Blizzard Removes Multi-Language Support for Russian Copies of Diablo III, Leaving Gamers Stranded

[InAUGral]

I'm tempted to cover the chances of a court action for my next legal article, but I've talked waaay too much about D3.

I'm sure there'll be some other crisis to pop up in the next week.

I am sick of hearing about Diablo 3 so a non-D3 article is welcomed (thank god for E3 news eh).

[DjVu]

But this goes for any game,

i would normally expect that a RUSSIAN version of a game, Cd key or DVD copy would be in RUSSIAN. Maybe that's just me. i wouldn't buy a DVD from Malaysia and expect it to be the same version over as i would get down the road at JB Hi Fi.

The game is in Russian, the user simply switches to the english language files.

The game is exactly the same just in a different language. In the world of internet where the language file is available to everyone there is no reason at all to limit a copy to a particular language.

What if you live in a foreign country but don't speak the language?

[Marius]

I'm tempted to cover the chances of a court action for my next legal article, but I've talked waaay too much about D3.

I'm sure there'll be some other crisis to pop up in the next week.

I am sick of hearing about Diablo 3 so a non-D3 article is welcomed (thank god for E3 news eh).

The issue here isn't so much D3, it's more the extent to which publishers got a benefit from having the CD Key sites rely on their earlier stance of allowing language switching. The basic argument of the cd key sites is that they were led to rely on that, Blizzard then profited, and then changed their mind to further boost their own profits - forcing existing owners to buy once again from Blizzard direct. That applies across all games, since Russian switching is common on these sites, and forms a big part of their business.

[snacks]

To be honest, the game is so shite that I wouldn't even notice I was playing it in Russian.

[Cyrinno]

I'm tempted to cover the chances of a court action for my next legal article, but I've talked waaay too much about D3.

I'm sure there'll be some other crisis to pop up in the next week.

I am sick of hearing about Diablo 3 so a non-D3 article is welcomed (thank god for E3 news eh).

True, one good thing about E3 is it usually brings in a wealth of articles that there's at least something for everyone.

[tacitus42]

Well played, Activizzard, well played.

[XViper]

Heard about this. CJS Keys are being really good to their customers about it.

Blizzard are downright assholes in this regard. Greedy pricks.

[Syncourt]

While I don't mind Diablo 3, the amount of greedy s**t blizzard are pulling with it will definitely make me think twice before purchasing another game from them. Most particularly anything that intends to include an RMAH as that has massively effected many aspects of D3 in a negative way just so they can get their cut from/take over the gold selling business.

I dare say SC2 expansions are likely to be the only purchases I will be making of theirs for a while.

[gonline]

Read article and laughed. I sell these Russian versions in Russia and Belarus, there are at us no filled warehouses - to us directly told that disks will be a little, and we received in 3 times less than ordered from the Russian distributor, as well as otstalny dealers. Everything is sold by preorders and in the first day of sales. It was known that there will be a deficit with these versions in shops to force people to buy directly from Blizzard. And directly all warned that language will be only Russian for this version.

[Ooshp]

To be honest, the game is so shite that I wouldn't even notice I was playing it in Russian.

Ah... yet another intelligent and constructive comment from Canberra.

[MatttyB]

This does not bode well.

[Anon. E. Moose]

I'm still confused as to why people even buy Russian keys for any game. They've always been more hassle than they're worth anyway.

[s1elite]

Meanwhilte, at Activision

[Disco LT]

I'm still confused as to why people even buy Russian keys for any game. They've always been more hassle than they're worth anyway.

I do agree there, if I REALLY want the game, and it's only avail in Russian I'll just buy it elsewhere to not have to bother swapping files around every install/patch/update.

[Cas Bitton]

I'm still confused as to why people even buy Russian keys for any game. They've always been more hassle than they're worth anyway.

Yep

Unless I wake up tomorrow and find my self fluent in Russian, I'm not going anyplace near games sold in languages I don't understand.

Certainly sucks for those effected though, especially if the seller failed to mention the source/language.