out LAN simply for publicity

My left-field theory is that the Activision influence is the source of removing proper LAN support. The designers that let this information out before they were supposed to did so intentionally because they thought it was a bad choice and wanted to stir the pot a bit.

The issue is LAN is used to circumvent Battle.Net via tunneling software. So they remove LAN altogether and they guarantee that everyone who has it is playing over battle.net and is therefore legit.

For those that do not know, there is software that allows LAN games over the internet by fooling the PC into thinking the PC's are on the same network.

@Gantz

By using these newfangled devices called routers, LAN isn't needed anymore, its a thing of the past.

Why don't people realise that online petitions don't work? They're exactly as effective as doing nothing at all but require you to waste at least 20 seconds of your life signing it. Since there's no way to authenticate each signature even if millions of legitimate signatures were gathered they would just be passed over as the work of a bored person/automated program.

@Kyousuke Nanbu

Because everyone who hosts a LAN has a personal fiber connection to support 20-50 players off their home connection. Wait, you're an idiot.

My siblings and I (4) get together at my parents' on holidays and LAN. Apparently Starcraft 2 will never be a game we play since my parents don't have broadband available much less a good enough connection to support all of us.

Unfortunately I have to agree with Jim Sterling, (who is an arrogant, apathetic, consumer hating, publisher-cockgobbler), that online petitions are ignored and ineffective. However, the sentiment and using whatever methods possible to communicate your upset as a potential consumer before this is released shouldn't be mocked. Who can honestly say what, if anything, will get LAN added? Who can say what, if anything, will bring democracy to China?

Surely we're going to have many failed and foolish attempts, that doesn't mean the cause isn't worth giving an effort to.*

*Yes, LAN in SC2 is at least as important as democracy in China.

I don't see why they can't add this feature if people really want it. It's a simple feature.

Why would they take it out in the first place?

I signed it....I've only ever played StarCraft on Lan, what a terrible move by Blizzard

Los255 sez:
> Why would they take it out in the first place?

What it boils down to is adding forced authentication to any multiplayer game so they can more effectively monetize "battle.net 2.0".

Someone will create a 3rd party thing that will hardcode it into the game, then people will just pirate that version. Not really sure how that counters piracy..

Fuck these retards. Who the fuck cares what gamers think? The important thing is that the company selling the product is happy.

Maybe it's all a trap.
They never meant to take LAN availability out, but predicted this scenario.
1. Be a jerk and announce to cut LAN for silly reasons, even though you don't really plan to cut it at all
2. Wait for petition to appear on the internet
3. Seemingly care about your customers but say it's impossible for some silly reason.
4. Wait for more signatures on the petition
5. Put in LANability again
6. ???
7. Be loved for putting it back in and gain credit for listening to your customers

Ohyes.

If they can sign it online then they can play it online.

I signed it. Better than doing nothing.

Well the last petition I signed was for Capcom to release Resident Evil for the PSP. THat worked out pretty well.

I'm not a fan of the move, but I'm not crying my eyeballs about it either. What I do believe, is that Blizzard is going to restore LAN before the release date, but probably after the beta. Although I also believe that said move will have absolutely NOTHING to do with the petition. These things are Blizzard's a pro at ignoring, or even retaliating with surprising wit. If they do change their decision, it'll most likely be due to some external force, yet the petition-makers will still high-five and pretend like they achieved something.