Dear Blizzard

I wrote the following email to Blizzard on the 4th of August 2011:

RE: Blizzard's bleak financial future

Hi,

If you could forward this to the Blizzard's board of directors or anyone with the actual power to affect the business direction of Blizzard, I would much appreciate it.

I'm Albert Zhen, writing in from Singapore and because of the lack of access, I am unable to write directly to the people whom actually have a say in the business direction of Blizzard.

I'm a massive fan of Blizzard ever since the very first Warcraft, I am really disappointed with Starcraft 2 as it no longer allowed for me to play on my laptop offline when travelling or overseas.

The authentication requirement meant that people whom do not have a constant connection to the internet now have no way to ask for their money back for a game that they PAID UPFRONT for.

I have completely stopped playing Starcraft 2 because of the authentication requirement and get my fix of RTS gaming from Dawn of War 2: Retribution as well as Supreme Commander 2 on Steam, which I am able to play on Offline mode.

Which is IRONIC since they are an ONLINE digital distribution platform. If they can do it, then I don't see why any other company can't. Since you have the advantage of a physical media and they don't.

If it is at all possible, I would like a refund of the full sale amount of SGD $109 dollars from Blizzard, paid to IAH games Singapore, because their online requirement had made the game unplayable due to a lack of internet connection during my travels to Japan in the beginning of this year.

Now it seems apparent that Diablo 3 will be the same. First as a loyal fan that has purchased every Blizzard game until Starcraft 2 INCLUDING World of Warcraft and every subsequent expansion and an avid WoW player until recently, I know that EVERY SINGLE ONE of my 10 gamer friends within my closest circle who DID NOT buy Starcraft 2 and are continuing their boycott of Blizzard games on a permanent basis because of the inclusion of online authentication EVERY SINGLE TIME you play. I was the ONLY one in my circle of friends who bought Starcraft 2, means that you could have gotten 10 times more sales if Starcraft 2 was fully playable in offline mode without authentication. Those 10 of my friends whom are avid gamers who are planning or have bought games like, Witcher 2, Crysis 2, Skyrim, Torchlight 2 and many other offline supported games that aren't nearly as good as Blizzard games will NEVER buy another Blizzard game in our lives if this trend continues.

It is with a heavy heart, that I am going to say that I have lost all hope that I will ever buy a single product from Blizzard ever again.

You have lost 10/10 of what used to be 9/10 of your loyal customers. This is heart wrenching and it only goes to show, that Blizzard may not out-live the other less dedicated companies because they are willing to improve the experience of their paying customers. Whereas Blizzard only seems to make it worse.

P.S. You know that people who pirated Starcraft 2 are able to play offline mode without authenticating or going online at all? I feel sick as a paying customer that a person who pirates the game for free has a better experience than me, who paid full price for the game. While I don't stoop to their level, it goes to show that you're losing more money from paying customers than what you would be gaining from having a DRM in the first place. Majority of people whom I know have pirated Blizzard products out there would not have bought your game because it is simply too expensive for them, but now, you're going to lose your paying customers because you're trying to catch a market that was never really there in the first place. Or are you secretly out to encourage piracy of Blizzard products?

P.P.S. Think about it. Catching a non-existent market that can't afford your game in the first place or regaining the trust by removing the barriers for those who can afford it to enjoy your games and keep your paying customers. You can't convert a pirate who can't AFFORD the price of your game in the first place. The answer should be quite obvious to those with acute business acumen. Having a DRM isn't cutting your losses, it's increasing it dramatically. Just ask the retail shops here in Singapore who have been complaining to me relentlessly about how Starcraft 2 is gathering dust on their shelves. Whereas Witcher 2 after completely disabling their DRM have been sold out ever since. SOLD OUT despite not having "protection" Counter intuitive or just common sense? People will buy a good game if they like it. That's the culture here, because we want to support the companies that make them.

P.P.P.S. And also, Blizzard is a global franchise and internet connection globally isn't complete, constant or fast enough. I'll bet you that you will make more money than you can care to count if you dare to add offline support to all future single player capable games. I'd get my 10 friends and ask them to get their friends to buy Diablo 3 if that does happen before the official launch date as well as each and every Blizzard game with offline support that is released after that.

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Yours sincerely,

Blizzard's Ex-Fan
Albert Zhen

Idiots of today, Geniuses of tomorrow今日の馬鹿，明日わ天才