To be clear, I will only be talking about what these two games did in respects to its online features. Let’s start with Diablo 3. As many of you all know, the highly anticipated game did not launch without its fair share of problems. Servers were down more than it was up and many players that have been waiting for 12 years and paid a really high price was left staring at their screens which showed nothing more than an error message.
This was all Blizzard, it’s mind boggling how they didn’t see that the game will be getting an overwhelming response from the public. Some have also said that it was intentional, that it was too garner attention to their title. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t but that isn’t why I’m writing this article. It’s their Digital Rights Management (DRM) that’s got me all worked up. Having to connect to the Internet just to play single player? While I get their reasons for doing it like to counter piracy and to stop cheaters but forcing consumers to have a constant Internet connection even if they want to play alone is a little out there. While many gamers would probably have some sort of Internet connection, expecting it to work all the time and needing it to play a single-player game is taking it too far.
There are a lot of places without fast and stable Internet connection and even in the most developed countries, an always-on Internet connection is unheard of. So why are we being punished just because some of us are born in places without a fast and stable connection? Isn’t buying something means owning it? But this DRM fiasco has got me feeling like we are just renting and are subjugated to Blizzard’s whim.
Now what does Mass Effect 3 have got to do with it? My problem with ME3 has nothing to with DRM, but it’s their multiplayer that I have a problem with. Not the gameplay but the fact that I needed to play it to get the best endings? Again, the argument comes down to, what about those that don’t possess fast Internet connection because it’s either too expensive or it’s just isn’t available. I believe multiplayer components of any game shouldn’t affect the single-player experience.
I wouldn’t have minded if the rewards were just some weapon or something along those lines, but actually affecting the ending that I get? While the multiplayer concept did fit into the story, gamers that couldn’t play it due to poor connections weren’t able to get the full experience for a product that they paid a lot of money for. To me, that’s just wrong.
We have to continue to be angry against all these restrictions placed on us. We are the ones paying good money for their product but they are always finding a way to screw us over. If I paid for something, I expect to get the full experience and not needing something else to get it.
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Hate to break it to you, but I did get the best possible ending without playing MP
^this. I am a little peeved that I cant use my DLC without an internet connection, so it’s sort of the same thing as the diablo problem.
then you used the ios app because it has been proven you can’t get the “best ending” damn it hurt just to type that… in just single player mode it has been PROVEN so stop being a troll moron. Mass Effect 3 has been digitally ripped apart by hackers they have looked at the codes so sorry hate to break it to you but your full of it. Anyway for me any game that forces me to be on the internet…. it’s a simple solution I won’t purchase it because I have seen how these “force” games turn out …. and they all turn out like crap.
You are correct Geargrinder, although he may not be trolling, just mistaken. It is easy for the war asset values to become glitched so that they exceed 5,000 even at 50% readiness, especially on PC from what I hear. There is a hilarious thread over on BSN revolving around this issue.
Um no they did patch it to where you don’t need to play multiplayer to get the best ending. GearGrinder is just being alittle putz
The best ending is available like Gabriel said. You just have to have a high enough readiness score. Which means it was difficult to achieve. However, it was possible. I believe the overall readiness was required to be over 5k and choosing the red ending.
Wrong it was 4k and you get a green selection the red one you can get any time any playthrough
Gear grinder have you ever had your ass kicked?
Internet connection while playing single player? I don’t want to buy Diablo 3 anymore.
I, like many others dont have a problem with their DRM. Plus i think you are overblowing the server outage a little out of proportion. Its been very decent from day 3 onwards, you dont waste money on additional servers and wouldnt desin for first few days server loading. Sounds like a crybaby post to me.
I am one of those with a less-than-stellar Internet connection and requiring DRM for single player gameplay does actually irk me quite a bit. Unfortunately, nothing will change because most of us will continue to buy games that have it.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who read this and felt like this was just a piss-moan post. Also: you can get the best ending in ME3 without multiplayer. Maybe you should get your gaming weight up rather than complain about it not being easy mode…on the internet no less…
Oh not to mention it clearly says you need internet connection on box on both games. It was ur decision to accept that n spend ur ‘a lot’ of money lol.
I’m making the argument that online connectivity should not be affecting out single player experiences, keep the online portion and single player separate.
Diablo 3 with its DRM is becoming into an MMO, while many people love playing with others and it’s one of the main experiences playing Diablo games online, some would just like to play it alone. Consumers should have options, letting companies and corporations screwing us is bad but us as consumers sayings it’s ok is worse.
It’s not like people were missing much by not getting the “best” ME3 ending.
I’m sure a lot of people felt that way but that isn’t the point.
That made me smile. Thanks, Jason.
No kidding couldn’t have said it better myself
The multiplayer in ME3 is not necessary to get the best ending, playing it just make it easier to achieve it, if you dont play the multiplayer you need a a readiness of 5000, if you do it completely you only need 3000.
No, it is necessary to the “best” ending. Not by much, you only need about a 60% readiness if you have the vast majority of war assets. Which only takes 3-4 matches, but the fact remains. Not that I think any of those cutscenes qualifies as an ending.
Okay, i’m not gonna talk ME3 cause i didn’t buy it. but the diablo thing, A) where are you that your internet doesn’t have a constant connection? mine goes out from time to time, but its not often enough to be a problem, even in small farming communities (in the U.S.) the internet is still readily available, so i don’t know what you’re complaining about. and B) no, buying somehing des not mean owning it. thats why you read that thing that pops up before you play. Its called the “end User LEASE Agreement” That word in there, the LEASE, means you don’t own crap. Blizzard just gives you access to their product. basically, you rent it. you don’t own it. Owning it would mean you can copy and sell it yourself. get your facts straight….. also, all this was announced at least 9 months ahead of the initial release date, so a good year before the game was released. so qui complaining.
Yeah because this whole big ass planet only has one country and that is the USA.
Living in a small farming community cannot get highspeed internet because verizon says not enough people want it to put in the lines
Suck a dick. Ahaha <3
I spend thousands of dollars a year on parts and games, but I won’t be spending a single penny on any game that requires an internet connection for single player action. I have to wonder if Blizzard saved any amount of money with this stupidity, because pirates can still run private servers that Blizz has to hunt down to stop, while paying customers like myself skipped Diablo 3 entirely. Pirates still get to pirate the game, legitimate customers get the royal screw job. Brilliant, Blizzard, absolutely brilliant.
Mikee, you obviously weren’t too big of a Diablo fan or you wouldn’t care that you need internet to play single player. And in no way is this stupid on Blizzards part… try and find a hacked server that you can play a pirated version of the game on. Go on! TRY! … good luck… that’s because Blizzard (for the most part) knows what they’re doing. With their authenticators, accounts can’t be hacked… and having to have internet to play keeps people from having access to their character files. This keeps people from altering their characters with hacks (like the dozens of programs for D2). Now if they didn’t do this, people would hack their characters like mad and the auction house would be pointless… SO… You were saying?
This DRM bull is exactly why i have not purchased a game since ME3, that and the fact that I paid good money for a finished product not a half finished game that needed to be fixed just to make any sense whatsoever. I have refused to purchase any game that required connection since they pulled that crap with Dawn Of War 2 and continue, we should force these games to flop by simply not purchasing anything that forces external costs and action by the end user.
Agreed
“and even in the most developed countries, an always-on Internet connection is unheard of.” BS. Im not even from a developed country (and your name, Sharizan, suggest that we may be from the same country/region) and i have an “always-on” 10mbps (a decent speed for gaming) internet connection. And i pay for it myself despite being a student, its not a very expensive service. Sure, there are some connection problem from time to time, but that’s like what, 2-3 hours per year? DRM is needed to fight piracy. In my country, piracy is rampaging but since DRM is used, most pirated game shops have closed down and more people are playing original games. This is a positive sign as playing pirated games means game studio earn less despite hard effort, leading to less and less number and quality of games. And no, you don’t need MP to get ME3′s “best ending”; Diablo 3′s server were running smoothly after the first few days;and no, you were not “screwed for paying good money” as it was stated all along that you need internet connection to run the game software, it was YOUR CHOICE to buy it. Stop making accusations before thinking/research through it. Lousy article from you this is.