id creative director on Diablo 3's lack of offline play: "In the end, it's better for everybody"

The id software creative director thinks Blizzard's contentious dungeon crawler could be the game to legitimise the increasingly common anti-piracy measures, saying "Diablo 3 will make everyone else accept the fact you have to be connected.

Tim Willits has been talking to Eurogamerabout Diablo 3's controversial always-online DRM.

The id software creative director thinks Blizzard's contentious dungeon crawler could be the game to legitimise the increasingly common anti-piracy measures, saying "Diablo 3 will make everyone else accept the fact you have to be connected. If you have a juggernaut, you can make change."

"In the end, it's better for everybody", continued Willits.

Diablo 3 will require players to always be connected to the internet in order to play. Blizzard announcedthe plan, along with the controversial real money auction houseat a recent event.

Willits is approaching the DRM from a developer's perspective. 'Always online' DRM makes things a lot easier for game creators but ultimately, more frustrating for gamers.

Willits feels that it's a fair compromise: "Imagine picking up a game and it's automatically updated. Or there's something new you didn't know about and you didn't have to click away. It's all automatically there".

The man from id also reckons the majority of their fans have a rock solid internet connection.

"I'm a big proponent of always connected. I'm always connected. Our fans are always connected", he continued, before acknowledging the gamers who might experience issues with their connections: "There will be a few people who resent the face that you have to be online to play a single player game. But it'll change."

Fan feedback to Blizzard's first announcement was not pretty. Ubisoft incurred the same wrath when they announced Driver: San Francisco's DRM, as did Capcom with Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, though they later tweaked the measures.

A reliable internet connection is quickly becoming a vital part of your PC gaming setup. This morning OnLive announced a September release date in the UK. The ambitious service will require an internet connection and a subscription to work, but at least you'll get access toa substantial games bundle for the hassle.

For more on Diablo, listen to the UK team butt heads during our recent dedicated podcast.