Transmog yourself into an Avenger!
6 blue posts to read before Diablo 3's launch
Cross-realm zones coming soon
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsGlider down for the count
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 13th 2009 at 4:00PM
We knew this would happen after that last big Glider decision, but the judge's ruling has turned into action, and Glider has suspended their sales and operations. They're still hoping to bring it back up at some point -- there's still an appeals process to go through -- but that seems unlikely. Keep in mind that using Glider or any other botting software like it is a breach of Blizzard's terms of service and will most likely get you banned from the game.The company also has a FAQ up (which includes a PDF link to the latest ruling), and they sound hopeful there as well, saying that they'll know in a little while whether they'll be "back within a month or... gone for at least a year." Just in case you have (against Blizzard's rules) purchased and used Glider and are concerned that your information is being passed on to Blizzard, worry not -- they say that the ruling doesn't require them to give up any sales information, just shut down their operations and sales of the program.
As Blizzard posted last month, they see this as a clear victory for both the company and players of the game -- Glider undermined both the wishes of the designers and the experience of other players in the game. Blizzard apparently feels the battle is over, while we're sure Glider is planning to continue the legal fight for as long as it takes. It seems unlikely that we'll see this software (or any bot software) back up for sale legitimately again, but if we do, we'll let you know.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tricks, Blizzard, News items, Hardware
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
Allison Mar 13th 2009 5:58PM
They made sure to say that it (or other programs like it) *probably* won't come back up *legitimately*. Don't call people morons until you practice your reading comprehension.
MarkyMark Mar 13th 2009 6:35PM
I'm tired of people justifying their use of Glider. Sure the grind of levels or materials is daunting but how fair is it if someone who follows the rules enters a game plagued with cheaters. It defeats it's purpose. If you can't manage to put some time of time into WoW then it's simply not the game for you. Anyway at the end of the day its against Blizzard's Policies and they will deal with you accordingly.
DX123 Mar 13th 2009 6:57PM
I really don't see how it is "cheating". Are botters taking away items that you should have gotten? Are you sitting there farming a specific item and along comes this massive influx of botters stealing your items? No.
As someone who HAS botted in the past, we most normally go far off the beaten path, AWAY from everyone else to do our grind. We don't bother "human" players. Hell we don't even bother other botters. Anyone who says "oh its ruining other players experience" please give me ONE example how. How is someone leveling up an alt because they don't want to "experience the lore" for the 100th time hurting you?
I understand the issue with bots in Battlegrounds. Yes in that respect I can see how it impairs another players enjoyment of a specific area of the game. But as far as leveling / grinding mats.. i'm sorry but its just not bothering anyone.
And someone gave the analogy of "working hard at a job gets you money". Ok but I PAY MONEY to play Warcraft, and yet I have to work at it like a job if I want a second or third character. The enjoyment for 99.9% of players out there comes from END GAME content... not leveling in the Barens. It's my $15 per month... who are you to tell me that I MUST ENJOY THE CONTENT.. I MUST LEARN MY CLASS..
Gimme a break....
Mireille Mar 13th 2009 9:50PM
Sorry, its your 15 a month. Its Blizzards game. You play according to their rules, not how you want. Paying doesn't mean you get to cheat the game.
Raids are part of the game. Arena is part of the game. Know what? Leveling is part of the game. Its a packaged deal, you don't pick what you want and discard the rest.
The Claw Mar 13th 2009 7:09PM
Guy I work with was very keen on the botting. He said all the stuff people are saying here. "Oh I levelled a character already, levelling more is just boring." "Oh I just want to get some gold to buy some gear, farming gold is just boring." "You should try it man, don't you want to try playing some other classes at endgame?"
Of course, then he got his account banned and lost all his max level characters, the legit one as well as the botted one. Sucker. I don't want to say cheats NEVER prosper, but if you cheat in WoW, you won't. The longer it takes them to catch up with you, the more it will hurt when they do.
Stick to single-player games if you want to use cheat codes.
Rasmus Mar 13th 2009 7:25PM
If the bot does not commit to any actions a human being could not peform, then your "cheating" arguement is null and void.
Only thing a bot such as glider gives, is a slight advantage, unfair as it may be, there are plenty of situations that reward larger advantages, such as paid services provided by blizzard themselfs.
Most if not all points raised against botting is misinformed hatred. You will find it mind blowing how many people still think chineese gold farmers use botting software.
Hoggersbud Mar 13th 2009 8:46PM
It's funny to see all the pro-botters coming out and trying to defend their cheating.
If you don't like the rules of the game...here's a hint...don't play the game.
Plastic Rat Mar 16th 2009 4:53AM
And the floor opens to the drooling masses of botters who don't realize they've actually lost the whole game and aren't even half as cool as they think they are. Enter barely legible vitriol as they threaten us with "WELL B BAK!!" and "U CANT STOP US!!!!!11LOL".
Smile as they threaten to ruin your game for you because "THY JUST DON CARE!!!LOL!"
Watch as some douche who actually passed 3rd grade English, making him a scholar amongst his mouth-breathing peers, pontificate on how "Botting isn't so bad" and "Everyone misunderstands us!" Fear the statistics he pulls from his orifices.
We can but hope that with this court order these people can finally be escorted back under their rock where they can search for another video game to validate their pitiful existences.
Please send Michael Donnelly our best wishes on his next Limo driving start-up.
Iliketobot Mar 13th 2009 8:50PM
Noone likes cheats, but it is extremely simplistic of a majority of players to be beating up on Glider (s) becasue gliding is cheating.
Anyone with the slightest knowledge of economic theory knows that blizzard has done nothing to affecxt the demand for gold/accounts.
It is reliably estimated that 2/3rds of all wow players have bought gold which automatically makes that 2/3rds guilty of cheating too.
If blizzard started banning plyers who bought gold youd see a far greater effect on the game than banning glider is going to do for the average player.
Consider the multiboxing fraternirty. Game legal, hardly a level playing field and clearly using automation - no rational person would see muultiboxing as as contributing to a level playing field.
Consider too the constant changes blizzard makes to classes, gear and the relentless undermining of peoples efforts by making things easier by hugely significant magnitudes as the y strive to give the majority of players the "hit" they want for doing less than those that have gone before them and spent literally 000s of more hours in the game to get the gear/reputation etc
Recruit a friend ? A special mount, free game time, triple experience ? hardly "fair" on people that went before or dont recruit a friend now.
All thosae beta keys for wolk ? Get a head start in the game - al lthose guilds they pamper to, the people who are promoted ahead of others on official sites in the interests of gaining more subscribers, but again not remotely contriobuting to a level playing field.
Blizzard dont run a fair game, at best they run a game on a set of rules for a number of weeks then change the basis of the game and hence the rules for sdome more weeks, they do what they feel they have to do to keep people playing and that is incompatible with running a fair game.
Mireille Mar 13th 2009 9:55PM
78% of all statistics on the 'net are made up on the spot. True story.
And personally, if I was Blizzard, and I knew 2/3s the gamer base cheated. I would ban every single one of.
*Yes, that means I'd ban over 700 thousand accounts.
Mark Mar 16th 2009 1:11PM
Your argument holds no water - "they made it easier for new people, so I should be allowed to cheat" - not a good argument!
Glider goes against the Terms of the game, if you don't like it then don't play. The "I should be able to have anything I want just because I want it" people need a reality check.
0bsolete Mar 13th 2009 9:19PM
/facepalm
One day they will learn. Every time you put down the face of a common "illegal" industry, be it botting, gold farming, warez or p2p/torrent abuse, it creates a vacuum. Whoopty doo, glider is down. Until they create a new version that is technically not covered by the ruling. But by that point, there will be an extra 3 or 4 juggernauts on the scene. Ones who saw glider bite the dust and took the opportunity to clean their code, make things slicker and better, and advertise a wee bit. And these ones will gain a following.
Remember? Same thing happened with Napster. They got shut down. And suddenly you have Kazaa and Morpheus and Grokster who were all big. It didn't hurt the industry, but suddenly every 12 year old who wanted a track by the newest rapper knew where to go, because mom and dad watched the news.
The fact is, as long as users create the internet, you can't completely shut down everything you don't like. Not quite. You can punch the face of the industry, the big name, and even drop 'em. But there is always more.
Mark Mar 16th 2009 1:14PM
not the same at all.. those situations were for a open system that could change as needed, Blizzard has a closed system. if they want, they can enforce any kind of lockdown they want. You can't switch to a different protocol as desired, it doesn't work that way.
pay your $15 and play the game the way the designers intended, if you don't like it then switch, you have no "right" to play the game any way you feel like.
mannymix Mar 14th 2009 12:37PM
I really don't care for glider but i have to be sympathetic for them. Levelling is boring, after levelling an 80 priest and 80 druid and gearing them both fully (1 PVP and 1 full PVE) I'm bored of the game, if there was a way to level a toon without me being there i'd love it. My job takes priority over WoW and I don't think I can go through another 80 levels, maybe it wouldn't be so bad but 80 levels is a lot to go through and considering that barely anyone instances anymore from below 60 all the fun content is just cut out.
MrNemo Mar 14th 2009 9:06PM
Bitching about bots, either because they are there or because one gets shut down, is pointless. They are going to be around. If a new one shows up they will get shut down and another new one will reappear. Glider just happened to be the biggest and the best that is publicly available. If they are back or not people are going to realize that there is not a huge reflection in the game.
Yeah your mats might get pricey for a couple weeks, but either natural competition will bring them back down or someone else will develop another bot on a mass scale and those botters will bring them back down.
For real people. This is a news site, not somewhere people come to find out which is better... botters or lagit players. The fact of the matter is both ways suck at some point or another. Both do things that are unfair at times, both have their benefits, and both will always be replaceable.
R.I.P. Glider... now on to the next.
Plastic Rat Mar 16th 2009 4:57AM
Thanks, I sent the 5 bucks via paypal if that's ok.
FFTARoxorz05 Mar 17th 2009 7:13AM
I never get why people think bots = bad economy. Most people bot to get to 80 on alts, and goldfarming does nothing but HELP the in game economy. RL price for gold keeps prices from skyrocketing for everything.
Greg Bohrn Jun 6th 2009 3:08PM
First off, if Glider released their source under the guise of it was stolen, Blizzard would have to prove that it was false. Also, the source is not that hard to program anyway for an experience C++ developer. 2nd, your biggest problem does not come from Glider, it comes from Gold Farmers in Asia. Well, Blizzard, good luck stopping that. Sue to your hearts content, won't get you anywhere. We can't even defend international copyright law in China as it is (been involved in a case of this from the technical end). Your bits hit Asia (China in particular) and your hosed.
The problem you have is that buying and selling gold, items, etc in MMORPGs has turned into a multi-billion industry. So, unless companies like Blizzard change the way their economics and gameplay run, there is not a lot folks can do.
Don't get me wrong. I wish folks would just play the game. But, like many of you out there, once I max out one character class, I'm not in a terrible hurry to have to go through the grind of leveling another character up, especially when a new, interesting game comes out every few months just waiting to be played. So, I believe a lot of the "Expert" virtual economics is bunk as most game companies have been struggling to get folks to stay past the initial 30 days since inception. I can guarantee you that closing Glide down will have no effect whatsoever on the bot community.