http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=385040&p=1#post385040)

What's going on in WoW managers' heads?? :(

If it's not the stupidest decision to take for MMORPG, then I don't know!!

Especially when you read this from their direct concurrent :
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) would like to reiterate that (as announced in the European Beta press release dated 9/7/04), players in Europe will be able to play on any of SOE's EverQuest II servers, including those servers based North America (and vice versa). There will be no server lock-outs based on location. European and North American players will be able to play with their friends on the server of their choice.

Hello?? McFly??? :mad:

hmmmm... no eurotrash allowed?

This is a bad thing?


Being a little more serious, this is a dumbass idea. Sony was smart with making localized servers for those that care more about their ping, than who they group/guild with. But not allowing access? wtf! Course all you'd really need is for a friend stateside to pay for your account it looks like. if you *really* wanted to play on a stateside server.

It doesn't seem like its totally blocked, just "discouraged". Best guess is that the Korean version will be...in Korean. Asian customers will most likely NOT be able to play on non-asian servers and vis versa due to the language that their version of the game is coded for. Why is that a bad thing? Yes, it doesn't encourage a truely global community, at least for now, but the idea seems to be good customer service and connectivity. People complain that SoE offers pure shit for CS. Blizzard is trying to offer the best possible service and yet.....people complain.

As for Europe and the Americas, English would be used since they at least share a common alphabet (and keyboard), for the most part, unless Blizzard really wants to go so far as to offer a version for every European country's language. YES, I know some countries like Sweden have more letters but the big picture is that all of Europe has a common language. Chances are Euros can play on US servers. Hopefully they are not having a region code, like DVD movies, decide where you play.

These are social games, Lummus. A great many people want to play with their friends and current guildmates. Blizzard is telling them that they will not be allowed to do so and that it's for reasons (e.g., international law) that other companies have had no problem working around (e.g., Sony). Guilds with multinational memberships are screwed by this. If people want to have high pings in order to hang with their friends, let them choose high pings.

they can get a USA copy of the game online, can they not? problem solved for the "few" that absolutely must play with their US cronies.

You need a U.S. billing address..

It doesn't really seem like there is enough information. Chances are people are getting all worked up over a whole lot of nothing. Most every game has a selection of servers you can play on and unless you are in a totally foriegn market (AKA most Asian markets), you should have no problem playing with whoever you want.

Thormir, there is a chance that you could be right in that a few cases will exist where a few multinational players may not get to play together. As much as it sucks, Blizzard might be looking at the greater good as opposed to getting into specific cases. It all depends on what you want out of the compromise. Blizzard, for the point of reiteration, seems to want to make their customer service as well as the overall in game experience to be first rate. You CAN'T make 100% of the people happy 100% of the time, so most shoot to get things 80% their way instead of getting 0%.

Sony is not the best example to use as well, considering their CS sucks. We all know this to some degree, even if it was just waiting for a petition to go through all night long. Thats where the trade off lies as far as EQ and Sony. Play with whoever you want, but if you have a problem, don't get your hopes up for a problem to be quickly resolved.

The Sony example only serves to show that Blizzard's reasoning for their decision is questionable. Why are international laws impeding them but not Sony?

The news release from Blizzard seems pretty clear: Players are limited to local servers. This won't result in a "few" players not being able to play with one another, but with "all" Europeans being separated from "all" US players, for instance. Blizzard may have good intentions, but this isn't the way to go about it. In trying to provide good customer service (which, to me, has very little to do with one's ping anyway), they are providing poor service by limiting player options.

Uh yeah, I think it's safe to say they're using Korean versions: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/screenshots/ImageViewer.aspx?ImageIndex=26&Set=6

You need a U.S. billing address..can a non-us citizen establish a PO Box?

Also, I wager Koreans could give 2 cents about playing on US servers. Can't say anything about Europeans as this covers so many cultures. I would wager that a very few of Europeans (in comparison to total european subscriptions) really care about playing on US servers. If its all about playing with friends why not play with real friends instead of e-friends. Like I sayed a few exceptions, which are voiced AS LOUD AS HELL on the Beta forums.

Lummus, you are, like Blizzard/Vivendi management seem to think as well, looking at the wrong side of the problem :
Those games are social games. Speaking for myself, I played EQ for the good moments a good game brings, and the terrific feeling that I'm playing with people all over the world!!
Not only my friends and guildies, that I made along those 4 years, but this pickup group you do in the early morning when you wake up, and when you start to chat with this US boy who should already be in bed, this swedish girl that has insomnia and the aussi father that is preparing food while playing.
Is there anything more exciting? To chat about everything and nothing with people from place you'll probably never go?

And now WoW is "forcing" me to play with french people only. Unless I ask a trusty US friend to provide an address to be billed at.
Why so much hassle?
Latency? Eurotrash with cable or DSL get a better ping that US modem users, and the difference isn't noticeable anyway. Laws? Why SoE, Squaresoft, NCSoft (to name a few) don't have those problems? CS? I wonder how Aussies, Philipineses, or Spanishs and Italians will get that "personnalised" CS.

In short, what I want to say is... I don't only want to play with my friends, I want to play with the world. And I think most of people venting there feel the same. Americans or Euros or Aussies or Chineses... We don't want to be told who to play with.

On a side note...
Most every game has a selection of servers you can play on
Which ones?

Yah, if you read the wow beta boards they were pretty clear. You need US billing and credit card info to be able to play on US servers. If you trust someone to pay for your acct then sure, but honestly there is no way of knowing if later you could transfer a US account to another because they are being vague in that regard.

They have no answer at this time for countries like Austrailia, Singapore, New Zealand, or Taiwan that often speak english or prefer US servers...and may not want to be grouped with the Asian servers.

They did say a work around will be implemented, but only some undefined point after the (separate) US and Euro releases.

/agree Anterak)

One of the appeals of EQ to me has always been that we could get to know, and game with, people from all over the world. It always gave me a little thrill when I was on in the wee hours of the morning, coming upon a group of <Nights> chatting away in Japanese, or some Les Barons talking in French (and I'd do my best to reply to them in my horrid grammar school french ;) ), or CoDH speaking German. Our guild shaman was from Holland, one of my best enchanter friends was Aussie, and I'd not infrequently hook up with some of the Asian/Aussie groups as I'm a very late nighter for US time (/mourn FOAD)...

I think it'll be a real shame (and is a big mistake on their part imho) if they decide to draw a hard line on this, and for international guilds/groups, or people who just like playing in an international atmosphere, this may be a deciding factor on whether they choose EQ2 or WoW...

Regards,
Nydia Ywalmoriel
Past Coercer - Autonomous Collective

People arguing that it's a good idea need to stop being so blind and realize it has absolutely nothing to do with any technical or design decision. It's purely a management deci$ion at Vivendi, who wants to make $ure all the regional people they have deal$ with get what'$ coming to them. Same deal as DVD region coding, movie release dates, book publishers, etc.

Well, don't buy the game then. What more can anyone say than put your money where you mouth is. If Blizzard misses sales projections than they may have to address the issue that people want this to be a full multi-cultural event. Chances are, most of you will buy the game anyway, because it promices to be a damn good game to play. Blizzard might be attempting to release an actual good game, as opposed to a chat room with pretty graphics. If you would rather pick an unfinished, bug riddled product rushed to meet a deadline but has true cross cultural server infrastructure, than select EQ2. If you are willing to wait longer for the release date, than give Blizzard some feedback. They are the new kid on the block as far as this goes and they have released products that were always solid games but perhaps did not foster the long term social bonds like EQ does since the instances of game play are much shorter. EQ is a piece of crap in many aspects...but Sony understands that it is. Sony understand that its not the game that makes people log on and thats why their focus is the interaction of the guilds.

Its doubtful that they are doing what they are doing because they are xenophobic or don't want to foster the international spirit of the Internet. It might be purely legal or contractural. It might be because Blizzard doesn't have Sony's international clout behind them. If you are a huge multinational conglomerate and media company, you can probably get through the red tape faster.

I might be the wrong person as far as my bias to really grasp what is upsetting alot of you. I am in the military and I am gone for half the year overseas going to who knows where. I get to see cultural interaction first hand :p . To further add to that, I find it hard to foster any kind of long term relationship, be it in the real world or in a game when there is always that long disruption looming just over the horizon. Too many people come and go during that absence and I find that I have to start all over again all too often. Add to that a missed expansion or two and all the catching up, ultimately its why I quit EQ. WoW I am at least hoping I can find solid enjoyment from the game itself and not so much just on forging E-relationships.

I'm pretty much a blizzard fanboy and even I will admit this is pretty damn stupid.

For all their other games they have different servers for different regions, but you can still play on any of them if ya want to. I don't see any good reason not to continue that. :(

What about New Zealand! Playing with Australians would suck. ;)

Can't you get a Paypal credit card or something like that to avoid international issues anyways?

Besides, as others have stated, if you read the entire thing they already said that at some unspecified time they'll try to implement a solution for their European customers. I imagine it won't be long, once they get past release and take care most of the major release issues.

i'm so glad i'm out of the mmorpg loop.. i can't even imagine what it would be like to be on a server with nothing but the spanish, the german and, worst of them all, the swedish.. scary thought!

'Well, don't buy the game then.'

- Fanboi.

I own pretty much every Blizzard title since Warcraft 2, so yah, you are right Halo. The rep they have should be enough to reassure everyone that they will not be left to dangle in the dirt.

I own pretty much every Blizzard title since Warcraft 2,

Pfft.

In my hand, at this very moment, I have a copy of SNES's finest post-apocolyptic racer, and Blizzard title, Rock N' Roll Racing. I have Blackthorne somewhere around here too. :p

What, no Lost Vikings? You suck at fanboi-ism :/

As for the whole "euro only" deal, all it'll do is make sure I have close to no one to play with past 11pm.

That was what I was thinking Kiv. This screws US players that would like to play during the day.

1) I didn't even own a computer before Warcraft 2. I don't need to own every friggen release in the history of the company to know they put out good stuff.

2) People are totally over reacting on this whole thing. Try waiting a bit and see how this all gets resolved before burning Blizzard alive at the stake. It seemed to be implied that this is a temporary issue.

Chill Lum. All we said was that we're bigger geeks than you are. Take it as a compliment :)

And no, this is not implied to be a temporary issue. It is implied that what will happen is AFTER euro release, they'll consider allowing a solution where Euro players can play on the US servers, but that's suicide. If you have to jump through hoops to be allowed to play on the north american server, that just means that even fewer euros will be willing to do it. Thus, euros will be extremely rare on these servers and that will mean a low population during euro primetime hours.

In short, if you want to play with your guild, you'll be effectively forced to play on US hours *only* unless you plan on soloing all the time.

Not to mention this piece of crap is flung right on top of the dung pile Blizzard have excremented over their European fanbase already. I feel like I have to jump through hoops to be able to pay them to play their game.

At first I thought "Ah, they are trying to kill any advantage based on time zone" but then I realized it is a really dumb idea.

I'm with those who think they are trying to get more money flowing into the system by offering local franchises in the different markets- without realizing it might hurt their player base.