Blizzard, AT&T Sign Miltimillion Dollar Hosting Deal

[Godfail]

[citation][nom]regulas[/nom]Ditto, FU Activision/Blizzard. $59 price 3X for the final product, again FU.[/citation]

Define "Final Product" please. Was Warcraft III not a final product? Starcraft? Diablo II? All had expansions to carry on the storyline...this story arc is just being made bigger and spanning the expansions in a different way. The total of 3 games will be absolutely gigantic in scope for an RTS.

 

[dilbert]

I'm worried that in Diablo III, battle.net access will require a monthly fee, WoW-style, instead of the free Diablo II model.

 

[Godfail]

[citation][nom]dilbert[/nom]I'm worried that in Diablo III, battle.net access will require a monthly fee, WoW-style, instead of the free Diablo II model.[/citation]

Diablo III is not an MMO, it doesn't require huge database servers crunching persistent data across multiple realms. It's peer to peer, like Guild Wars, and will remain free, like Guild Wars. Blizzard knows it can't maintain a bunch of subscription games, as new content is also expected with those games...and a lot of moderation. I really wouldn't worry about it.

 

[nightscr3en]

"The services and support AT&T provides have helped us to consistently deliver high-quality online-gaming experiences to our players."

LOL!!!! MY A$$ nothing but lagg and dropped games is what they can provide just like their phone service.

 

[rutoojinn]

[citation][nom]zaznet[/nom]Likely Verizon (now that they own MCI Worldcom). Comcast isn't a major carrier so anything they contracted with to provide would be from someone else.[/citation]

I would choose verizon over att any day.

 

[seriousazn]

Maybe they can finally upgrade their crappy network instead of limitting the customers speeds...

 

[jimslaid2]

Next WoW expansion. Wrath of the Cingular King= Big Orange drops from the sky and steals the most Super Epic Communications Gear. You will have to decide to play as Alliance to obtain this Epic Gear. Or play as the Hord and use a open source anti epic gear almost near as cool.

 

[neiroatopelcc]

[citation][nom]JTWrenn[/nom]Great dropped games inc[/citation]

You know they could've made a worse choice!
In europe the old battle.net is running on telia servers. They were rubbish in 2001, and they still are. If they'd picked telia for a stunt like this, chances are the games would never exit beta because the network kept crashing.

 

[slabbo]

i'm using at&t dsl at home, and this better not have an impact on my internet speeds. It sucks enough already, don't need it to get worst. I wish I could get fios, but they don't have it in my area. sucks how you're very limited on which provider you can use based on where you live.

 

[bildo123]

[citation][nom]Godfail[/nom]Define "Final Product" please. Was Warcraft III not a final product? Starcraft? Diablo II? All had expansions to carry on the storyline...this story arc is just being made bigger and spanning the expansions in a different way. The total of 3 games will be absolutely gigantic in scope for an RTS.[/citation]

True, but expansions aren't normally in the realm of a $63.59 price tag. If you're a diehard SC fan, by all means do each one up and buy the trilogy pack when that comes out (you know its going to come out towards the end). But for the normal bystander's we'd rather wait till one pops up in the bargain bin.

 

[fusion_gtx]

If AT&T gets their s*** together I guess I don't really care. My problem is that already there are issues on their end of things. It really shows threw with the Starcraft 2 Beta. The servers aren't doing a good job keeping up with things as it stands. I've had numerous server issues that have nothing to do with my connection and that's when it's still in the Beta. I can't imagine what will happen when the game starts and you increase the server load X-times with all the new players.

 

[Gin Fushicho]

Sweet, perhaps now I can play games from them without lag in the future.

 

[karenskym]

[citation][nom]joebob2000[/nom]Oh, and LOL@ the starcraft head pic. That guy is in for a world of hurt once the cigar burns down to his lips (considering it's out of reach thanks to his helmet). "Hmm, burn the lips, or let it drop and burn other, lower body parts... decisions decisions..."[/citation]

You do realize that his helmet is already open and he can just spit it out or just his hands? 😛