Cataclysm content removed from the site

[Kyocere]

The NDA is not a big deal, there is probably something they are adding in the next build they don't want us to see until they announce it is all.

This is pretty true. I knew a guy many years ago who beta tested for a game called "America's Army". This game was created by, the US Army and required a NDA to test. He broke it and leaked a bunch of beta patches and no legal action was taken against him. They surely removed his beta privileges but that was all. If the US Army won't go after someone for breaking a NDA I highly doubt Blizz will.

[Thedrun]

I'd venture to say there's a difference (probably a very big one) between a game created by the US Army to "advertise" the army (putting that lightly...) that is being distributed for free and World of Warcraft, a game developed with profit in mind and with some 11 million paying subscribers.

The leaks by the AA tester, assuming the game wasn't junk, probably would only help the end goal of promoting the army. Leaks of material from WoW however have the potential to lessen the impact of the content when it is released, leading to quicker loss of interest from subscribers leading directly to loss of profit.

I'd almost say the reverse... if Blizzard isn't busting someone for NDA breach, no one will. Also if if were just some big announcement coming they could have easily said don't post new stuff beyond what you have now, but they seem to be going through pretty thoroughly and telling people to take down all alpha content.

-Thedrun

[Bugtu]

Really? I mean ... REALLY? Blizzard ever heard of freedom of speach? They can NDA the people that participate in the alpha but NOT a site like mmo-champion that get their information THIRD(!!) hand!


That is NOT a "I HATE BLIZZ!!!" post, its a fact!

[Flixe]

I feel sorry for you, Boub.. I honestly had higher thoughts of this site. But, here you are, being bossed around by Blizzard. So weak.

[Tripp]

LOL, tool

The man - 1
mmo champion - 0

[NefariousNinja]

Didn't this happen with WotLk Alpha?

[Unholyground]

There are so many useless pieces of shit garbage on these forums as of late. Stop trashing the site and go suck some bags of dicks, you know, like the only thing your maybe kinda good at. Leave mmo-champion to the smart people before I virtually rape you.

[jsemon2]

• I will track down anyone mentioning an emulated server/sandbox on my forums, find where he lives, and steal all his left shoes. You will also be banned permanently for that.

Aren't you in essence letting people know how you got the footage you did (while pointing them in the direction of how to do this)? That's a straight up ban from Blizzard, no questions asked. And we know you didn't have a key because you had bosses spawned right in the middle of the SW bridge.

[Tayla]

Aren't you in essence letting people know how you got the footage you did (while pointing them in the direction of how to do this)? That's a straight up ban from Blizzard, no questions asked. And we know you didn't have a key because you had bosses spawned right in the middle of the SW bridge.

..He never denied this is where he got his information from?
Also...why does it matter?
O_o

[saph27]

its cool... lol though. if you really wanted this information, anyone could search google and find it rather easy. so even with the NDA, it only blocks the information from mainstream sites. All the little sites will not be effected because they are not on blizzards radar.

I kinda understand why though blizzard uses NDA, but if someone was still undecided about getting cata in Alpha stage it wouldnt matter in changing their minds, because once beta comes out they are going to get the exact some information plus more when the NDA is lifted with that. And thats still way before release of the game. kinda dumb imo, but big companies like blizzard will do whatever they can to ensure they get a profit, even if what they are doing is trivial. (Not trashing blizzard, just saying, same with all companies).

[Eversor]

It would never happen.

Gold selling websites are never taken down, or at least I see the same ones being advertised over and over and over. This website, that does an excellent service for Blizzard, will never be taken down.

It is easier to get rid of a law abiding citizen than an underground of criminals.

[Shivaen]

It is easier to get rid of a law abiding citizen than an underground of criminals.

Very true.

[Pumps]

If you're trading emails with people in the game that you don't know in real life, then you're an idiot.

If you think you can trust those who know 100% then you are an idiot.
They could have spouses/siblings/viruses who gain access to stuff because they don't care as much as you do.

Real ID is meant for you to keep up with RL friends that play other Blizzard games.

And family members and others who will force you to reveal it or hate you for ever if you don't.

Idiots at Blizzard.

[DrgnDancer]

This statement operates on the assumption that NDA's are all-encompassing contracts whose scope extends to everyone (ie. 'it is protected by the NDA for all included within it'). An NDA only affects those who agree to be bound by it. You or I or anyone else could say outright, 'no, I will not enter into such an agreement and I will disclose any information I receive about the F & F alpha.' There is nothing Blizzard can do about this and it is, in fact, the default position everyone who has not agreed to the NDA is in.
As for the copyright issue, I will defer to the analogous circumstance in which Apple's 4G iPhone was procured, photographed, and dissected by a technology website a couple weeks ago. The website in question paid a pretty penny to get plenty of pics of that propietary hardware and then posted them online with as much info as they could glean from dissecting the device. Now, I'll give you 3 guesses as to who holds the copyright for all those pics and the first 2 don't count. Hint: It's not Apple.

The entire circumstance here is further muddied by the fact that most of the info and images that are publicly available weren't even taken from the Blizzard servers (where their ToS and EULA's still hold weight)
While Blizzard's code generates the environments we see in World of Warcraft, it requires interaction and manipulation of that world by an end-user to create specific imagery. Whether it be timing a passing bird or the spinning light of a lighthouse to capture a desired image or gathering your guildies together following a major raid kill to get a snapshot of everyone who participated, this manipulation is the very definition of 'derivative work'. Screengrabs of the game world are a wholly unique and individual effort. Blizzard can lay claim to the code that generates everything in the world, but they could never in a million years enforce legal ownership of images an end-user takes while interacting with it.

It sounds like you've made a conscious effort to analyze this situation on a deeper level. I respect that. In fact, I find it comforting that you arent just jumping on one side or the other without first weighing as many variables as you can find - humanity desperately needs more people like you. But don't be so quick to give authority to corporations where they have none, even (especially) when they claim otherwise.

You, and a lot of other people, are forgetting copyright. Blizzard has copyright on all creative content in the game. They grant you limited use of that copyright for avatars, screenshots, strat vids, etc, because it helps them advertise and helps their players get better at the game. If they chose they could revoke all the limited use copyright they currently allow (it would be stupid of them, and impossible to implement, but they *could*). As it is they're only (temporarily) revoking Boub's right use the Catclysm images. If it were a few images, Boub might be able to argue fair use (though he'd have to go to court to do it), but it was a ton of stuff. No way he could get a judge to buy a fair use argument.

[Negerjävel]

Yeah, Blizzard is going to search you up and kill you unless you remove all the alpha things. ;D : 8)

[Eversor]

And family members and others who will force you to reveal it or hate you for ever if you don't.

Idiots at Blizzard.

Sounds like you simply hang out with terrible people if they will hate you for just not sharing an friggin email adress.

[EntertainmentNihilist]

I'm not disappointed at all because I knew that this might happen and used a little thing called SAVE IMAGE AS... after right clicking on all the pictures so i have them all still hahaahahaha!

[jster]

THEYARE ARCHIVED IN TAX RETURNS!

[Necroparadox]

n-n-n-nooooo! all the screenshots! all the smexy spoilers! :'(

[Rainei]

Seriously boub, grow some balls. They send you a nasty e-mail, so what? You bow to their will at every turn, blizz says jump you jump. They have you on their little leash, and it's pathetic. Might as well sell the site to Activision-Blizzard and let it merge with the current forums, because that's exactly what you're doing. What are they going to do, send you MORE nasty e-mails? Oh Noez!