Did you hear the latest Blizzard news ? OK, so a German company called Bossland made cheats and trainers for various Blizzard games. Which violated various play agreements and was generally a terrible thing. Blizzard took them to court and won $8.563.600 for over 42,818 counts of copyright infringement, as well as $174,872 to cover their legal fees. Bossland’s shut out, Blizzard wins a victory, and we see that cheaters never prosper.
Clearly, this is good for Blizzard. Bossland’s cheats allowed people to do things they shouldn’t The trainers and hacks allowed people to level up, gain access to things they probably shouldn’t, and definitely cost the company money. But, there’s someone else this is good for. A win like this benefits players too. When companies take down pirates and cheaters, it makes the game a better and safer place for the rest of us.
Some of the ways in which we benefit are very clear. When a company like Bossland is put out of business, the games they were helping people “beat” get better. Ordinary folks are going to have a much better time playing Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Diablo III without people who’ve paid their way to the best characters, decks, builds, and cheats in the way. The playing field will be more level without people cheating in a bad way to give us grief. By taking away a major provider of the wrong sorts of exploits, we’re getting back to what made the games fun again.
This also means an opportunity for the games to grow. With a company like Bossland out of the way, it might mean Blizzard could devote more time and money to the very games that were plagued by these cheats, hacks, and trainers. Fighting companies like Bossland diverts attention away from what’s important. Maybe this could mean a little less time spent making sure Warden is up to snuff and more working on character balancing, new events, and things like that.
Most importantly, it ensures a level of future protection. When a case like this one by Blizzard against Bossland is settled, it also prevents the offender from making unscrupulous and game-ruining hacks again. Demonbuddy, Hearthbuddy, Honorbuddy, Stormbuddy, and Watchover Tyrant, as well as Bossland’s other programs, can’t be sold in the U.S. anymore. This offers a lasting protection to people, assuring that their experiences will be a little more pleasant and honest. Of course, Bossland is only one of many, but at least this gets rid of a major player and helps set a legal precedent to remove the other offenders.
Such lawsuits aren’t about doing the right thing for developers and publishers. People deserve a chance to play their games in peace, the way the developers intended. Even though this is an instance of a profitable company getting even more money, it’s also a win for justice. This means the games could be better and more fair, which is fantastic for anyone who loves them.
Image Credit: Jiuge