PAX being blamed for RealID?

Clock

From http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=25626109041 :

"The first and most significant change is that in the near future, anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID -- that is, their real-life first and last name -- with the option to also display the name of their primary in-game character alongside it. These changes will go into effect on all StarCraft II forums with the launch of the new community site prior to the July 27 release of the game, with the World of Warcraft site and forums following suit near the launch of Cataclysm. "

...


"We’ve given a great deal of consideration to the design of Real ID as a company, as gamers, and as enthusiastic users of the various online-gaming, communication, and social-networking services that have become available in recent years. As these services have become more and more popular, gamers have become part of an increasingly connected and intimate global community – friendships are much more easily forged across long distances, and at conventions like PAX or our own BlizzCon, we’ve seen first-hand how gamers who may have never actually met in person have formed meaningful real-life relationships across borders and oceans. As the way gamers interact with one another continues to evolve, our goal is to ensure Battle.net is equipped to handle the ever-changing social-gaming experience for years to come. "

I do not approve of PAX being tied to RealID. :I

I love PAX but I don't see how mandating everyone post on an internet forum with their real names is in anyway connected.

ashridah

Uh. I think they missed the fact that a gamer who wants to be anonymous at PAX can still do so.

Way to go Blizzard. You're outing a bunch of minorities to a horde of uncaring trolls. Well played.

Moe Fwacky

I don't see how PAX is being blamed for this.

Can somebody explain the relevance here to me in something other than PAX was used as an example in the article?

Clock

Blizzard used PAX as an example, as you said Moe.

They are using it in their justification of RealID. In a statement to the public.

contrefait

I don't think there really is any relevance to PAX other than being named as an example of a con.

Also, I totally don't know some forum people's real names so it is a bullshit argument.

Djiem

It's just being mentionned, not blamed.
It's gonna be blamed when more people mistakenly extrapolate from the statement like you did.

Clock

contrefait wrote: »

I don't think there really is any relevance to PAX other than being named as an example of a con.

Also, I totally don't know some forum people's real names so it is a bullshit argument.

I agree. That is why I don't think they should have said anything about PAX in their justification of the RealID thing.

The statement is listing PAX as one of their reasons for this. That isn't cool. :I

Moe Fwacky

It doesn't look like they're stating PAX as a reason for this. It looks like they used PAX and BlizzCon as examples of conventions that people would be familiar with. Instead of saying "industry trade shows and conventions" they said "conventions like PAX and BlizzCon"

There might be controversy with the Real ID thing, but it really has little, if nothing to do with PAX.

papaprinny

Yeesh Moe, think you could be a bit more of a killjoy?
Though I am not a WoW player, I am all for this, if only for the fact that it will be an intriguing social experiment. Just think: Accountability for your actions!? I know, right?

Steel Fire

Blizzard has already effectively blamed RealID on the trolls, which effectively is an admission they can't manage their community. Using "real names" will likely barely slow the trolls down because they can just make up real names and how would Blizzard know the difference. The end result is no different, a ban, which hasn't succeeded in ever stopping dedicated trolls.

What bothers me in the OP comment is the flawed logic that real names will somehow bring the community closer together. A gamer's callsign is generally what sets them apart in a community and how people get to know each other first. To use an older gaming community, there were probably numerous Rich or Richard's in Starsiege but there was only one Maestro. When you get to know some people well enough then you exchange that higher level personal info.

Moe Fwacky

While this topic does warrant discussion, it does not really fit the generally loose on-topic nature of the PAX forum, since we have determined that PAX was merely used as an example and a central reason. Debate and Discourse would be a more suitable subforum for this kind of topic. A quick glance at the front page there doesn't show any threads on this topic, but it may have slipped off the first page.

As such, I'm going to lock this thread now. Have a pleasant day.