(Page 2 of 2)
Judging from past efforts to ban similar programs, it is likely that Blizzard Entertainment will take a dim view of the duo's activities.
In February, Blizzard successfully argued in court that a company called MDY Industries, which created a similar in-game helper program to automate a user's character for short periods of time, had circumvented the game maker's protections and violated copyright. The bot, called MMO Glider, allowed users to automate the sometimes-onerous task of killing and collecting loot.
"They are saying that we own the license and, if you don't follow the license terms, we are taking away your license and you are a copyright infringer," says Jef Pearlman, fellow and staff attorney at Public Knowledge, a Washington, DC-based digital-rights group. "It's a very worrisome model."
Blizzard Entertainment did not immediately comment on the DEFCON presentation.
Rather than eliminate bot programs, Mooney argues that Blizzard should start a handful of separate servers as a playground for developers and players who want to experiment by automating their characters. Aside from helping eliminate boring quests in which characters have to kill an onerous number of monsters--an activity referred to as "grinding"--the separate environment could be good place to test new approaches to automation and machine intelligence, he says.
"There is a community of developers that enjoy this type of game experience," Mooney says. "I think that would go a long way toward preventing the bitter back and forth between Blizzard and their developers."
One-time passwords are vulnerable to new hacking techniques.
Researchers reveal how attackers may be able to peer into users' computers over the Web.
Tools that connect websites can also open up new security vulnerabilities, experts say.
>>> yes, the future of games will be even more multiplayer and online >>>
.
yes, the future of games will be even more multiplayer and online, so, in 2010, Google "could" release its own "Online Game Console" (maybe, called "GooStation" or "ChromeStation") that will KILL PlayStation, Wii and Xbox!
read more here: http://newgoos.blogspot.com/2009/08/new.html
.
I would suggest that these programmers build an android to install this software on to OR at least discuss theories with robotics experts.
They are gamers though so maybe a game where you can lead a small platoon or full war scenario as the program develops.
Manufacturing in the United States is in trouble. That's bad news not just for the country's economy but for the future of innovation.
This document is part of the “How-To Guide for Most Common Measurements” centralized resource portal. This tutorial provides a detailed guide for measurement and device considerations to take temperature measurements using thermocouples. Get an introduction to thermocouples, which are inexpensive sensing devices widely used with PC-based data acquisition systems. Also review some specific thermocouple examples and learn how thermocouples work and ways to integrate them into a data acquisition measurement system.
View full PDF >
Listen to story > 
Our list of the 50 most innovative companies, including the following:
On Twitter
Become a Fan on Facebook
Subscribe to the Feed
MATR
92 Comments
The Business Model
The problem, I think, is that people are working on solutions that defy the business model that MMO's have adopted. The last time I checked, you pay by time, so the more time you spend "grinding" the more money they make. It's really simple. They make you have to grind a lot to go up in levels or get stuff, and it's just how they run their business. Any interference with that via bots (which make it faster to do) cuts in on their profits. That's a no-no.
Of course on the other hand, I really don't enjoy grinding and don't play MMOs for exactly that reason. Why, I ask myself, am I going to feed that business model? Frankly I'd much rather it fail and they find another, less obnoxious, business model.
Reply
msreid
27 Comments
Re: The Business Model
There's more. If you take a game like World of Warcraft, in which a player puts in a good amount of time and effort to reach certain objectives, any software that automates that effort for some people would be viewed as extremely unfair to other players who are playing "by the rules." Thus if all the players feel like they are wasting their time by doing it the way the game was written, they will either get their own bots and exacerbate the problem or leave the game altogether. Needless to say, I would think the game designers feel like the players need to feel like their time investments are protected against the artificial inflation from automation, or else they stop paying their monthly fees and quit the game.
Reply
MATR
92 Comments
Re: The Business Model
That's a good point. Personally, I think there are much more creative solutions possible than what the current business models for MMOs suggest. It would require some revamping of how MMOs are currently structured, but it would make them much more compelling. Perhaps if I can get far enough with my current project I will be able to demonstrate what I mean.
Reply