Editing Blizzard Entertainment (section)

=== Privacy controversy and Real ID ===
On July 6, 2010, Blizzard Entertainment announced that they were changing the way their forums worked to require that users identify themselves with their real name.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=25626109041&sid=3000&pageNo=1 |title=Battle.net Update: Upcoming Changes to the Forums |last=Nethaera |date=July 6, 2010 |website=[[Battle.net|Battle.net forums]] |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709053633/http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=25626109041&sid=3000&pageNo=1 |archive-date=July 9, 2010 |access-date=April 1, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wow.joystiq.com/2010/07/06/official-forum-changes-real-life-names-to-be-displayed |title=Official forum changes, real life names to be displayed |last=Holisky |first=Adam |date=July 6, 2010 |website=WoW Insider |publisher=[[Joystiq]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909195221/http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/07/06/official-forum-changes-real-life-names-to-be-displayed/ |archive-date=September 9, 2013 |access-date=February 7, 2011}}</ref> The reaction from the community was overwhelmingly negative with multiple game magazines calling the change "foolhardy"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.computerandvideogames.com/254846/news/fans-rage-over-blizzard-forum-plans/ |title=Fans rage over Blizzard forum plans |last=Robinson |first=Andy |date=July 7, 2010 |website=[[Computer and Video Games#Website|Computer and Video Games]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123222639/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/254846/news/fans-rage-over-blizzard-forum-plans/ |archive-date=January 23, 2011}}</ref> and an "epic fail".<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/why-blizzard%E2%80%99s-new-forum-plan-is-an-epic-fail/ |title=Why Blizzard's new forum plan is an epic fail |last=Edwards |first=Tim |date=July 7, 2010 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710041543/http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/07/07/why-blizzard%E2%80%99s-new-forum-plan-is-an-epic-fail |archive-date=July 10, 2010 |access-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref> It resulted in a significant user response on the Blizzard forums, including one thread on the issue reaching over 11,000 replies.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543100 |title=Row over gamers' true identities |date=July 7, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717130458/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543100 |archive-date=July 17, 2010 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/07/blizzard-post-about-starcraft-2-use-your-real-name.ars |title=Blizzard: post about StarCraft 2? Use your real name |author=Kuchera |first=Ben |date=July 6, 2010 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911173000/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/07/blizzard-post-about-starcraft-2-use-your-real-name.ars |archive-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref><ref name="JoystiqBlizzardResponse">{{cite web |url=https://wow.joystiq.com/2010/07/06/blizzards-responses-on-the-real-id-situation |title=Blizzard's responses on the Real ID situation |last=Holisky |first=Adam |date=July 6, 2010 |website=WoW Insider |publisher=[[Joystiq]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219222820/http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/07/06/blizzards-responses-on-the-real-id-situation |archive-date=December 19, 2010 |access-date=February 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://digitalsomething.com/news/2990.html |title=Blizzard's Real ID Removes Anonymity From Their Forums |date=July 6, 2010 |website=Digital Something |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629212618/http://www.digitalsomething.com/news/2990.html |archive-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/blizzard-forums-to-require-real-names |title=Blizzard forums to require real names |last=Welsh |first=Oli |date=July 7, 2010 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710125644/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/blizzard-forums-to-require-real-names |archive-date=July 10, 2010}}</ref> This included personal details of a Blizzard employee who gave his real name "to show it wasn't a big deal".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consumerist.com/2010/07/you-want-your-real-name-publicly-associated-with-your-world-of-warcraft-account-right.html |title=You Want Your Real Name Publicly Associated With Your World Of Warcraft Account, Right? |last=Northrup |first=Laura |date=July 6, 2010 |website=[[Consumerist]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709125225/http://consumerist.com/2010/07/you-want-your-real-name-publicly-associated-with-your-world-of-warcraft-account-right.html |archive-date=July 9, 2010}}</ref> Shortly after revealing his real name, forum users posted personal information including his phone number, picture, age, home address, family members, and favorite [[Television show|TV shows]] and [[Film|films]].<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/><!--I am not listing the sources for the employee's information here for privacy reasons, but these details have been released on multiple forums-->

Some technology media outlets suggested that displaying real names through Real ID is a good idea and would benefit both Battle.net and the Blizzard community.<ref>[https://www.kombo.com/article.php?artid=15106] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081117211650/http://www.kombo.com/article.php?artid=15106|date=November 17, 2008}}</ref> But others were worried that Blizzard was opening their fans up to real-life dangers such as stalking, harassment, and employment issues, since a simple Internet search by someone's employer can reveal their online activities.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/55728/Is-Blizzards-Real-ID-Safe-Or-A-Playground-For-Sexual-Deviants |title=Is Blizzard's Real ID Safe, Or A Playground For Sexual Deviants? |date=June 24, 2010 |website=Voodoo Extreme |publisher=[[IGN]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628055329/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/55728/Is-Blizzards-Real-ID-Safe-Or-A-Playground-For-Sexual-Deviants |archive-date=June 28, 2010}}</ref><ref>[https://www.geekingoutabout.com/2010/07/06/21st-century-digital-redacted/ Geeking Out About... » 21st Century Digital REDACTED] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710154407/http://www.geekingoutabout.com/2010/07/06/21st-century-digital-redacted/|date=July 10, 2010}}. Geekingoutabout.com (July 6, 2010). Retrieved July 8, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://techeye.net/security/blizzard-forces-users-to-show-real-names |title=Blizzard forces users to show real names |last=Farrell |first=Nick |date=July 7, 2010 |website=TechEye |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710213846/http://www.techeye.net/security/blizzard-forces-users-to-show-real-names |archive-date=July 10, 2010}}</ref>

Blizzard initially responded to some of the concerns by saying that the changes would not be retroactive to previous posts, that parents could set up the system so that minors cannot post, and that posting to the forums is optional.<ref name="JoystiqBlizzardResponse" /> However, due to the significant negative response, Blizzard President [[Michael Morhaime]] issued a statement rescinding the plan to use real names on Blizzard's forums for the time being.<ref>[https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/?sid=1&topicId=25968987278 World of Warcraft – English (NA) Forums -> Regarding real names in forums] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710155217/http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25968987278&sid=1 |date=July 10, 2010 }}. Forums.worldofwarcraft.com. Retrieved July 8, 2011.</ref> The idea behind this plan was to allow players who had a relationship outside of the games to find each other more easily across all the Blizzard game titles.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/?sid=1 |title=World of Warcraft Forums |website=us.battle.net |access-date=November 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129092555/https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/index?sid=1 |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>