It’s pretty clear by now that Blizzard is taking Battle.net to the next level and trying to offer gamers the best possible online gaming experience they possibly can. As if ultimate connectivity to the Battle.net system and optimal match-making weren’t enough, Blizzard’s third and final step in what I like to call the progressive Battle.net movement is based around the social aspect of gaming.
Social networking has become a huge part of society, and it has branched out from the internet and into gaming. Aside from making Battle.net an online gaming superpower, Blizzard is also focusing on creating an environment where gamers can communicate with others easily and come together in gaming, specifically Blizzard gaming.
Some major work has been done to the Battle.net blueprint, and advances are being made to create a user-friendly environment that will allow not only StarCraft II players but fans of all Blizzard games to communicate with one another through the company’s system. As stated on StarCraft II’s official website, “Battle.net’s social networking and communication capabilities will be some of the service’s biggest new features.”
Incorporating a social networking system into Battle.net has been a major focus for the folks over at Blizzard. “This new social backbone for the entire service will seamlessly integrate friends lists, matchmaking, messaging, and more.” The new Battle.net will feature text chat as well as voice chat, and gamers will be able to communicate with one another whether they’re taking the fight against opponents online or just sinking their teeth into the game’s single-player campaign. This is definitely a cool feature, and having ultimate communication options is something that I am certain we can all see going a long way for Blizzard and Battle.net.
A new feature that will be optional for gamers is Real ID. As stated on the game’s website, “With the Real ID feature, you are able to send invites and form friendships on Battle.net with your real-life friends and family.” The goal of this new feature is to provide an optimal ‘friend’ experience between people who know each other outside of the game.
Blizzard’s social networking movement isn’t game-specific, but Blizzard-specific. The developers want to create what they call a seamless experience that will unify all Blizzard titles. As Blizzard’s Greg Canessa stated, “We want to take advantage of the opportunity to relaunch Battle.net. We want to create a service with a set of features that not only works for World of Warcraft and StarCraft II but will power all Blizzard games going forward.” This is an interesting concept to say the least, and creating a cross-game social networking experience definitely seems to be not only revolutionary for Blizzard and Battle.net but for all of gaming in general.
We live in a world where nearly everyone is a part of some social networking outlet. Blogging is huge, staying connected with friends and family regardless of distance is common nowadays, and many of us are defined by 140-character updates. Yeah, if you couldn’t tell, social networking is definitely huge. (That’s huge in all caps.) Now Blizzard is taking Battle.net in that same socially connected direction, and it looks like a big step for the company, the service, and the fans. The new social aspect of Battle.net is sure to enhance the StarCraft II experience as well as the entire Blizzard gaming experience itself.
