Doc Savage

Oh, this takes me back.  The Journeyman series was extremely well done.  I remember being totally blown away by the fluidity and complexity of "Buried in Time," and Arthur was probably one of the best voice acts of all time.  Pegasus Prime was a remake of the original using the technology of "Legacy of Time," the third in the series.  

Just reading this makes me want to fire up the Power Mac and play the whole thing through again.

"Regarding the real-money auction house, our primary goal for including this in the game was to provide convenience and peace of mind for those players who might otherwise turn to third-party services to buy items. "

Um... what...?  No, I'm pretty sure that the auction house was an attempt to introduce a recurring revenue stream to a game that they couldn't justify a monthly charge for.

"I fully understand the desire to play Diablo III offline; however, Diablo III was designed from the beginning to be an online game that can be enjoyed with friends, and the always-online requirement is the best way for us to support that design."

Again... what?  My friends live in the real world, and I game alone.  Always have, always will.  For me, Diablo, Diablo II, and Lord of Destruction were single player games.  Had I chose to buy it, I can guaranty with 100% certainty that I would have played Diablo III single player as well and never once joined Battle.net.  Why do I need an account and an internet connection for that?

My sense is that Blizzard used to be run by gamers who wanted to create a great gaming experience for their customers.  Now I think it's run by the accounting department who wants to create great value for their shareholders.

After eleven years, we get this.  Sad.

I feel compelled to take a stand on this one.  I'm voting with my dollars and rejecting always online DRM.  I don't think I should have to create an account for a game that I know I will never play online either.

Unfortunately, my no-sale will be totally drowned out in the sea of money that Blizzard is taking in.  Sometimes principles are a pain in the hoo-ha.