Blizzard decides to permanently close all official forums
 

Not exactly, but effectively true. If you haven't seen this clusterfuck yet:

http://forums.battle.net/thread.html...09041&sid=3000

You can only post if you use your first and last name. The only rational reason I've heard for this is that they don't want to bother paying mods to keep the forums in line and want to get everyone to move to 3rd party websites.

Did people ever have serious discussions on the official forums, anyway? In my experience, official forums are whine and troll fests.

That's great, now it's just one step onto the platform of being able to stalk anyone who posts on the forums.

This is a horrible solution to trolls. Yes the forums are overrun with trolls and morons, yes the forums need to be fixed, no this isn't the right answer. That's like the idiots that say we should just 'nuke' other countries we have problems with. Same mentality. Just destroy it and the problem is solved? I think not. Ridiculous. And there is no option to change your display name.. Now every female in the game is going to have to lay low, probably not post at all.

You know how many child molesters and pedofiles, creep-asses probably play WoW? it's probably some astronomical number that can't even be fathomed.

I was hoping this was just a giant troll by Blizzard themselves, but after reading a few more pages it doesn't seem to be the case. WTF

The Register - Blizzard exposes real names on WoW forums
http://www.reghardware.com/2010/07/07/wow_forums/

About.com - WoW Real ID: A Really Bad Idea
http://antivirus.about.com/b/2010/06...y-bad-idea.htm

Ars Technica - Blizzard: post about StarCraft 2? Use your real name
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2...-real-name.ars

Kotaku - Blizzard Forums Will Soon Display Your Real Name
http://kotaku.com/5580585/blizzard-f...your-real-name

ITWorld - Blizzard to share your name with angry video game nerds
http://www.itworld.com/personal-tech...deo-game-nerds

Voodoo Extreme - Is Blizzard's Real ID Safe, Or A Playground For Sexual Deviants?
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/55...exual-Deviants
Voodoo Extreme - Blizzard Forums To Require Use Of Real Name, Rage Ensues
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/55...me-Rage-Ensues

Examiner National - World of Warcraft Players WoWed by Blizzard's REALID announcement
http://www.examiner.com/x-48234-Sant...D-announcement

EuroGamer - Blizzard forums to require real names
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bl...ire-real-names

GameFocus - Blizzard To Kill Anonymity On Forums
http://www.gamefocus.ca/?nav=new&nid=10091

Strategy Informer - Battle.net removes "veil of anonymity" on forums, real names used
http://www.strategyinformer.com/news...eal-names-used

HuskyStarcraft - Blizzard Forums: First and Last Names [VIDEO]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBwTpHNZDpQ

Joystiq - Your real name to appear on Blizzard's official forums
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/06/yo...ficial-forums/

AusGamers - Blizzard Switching Forums to Real ID System
http://www.ausgamers.com/news/read/2926798

Australian Gamer - Blizzard decide to give out subscribers' real names
http://www.australiangamer.com/news/...eal_names.html

Inc Gamers - Blizzard Going Too Far With Real ID?
http://www.incgamers.com/Columns/94/...r-with-real-id

Apparently, this may be related to a new law in Korea that requires internet forums with more than 100,000 users to show real names.

What a joke. Then apply it to KOREAN forums. We like anonymity here in America. Hey, might as well make Zelaron users use real names too. Hell, why we're at it maybe Ebay users should have to use their real names. If you post a Craigslist ad maybe you should be forced to use your real name. Applied to anything else it sounds ludicrous but to a gaming forum nobody besides the gamers seem to care. I hope a news organization picks this up.

was on msn.com this morning

Honestly, what is a real name going to change? Most of you know my name is Chris, 1/2 dozen more of you know my last name.

This just in..

Kazilla = Chris = Kazilla = Chris = Kazilla = Chris... zomg, almost like im still the same troll.

The internet changes everything. I agree, I'm like you. I personally don't give a shit, everyone probably knows my name as well. But I don't feel it's fair to expose those who do not wish to be exposed. Let's say you're an underage girl and you post on the forums, your name gets thrown on the forums and it's very unique. Let's say it somehow gets out the state/city you live in or anything is given out, then somebody can find you via facebook and down comes the avalanche of creepers/pedos.

I'm not even worried about the forums per-say, it's whenever the RealID system takes over and is incorporated into each game to become the mandatory system where people have to use it to interact, just wait, it'll happen.

little girl reference = good point

Unless you're being billed to post on a forum (which would increase the gay % alot), just use a fake real name. Obviously.

Nice to meet you, I'm Dick Smallberries Jr.

This expresses my feelings completely.

No, your alias will be your billing account's name, and you do not have the option to change it.

http://kotaku.com/5583405/blizzard-s...ames-in-forums
I guess that's the end of that.

It's not loading, for me. Let me see if this fixes it.

Real names required on 4chan. That'd be epic, lawl.

You have no idea how many arrests would happen, with that. :o

This is a good thing. Anonymity on blizzard's games is part of the reason it's been so successful.

So if they made your legal name visible you wouldn't have cared?