EXTomar

Why is it an an assumption that a problem that brings down Battle.net wouldn't also break offline? Chances are good that bugs would exist in both requiring a patch in both.

If the SC and WoW clients are any indication, all client and server chatter is "player command" oriented. Stuff like "select NNNN", "buy MMMM", "action5". There is no way for the client to build a command and push it to the "Battle.net protocol" that is like "move otherplayer" or even "sell otherplayer weapon" or even "tell me otherplayer account". There isn't supposed to be enough information given to the player's client about any other player let alone enough to take over their account since all players are "cache entities" that are commanded by the server.

If someone has hacked their client to make Battle.net do something it was never designed to do then that is amazing. After years of WoW and a lot of SC2 no one has broken this yet. It isn't impossible there is a serious flaw in the Diablo 3 client that exposes some really crazy flaw in the bigger Battle.net protocol but Occam's Razor suggest someone just figured out the email/password.

So how would one implement a DOTA style game on something like the 3DS where connectivity is never guaranteed? The answer maybe: It doesn't run offline. Some game designs require some pieces of tech that if they are missing they don't run well or if at all. I'm not sure there is blame either way.

Where is "maybe?" or "depends"? This is more a question of "What does the platform support?" than the game.

That would be true if Diablo was a single player game but that is a dead horse beaten for decades....

This all sounds just like when external hacks swept through WoW where players thought and swore they kept their accounts secured but actually missed something.

As for how to help without sending out stuff to everyone or forcing everyone to buy smart phones, maybe they need to create a "desktop authenticator". Make it part of their Battle.Net account where all you have to do is download and install it and it provides an interface similar to what smart phone users see for their 2 step login. This is possible now but it is a bit too technical for lot of people and also it isn't ideal but it is much better than going without.

It isn't a problem with being open but it is a somewhat dead horse being beaten again.

...I don't think there is a wrong build in so much they are specific to groups and situations.

@TheHumanDove said:

Sexism! I demand women be ruined by videogames and porn as well!

I think girls are being ruined by Facebook games and 50 Shades of Grey instead.

Underlying this question is the fanciful idea of "The One True Console". The reason why this will never happen is the same reason why you'll never see unification of Mac OSX and Windows X: They both think they can do it better. And frankly, why should any of us object this to this competition?

How come no one worries about guys who are obsessed with football and fine art? Taking anything too far is unhealthy.