Before you react about your critical online games that rely on Battle.net servers, relax. Blizzard is just merely putting down the brand or name Battle.net, the physical servers and your network connectivity remains as is, unless if you really have a problem with it technically.
The term Battle.net will ride towards the sunset as Blizzard considers it an end of an era. The company has announced yesterday the plans to say goodbye to the name which they have been using to refer as their internet platform way back since 1996, Kotaku reports.
Practically, nothing will change; we bet players don't even notice it. Blizzard just wants to leave behind the name Battle.net, 20 years has passed since it launched.
When Battle.net first came to be, it lived alongside Diablo and it was innovative. They offered in-game services and features that no one had before. Other modern brands soon came with Battle.net from Warcraft to Stracraft to Overwatch.
The company adds that there will not be a new name to replace for Blizzard's platform going forward. It will just be referred to as "Blizzard tech." Whatever this means, we will find out soon.
GamaSutra also reports this is on point with Blizzard transitioning slowly away from clumping all of its services online under the Battle.net signature for quite some time. Instead, they are branding new products and services with "Blizzard Voice" or "Blizzard Streaming." This convention is most likely to continue going forward.
You can read Blizzard's full memo here:
We're going to be transitioning away from using the Battle.net name for our gaming service and the functionality connected to it. Battle.net technology will continue to serve as the central nervous system for Blizzard games-nothing is changing in that regard. We'll just be referring to it as Blizzard tech instead. You've already seen this recently with things like "Blizzard Streaming" and "Blizzard Voice," and more changes are on the way.
When we created Battle.net, the idea of including a tailored online-gaming service together with your game was more of a novel concept, so we put a lot of focus on explaining what the service was and how it worked, including giving it a distinct name. Over time, though, we've seen that there's been occasional confusion and inefficiencies related to having two separate identities under which everything falls-Blizzard and Battle.net. Given that built-in multiplayer support is a well-understood concept and more of a normal expectation these days, there isn't as much of a need to maintain a separate identity for what is essentially our networking technology.
We just wanted to make sure everyone was aware as we moved forward with this change over the next several months; we'll provide any relevant updates as the transition progresses.
What do you think about this move, any effect on your gaming with Blizzard games at all? Hit us with your comments below.
Here is the classic intro from the good ol' Diablo days:
