Facebook Integration for Blizzard Games - It's Happening!

[Smitten]

So, after everyone was guessing Facebook will be next after Twitter integration - turns out it's true.

It was announced just a few hours ago. Some highlights:

• You'll be able to sign up and log into all of Blizzard's games using Facebook
• You'll be able to stream directly to your timeline, where your friends will receive notifications about when you're streaming.
• It will allow Blizzard to take advantage of Facebook's social platform for sharing, viewing and discussing game content.

So, yeah. I don't even know what to say about this. I don't need or want my whole theoretical social and family group knowing I love playing MMOs at obscene hours.

What are everyone's thoughts on this one?

Full press release below:

Blizzard games are best when played with friends, and new Facebook integration features such as Facebook Login and Live API will make that easier than ever
Facebook’s collaboration with Blizzard reflects the global social network’s commitment to supporting world-class entertainment experiences

IRVINE, Calif.—June 1, 2016—Blizzard Entertainment and Facebook are working together to provide gamers around the world with new ways to connect and share their gaming experiences, while bringing more high-demand entertainment content to Facebook’s global platform.

The companies announced today that a major step in their ongoing collaboration will begin later this month with the integration of Facebook Login in Blizzard’s PC games. This will enable players to sign up for and log in to games such as World of Warcraft®, Heroes of the Storm®, Hearthstone®, Diablo® III, StarCraft® II, and Blizzard’s most recent blockbuster release,Overwatch®, using their Facebook accounts.

Adding Facebook Login will pave the way for new social functionality in Blizzard games while highlighting Facebook’s capabilities as a platform for sharing, viewing, and discussing AAA game content. As an example, Blizzard is in the process of incorporating Facebook’s Live API in order to create its own “Go Live” streaming functionality for its games. When this functionality is implemented, players will for the first time be able to livestream their Blizzard-gaming sessions directly to their Facebook timelines, and friends will be able to subscribe and be notified when new streams are available.

“Blizzard games are best when played with friends, so it’s important to us to provide our players with features and services that make it easy and fun to share their experiences with each other,” said Gio Hunt, executive vice president of corporate operations at Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re working closely with Facebook on this integration for Overwatch, as well as our other games, and we look forward to sharing further details on our plans as development progresses.”

As part of the collaboration between the two companies, Blizzard recently hosted multiple livestreams via Facebook. The first series of streams centered on Heroes of the Dorm™, Blizzard’s collegiate tournament featuring its popular team-brawler Heroes of the Storm. Last week, Blizzard hosted a livestreamed launch event for Overwatch on Facebook.

“Blizzard has a passionate community of players, and an incredible track record for launching innovative and high-quality gaming experiences,” said Leo Olebe, global games partnerships director at Facebook. “Our collaboration on Overwatch demonstrates Facebook’s commitment to partnering with AAA game companies, while further empowering Blizzard gamers to connect and share the content they're most passionate about with the friends they play with around the world.”

In preparation for the Overwatch launch, Facebook worked with Blizzard on a comprehensive mix of Facebook and Instagram marketing solutions—including Carousel ads, Canvas, and Instagram Marquee. Using the platforms’ powerful targeting capabilities, Facebook helped Blizzard present the game to a broad set of gaming and entertainment audiences within Facebook’s and Instagram's global audiences of 1.65 billion and 400 million people respectively. On Facebook, more than 650 million people play games connected to Facebook every month across web, mobile, and console.

Overwatch is a dynamic team-based shooter in which players choose from a cast of 21 diverse heroes—each with their own unique arsenal of extraordinary weapons and incredible abilities—and battle to complete objectives in various locations across a near-future earth. The game is available now for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and Windows® PC in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German, European Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean (PC only), Japanese (PC and PS4™ system only), and traditional and simplified Chinese (PC only). The game has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB.
For more information about Overwatch, visit the official website. For screenshots, videos, and other media, visit Blizzard’s press site at blizzard.gamespress.com/overwatch.

[Dante]

In Sweden we get free data usage when using facebook with the operator Tele2... hail hydra

[Kenneth]

I hate anything with facebook integration. I stopped using the website like 4 years ago and somehow I have to keep signing up to stuff using it still.

EDIT: Does this mean Legion is going to lose a raid tier?

[Disphotic]

retarded, that's all I can say.

[Dovah]

[Rakantor]

Are these the 7.1 patch notes?

Why does Blizzard keep wasting their time with useless functionalities like this instead of doing something productive...
I wonder how "we want WoW to be social again!" could be misinterpreted in such a manner.

[element19090]

If I still played Retail I would totally love this.

[tezzarist]

yet another way for people to gain acess to your account great!

[highs]

I do not like it.

[x4kep]

Meh, Facebook is a typical if you can't win, buy it type of company; they wanna make you able to stream directly on your Facebook feed? Inb4 they just flat out buy twitch.tv to make more money in their pockets.

I don't see why the integration is a negative thing tho, you don't need to use it if you like it, hell I didn't even notice the Twitter implementation they've added since I don't use it

[Veritable]

But I thought we were already playing Azeroth-ville ;o

[CreativeXtent]

YAY sessionkey hacking to steal gold, lets do it!

[shauren]

By the way, this is not going to cost us a raid tier - since the focus on that is Overwatch streaming, that game will suffer instead

[HI5]

seems only logical considering World of Garrison and soon to be World of Class Halls is a facebook game already :gusta:

[iMigu]

this gives me creeps..