WoW: Blizzard to end forum anonymityActivision Blizzard is to force users of its gaming forums to sign in with their real-world names in an attempt to prevent bad behaviour and hate speech.

Anonymous trolls are the curse of many an internet forum but now World of Warcraft and StarCraft players will need to stand by their comments thanks to Activision Blizzard’s Real ID system. Real ID simply requires users to sign in to discussion forums using their real names, the theory being that while Thrunknor the Death Knight might be willing to use somewhat fruity and offensive language to diss his foes, plain old Kevin Smithers might feel a little more restrained.

Forum logins will be tied to your Battle.net ID so there will be no faking it. A post to the official Blizzard forums states, “Anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID — that is, their real-life first and last name — with the option to also display the name of their primary in-game character alongside it.

“[The forums have] earned a reputation as a place where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild. Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the Blizzard community in ways they haven’t been connected before”

The changes will begin with the StarCraft forums on July 27th. World of Warcraft will follow suit upon the launch of WoW:Cataclysm. Older forums for games such as Diablo II will be archived to a legacy site where we presume anonymous shouting can continue apace.

What do you think? Do you value the anonymity of online forums, or do you think that being able to hide behind an alias makes people more likely to behave badly online? Let us know your thoughts in the comments (politely).

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  • Roj

    This does not prevent trolling. In fact, it has the potential to increase the hostility of trolling towards good people. Professionals shouldn’t have to choose between forum contributions (theorycrafting, friendly debates, etc.) and keeping their name off a search engine (potential employers can hate the stereotypes that gaming brings with it).

    There’s a lot you can do with a real name on the internet. Refer to:
    http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/Americans-are-bad-at-games/Real-Names-on-the-Official-Forums-New-REAL-ID-function

  • Dee

    It is simply a lie that they are doing this to eliminate trolling. They have announced a deal with Facebook, and are now moving towards treating their customers as the product. They used to make great games and sold a product, the game, to customers, the players. Now they have database with 14+ million subscribers … that is the product, they are selling it to facebook, amazon, and anyone else who will buy it.

  • My Choice to Be Anonymous

    Just my opinion, but the forums wouldn't have earned that title if they had stricter posting regulations. Instead of permanently banning the known trolls, they just sat idly by while the flame wars continued to the point where everything was engulfed in flames and they tried to put it out with a water bottle. Trolls troll to troll and get a reaction. Taking away the thin veil of security we actually have, not just from the trolls but the helpful forum posters, won't change a thing.

    I agree with Dee about why they are doing this, and would like to add that, in the words of a blue, this is only the first step in their long term vision for Real ID.

    You are not Facebook. When I log into World of Warcraft, I want to play a game. I never signed up for a social networking site.

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