I think the lack of LAN support in SC2 was more of a pinnacle of the conversation about increasing lack of LAN support. The thing is, after months and months of development on a game, I don't see why developers can't just throw their audience a bone and squeeze it in. It can't be nearly as difficult as designing a level... chances are, it's simply unrestrained cost-cutting.

I disagree -- this move was just another step towards forcing gamers to play with online accounts at all times. We're not too far from being forced to log into a connected account to play single-player games (i.e., Command & Conquer 4.) Gamers should be making a fuss any time something like this happens.

Well it's Battle.net promotion, moreso. Control the play and you control the message.

But on the other hand we are pretty comfortable with Xbox Live. It's a weird dynamic: Console players won't complain about something they can't change, and PC players complain about something that will inevitably be supported, whether by the dev or not.

But you don't have to log into Live to play Xbox games. In contrast, Command & Conquer 4 will require both an internet connection and an online account to play at all. Dropping support for offline multiplayer play, and gamers saying nothing, will only expedite this.

I respectfully disagree Rob. I can see where you made the connection, but I don't necessarily see that lack of LAN support in Starcraft 2 is going to do anything about it one way or the other. On the other hand and a slightly separate point: As for the connection, internet (I hope) is heading the way of a utility. In that regard, I don't think its far off where needing an internet connection will be a point of dispute. You need water to flush a toilet, and someday you will need electricity and broadband to play games. Okay, okay, I realize that's a bit over the top, but there's a grain of sense in it.

A lack of LAN support really irritates me in games, because I live in an area (at least for now, and the past 4 years) where the only internet options are Dial up and Satellite. And there are still tons of people in my situation.