Earlier this year Blizzard revealed that its wildly anticipated action RPG, Diablo III, will require always-online internet to play. This enraged fans, with some vowing to not buy the game as a result of the decision.<\/p>\n
Many have assumed that the measure is being implemented to curb piracy, although this doesn’t really make sense, because as Blizzard’ Frank Pearce says, if people want to pirate the game, they’re going to find ways to pirate the game whether we require an online connection or not.”<\/p>\n
“I would never say it [piracy] is not a factor, but it’s definitely not the driving factor,” said Pierce when asked whether piracy is a driving factor behind the always-on internet requirement. <\/p>\n
“Our focus is not on preventing piracy, but rather on creating an online experience that’s so compelling for people that they aren’t thinking about pirating the game because they want to be part of this community and they see value in having this community, almost as if this vibrant community is a bullet point you would put on the back of the box as a feature,” he told Eurogamer.<\/a><\/p>\n This is exactly what Blizzard has created with StarCraft II, in which the massive online leagues are a core part of the game’s value proposition. <\/p>\n Pierce believes that in the future, “the exception will be the games that aren’t connected.”<\/p>\n