Addons free from now on, per Blizzard: KeyClone okay?

[Sam DeathWalker]

Maybe Microsoft / Intel should prohibit Blizzard from makeing a profit off of the use of their products.

Although "WoW" is a popular addon to Windows, seems that Microsoft has full control of what runs on THEIR software.

[Freddie]

Maybe Microsoft / Intel should prohibit Blizzard from makeing a profit off of the use of their products.

Although "WoW" is a popular addon to Windows, seems that Microsoft has full control of what runs on THEIR software.

That's a great way to make the point.

We all know that Microsoft would never do this because Microsoft makes money as a result of other companies selling programs that run on Microsoft software.

If it would hurt Microsoft to stop people from selling programs that run on Windows, how can it help Blizzard to stop people from selling programs that run on WoW?

[Velassra]

Maybe Microsoft / Intel should prohibit Blizzard from makeing a profit off of the use of their products.

Although "WoW" is a popular addon to Windows, seems that Microsoft has full control of what runs on THEIR software.

That's a great way to make the point.

We all know that Microsoft would never do this because Microsoft makes money as a result of other companies selling programs that run on Microsoft software.

If it would hurt Microsoft to stop people from selling programs that run on Windows, how can it help Blizzard to stop people from selling programs that run on WoW?

I don't make software but I don't see that as a great comparison. Windows is an operating system designed to run a computer. It's a gven that the computer needs it (or another) to run, thus other programs need to use it. WoW is a game, not an operating system. Your computer runs w/o it. The game runs w/o add-ons. It's Blizzard's game to determine what kinds of activities they want ran through their game.

I guess I can see both sides of the issue, idk if I really have an opinion about it either. I just thought it was a bad comparison.

[Mooni]

Blizzard should mind their own damn business. Yes I could see how someone could construe this as a conflict of interest(making money off of WoW) but if they are going to allow addons in the first place (which started with Diablo; no other big MMOs allowed addons) why the sudden rules when everything's been running fine for all these years? If Carbonite charges people who are already paying Blizzard customers, I don't get why Blizz cares.

[Freddie]

I don't make software but I don't see that as a great comparison. Windows is an operating system designed to run a computer. It's a gven that the computer needs it (or another) to run, thus other programs need to use it. WoW is a game, not an operating system...

WoW is not only a game, it's also what programmers call an interpreter. An interpreter is a program that is designed to execute other programs. WoW has an API and a whole programming language just like a Basic interpreter or any other interpreter. Here's some info about the WoW API:

http://www.wowwiki.com/World_of_Warcraft_API

Just as WoW runs on Windows, add-ons run on WoW.

Other examples are: a JavaScript program runs on a browser; a Java program runs on the Java virtual machine; a HotkeyNet script runs on HotkeyNet; .NET program runs on the .NET runtime; etc.

[Zaelar]

if they are going to allow addons in the first place (which started with Diablo; no other big MMOs allowed addons)

There are no addons for Diablo, and it isn't an mmo.

[Starbuck_Jones]

Its all about the Benjamins. They need/want it all open source, open community for a few reasons. The obvious one is for all the "Oh's and No's" does this contain a keyloger worm or some other malicious code. But in my opinion they don't want anything to be copyright or trademarked in some way if someone comes up with a really good feature they want to implement into the stock UI. That and they are extreemly nazi about their intelectual property and brand immage.

[David]

I would not care to much, there will be new mods or someone will continue older mods.

[Mooni]

There are no addons for Diablo, and it isn't an mmo.

Let me try to articulate that now that I've had my nap.
Diablo I, as far as online play on Battle.net, was the first place I saw Blizzard allowing player-made addons. That's why I brought it up; I was surprised that addons were allowed in World of Warcraft right after release (maybe before release too, but I wasn't around then) because addons were considered EVIL to EverQuest and other MMOs.

[moog]

Let me try to articulate that now that I've had my nap.
Diablo I, as far as online play on Battle.net, was the first place I saw Blizzard allowing player-made addons.

There were no addons for Diablo 1/2, not in the same sense of the term in WoW.

There were dodgy "tools" used to manipulate the game, for example I knew of one tool that let you "clone" a target player and save it, so you could take a copy of their kit.