It seems likely to me that they executed this maneuver for similar reasons to the kik/azer fiasco that happened on NPM; if they didn't sue, they would lose their trademarks.

I think a better response would've been to purchase Nostalrius (the organization), and offer it as a value-add for their players. But it seems clear Blizzard is extracting whatever value it can from WoW before it dies, rather than truly serving their customers.

Kik interactive never sued NPM. Kik tried to strongarm azer via indirect threats but NPM gave Kik the package name at their own discretion (arguing that it might confuse people looking for the kik packages).

Also, the "trademark means you must sue" myth has been debunked by the EFF: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/trademark-law-does-not...

Thanks, I didn't know that. I certainly didn't mean to provide a defense for Blizzard or Kik, just to try and illustrate/understand their motivations.

Why can't Blizzard just license the older versions for some minimal fee then?

It's exactly main reason: Blizzard have right to control the history and evolution of the WoW universe. Players can still play on old locations even on official servers, but things like game balance, economics - it's all was made by Blizzard and they have right to change it, for good or bad.

you sound like a libertarian invoking libertarian principles which I don't agree with so I don't see the "obviousness" of it that you see.

Even if Blizzard hired Howard Roark himself as their architect, seems to me I should be able to make alterations to the design of my own building in which I wish to park a Howard Roark designed car, no matter how angry it makes Howard, Eugene, and Blizzard.

And a court may rule in my favor even if you seem to think I should take your word on it, from your perspective of the zany libertariangasm you guys get from thinking about the ownership of ideas and not having anybody tell you what you can't do so long as you get to tell other people what they can't do.

Even if I have different opinion, it doesn't mean I want to offend you, so please don't be so aggressive. I have no relations with Blizzard (I don't even play WoW, it was long time ago). Thank you for letting me know who are libertarians - and yes, looks like I support this idea, but in minarchism form :)

sorry if I offended you, I was making a point in debate-style, I wasn't attacking you.

I also sense that you are not a native speaker of English: so, just mentioning, what you wrote comes across in English as very "there is only one way, the way I am saying". It sounds like you didn't mean it that way, so sorry it triggered, when I saw that debate blip on my radar screen, I decided to shoot it down :)

> Players can still play on old locations

That is not true, unfortunately.

I think he meant you can still visit Stormwind, Dun Morogh, etc. and aren't limited to Draenor. But of course, the mechanics of everything in the old areas will be that of the new expansion.

>Blizzard have right to control the history and evolution of the WoW universe.

Do they? They have the right to profit off of it and are allowed to set the only profit, but others are allowed to create evolutions of the universe in other directions as long as they don't profit. And if any of those are more popular, Blizzard has no recourse.

> but others are allowed to create evolutions of the universe

No, I disagree. It's Blizzard's right to decide, who is allowed to do it. Only Peter Jackson was allowed to create movie about Tolkien's universe - and it was right of the author, without any doubts. It's the same case.

Anyone could've created a movie. Only those given rights could profit off of it.