DRM News

Starcraft II is one of the most anticipated games coming out this year, and Blizzard has now confirmed that their new Battle.net II client will be required to play the game. Actually, it goes beyond being required, it’s actually interwoven in to the game itself…the two cannot be separated.

This was one of the many details about the new Battle.net system released by Blizzard today. Starcraft 2 will remain fully interconnected with the new Battle.net client. Players will have a persistent presence on the Battle.net servers, allowing them access to everything offered on it even when playing single player. Among other new features :

-Battle.net II will allow for cloud game saves, so you can play an active campaign game across multiple computers.

-Improved matchmaking. The more you play Starcraft II, the better idea the matchmaking system will have of your abilities. Also, direct access to custom games will be available through the client.

-More robust community features. Friends lists, instant messaging, and everything else generally associated these days with in-game overlays.

-An optional ‘Real ID’ system separate from the standard friends lists and messaging system. This service will allow more communications and profile options between people who know each other a bit better, and also allow cross-communication between people playing Starcraft 2, playing World of Warcraft, and simply using the Battle.net client.

-Full integration between the client and Starcraft II’s mod tools. Mapmakers will be able to immediately upload maps to the Battle.net servers for download, and the same will also be true for makers of full modifications.

-Integration with the Starcraft II Marketplace, where anyone can upload, browse and download any and all maps and mods for the game. Makers of especially robust mods will be permitted to assign a sale price to their items if they wish. Any modifications or custom maps will easily be addable to custom games in the game launcher.

So, like Ubisoft’s requirement for server log in to play their upcoming titles, Blizzard will be requiring a persistent server connection to play Starcraft II. Wrapping that connection in as many perks and bonuses as possible is a smart way to perhaps make it more palatable to game owners. Will it work? We’ll see.

Update : Blizzard has since stated that they are working on an offline mode for single player games. Initial authentication would still be required, with a possible need for re-authorization after hardware updates and the like.