http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/blizz ... ider-suit/

 

 

 

Blizzard has been awarded $6 million in damages from its suit against "bot" maker MDY Industries, the same suit it won back in July. MDY makes the World of Warcraft Glider software, allowing players to automate their avatars while they're AFK. The BBC reports that the Glider program cost $25 and it's believed the company sold around 100,000 copies.

 

 

 

Not that Blizzard is done yet. The company originally wanted double or triple the damages awarded. The case actually goes back into litigation this January and Blizzard will push on some remaining issues, like whether MDY violated the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act and whether the Glider programmer will have to pay damages out of his own pocket.

 

 

 

 

I know this deals with WoW but, in all honesty, it deals with more than that. Do you guys think that Blizzard should have won? Should they have gone after the actual gold farmers instead of the creator of this bot, and does cheating in a game really constitute as a crime? I know the actual reasons for the lawsuit are different but the basic fact is it was used primarily for gold farmers.

 

 

 

 

 

And, really, gold farmers in general? Good? Bad?

I. Don't excavly understand what damage the programm does not like it gives any of the players unfair advantage or antythibg right? So what's the point, free moneyuh?

 

 

 

Also it is prety fast writing on an iPhone

 

Another also does anyone like my new siggy?

Although gold farmers and bots are at their core a bad thing, you can't deny the impact they have on a game's economy.

 

 

 

I'm sure most people can relate to RuneScape- the bots before the RWT updates caused the supply to outweigh demand, basic economics. Thus the prices were cheaper, and are now more expensive after they are gone (more or less).

 

 

 

I think it's fair that Blizzard won. They've made a game for people, and it has been abused and cheated in, so as far as I'm concerned it's a just victory. The people who bought it are obviously just as bad, and their accounts should be banned.

 

 

 

Skatepank, your avatar is too large, change it please.

meh, six million is just a small drop in Blizzards Ocean of wealth

meh, six million is just a small drop in Blizzards Ocean of wealth

 

Especially since they are bringing in over $150million every month with world of warccaft subscriptions.

 

 

 

To be honest, It's good they are fighting the bots, I suppose thats the only thing you can do. The day world of warcraft implements a system like Jagex did with runescape is the day I shave my eyes.

If it's against cheating, I'm in.

 

 

 

I can't wait for the day someone takes GameShark and AR to court.

I. Don't excavly understand what damage the programm does not like it gives any of the players unfair advantage or antythibg right? So what's the point, free moneyuh?

 

Right, being able to make (potentially real-world) gains in a game without having to be in the same building as the computer it's being played on.

 

 

 

Not an unfair advantage over other people who play the game directly at all.

If it's against cheating, I'm in.

 

 

 

I can't wait for the day someone takes GameShark and AR to court.

 

 

 

Not gonna happen. They're legal products and they have a disclaimer on it saying that their product is not endorsed by usually. Basically, it's already patented, the companies can do nothing about it. Correct me if i'm wrong.

It baffles me as to why people would pay to play a game then pay more to not play it

It baffles me as to why people would pay to play a game then pay more to not play it

 

 

 

So your character(s) can level up or farm items for you while you do other things like school, sleep, etc. Then you come back to a higher level character, or the item(s) you've always wanted and then do the fun things.

 

 

 

The bot could also be used by gold farmers who sell items and/or currency for money. That way the gold farmer would only need to hire a few people to keep the bots in check.

If it's against cheating, I'm in.

 

 

 

I can't wait for the day someone takes GameShark and AR to court.

 

 

 

Not gonna happen. They're legal products and they have a disclaimer on it saying that their product is not endorsed by usually. Basically, it's already patented, the companies can do nothing about it. Correct me if i'm wrong.

 

I didn't say Nintendo would take them to court, they already explored that avenue and found it was fruitless. The constant Wii system updates stop most of the codes from working though.

 

 

 

I'm more referring to the few "professional" gaming organisers which are starting to pop up. If it's found people are using GameShark and AR to unfairly gain an advantage in those contests, and they're both actively advertising that as their selling point, it could be tricky.

Anyone who programs knows that the abilities of a programmer can be used to either create or destroy, so it is all up to morals and ethnics of the programmers. In this case, the programmers chose to write something that may help some people, but it was done illegally, and could end up making people cheat not only in a game, but in real life.

 

 

 

Gold farmers and bot creatures both need to pay the price, not just gold farmers.

If you talk about morals, there are gold farmers who are controlled by poor chinese people who can't get any other work. If you stop their ability to do that in popular games, you stop their ability to work and earn money.

 

 

 

Not that I'm pro-gold farmer. I'm just playing devil's advocate here.

If you talk about morals, there are gold farmers who are controlled by poor chinese people who can't get any other work. If you stop their ability to do that in popular games, you stop their ability to work and earn money.

 

 

 

Not that I'm pro-gold farmer. I'm just playing devil's advocate here.

 

Many of those Chinese workers are victims of exploitation. It's not like they can pop down to their local Job Centre and pick up a career there.

 

 

 

It is not too dissimilar in principle to someone who is forced into drug selling or prostitution as a result of their circumstance (although obviously, the consequences are far less extreme and malicious), but I don't think there's a person in their right mind who would oppose a clamp down on pimps and drug smugglers.

 

 

 

The point I'm making is if we're talking about morality, them being "employed" in such a way is immoral in the first place. Maybe if they had other opportunities, they wouldn't be forced into this illegal trade.

 

 

 

I can sympathise, but clearly, seeking an alternative to the current situation is the only moral way to go.

If it's against cheating, I'm in.

 

 

 

I can't wait for the day someone takes GameShark and AR to court.

 

 

 

You can't make money of a glitched game...

 

I personally own an Xploder and all I do with it is back up my DS games...

 

I aslo had AR for the game cube... The only money you could of made from it was using a memory card and then hae loads of games completed on it... Costing less than what you paid for the memory card :P