Well, I just found out that logging in from my laptop instead of my desktop was enough reason for Blizzard Entertainment to utterly lock me out of every single thing I bought (with real money via retail) for my account.
That, and they despise users who practice safety on the internet.
#1 Never give out personal information on the internet.
Signing up for a game I bought did not seem like such a big deal. It was a game. Not some government social security form. I practiced safe internet usage and did not give out my real address, my real name, my history, which school I am from, what do I work as ...you know, things you would rather not give out to a GAME company.
But this was apparently a mistake. Because few years down the road, Blizzard decided that it now wants you real information (yes, screw you Internet Safety, Blizzard doesn't care). Part of me wonders why a gaming company would want to do with that.
When I first bought their products way back when warcraft 3 had just been released not half a year ago, if I lost my password or anything, all I had to do was provide an email address and they'd sent a confirmation email to it. I'd click the link, provide at most a secret answer and BAM! My account is mine again.
But a few years of not loosing my password, Blizzard decided that secretly changing the protocols in which we could reset our passwords was the best way to extort real information from savvy gamers like myself. They now needed to know your REAL name, you REAL information and heck even a Photo ID if they ever suspect you of 'suspicious activity' on your account. Also, fyi, they never state what suspicious activity it is. So for all you know, sneezing at the wrong time could be reason enough for them to lock you out of your account! Maybe that's just my over-active imagination but hey, they were pretty close with my account.
Oh well, here's how well the conversation between me and a Blizzard representative went when I told them my account was locked.
Is Blizzard over estimating themselves to be more than a Gaming company? Isn't what I buy from them my property? I'm quite sure it is. I mean, I did pay money for their products. They now want to extort me for my personal information just so I can access what I already paid for, they are making me choose between my own safety and them.
Worst part about it is, they use the reason of 'hackers' to barely 'justify' it. In the worst case scenario, these 'hackers' might log into my warcraft character and do a naked dance in front of Deathwing after relocating all my items to the appropriate location. Steal my stuff, one would say. But honestly, now that I am locked out of my own account by Blizzard, aren't they doing the exact same thing? Worst still, they demand something even more important from me, in exchange for in-game property.
Honestly, I choose myself. I think many savvy gamers would do the same too.
Is Blizzard confiscating our property based on poor excuses and asking too much (personal details) from their customers in return for them?
I don't know but I've played alot of games that sell via credit card but never have I been ever asked for a PHOTO ID in order to unlock my account, even if I lied on the sign up screen. And I have had no problems with them so far.
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