Blizzard is being sued over the Battle.net authentication used in multiple games including Diablo III. A class action suit led by plaintiff Benjamin Bell is seeking damages for "consumer fraud, unjust enrichment, negligence, breach of contract and bailment," claiming that Blizzard is "deceptively and unfairly" charging some users to secure their data from hackers.

Bell is specifically referring to Blizzard’s $6.50 keychain authenticators, alleging that Blizzard has made $26 million by selling them. The suit accuses Blizzard of unfairly requiring users to use Battle.net and says the company has continued to “negligently, deliberately, and/or recklessly fail to ensure that adequate, reasonable procedures safeguard the private information stored on this website.” Bell points to multiple hacking incidents -- including May’s Diablo III hacks -- as evidence that Blizzard failed to take "the legally required steps to alert" players.

Bell is seeking damages and an injunction to bar Blizzard from “tacking on” costs after games have already been purchased. He also seeks to stop Blizzard from requiring players to sign up for a Battle.net account.

We reached out to Blizzard about the suit and a spokesperson sent IGN the following statement:

"This suit is without merit and filled with patently false information, and we will vigorously defend ourselves through the appropriate legal channels.

We want to reiterate that we take the security of our players’ data very seriously, and we’re fully committed to defending our network infrastructure. We also recognize that the cyber-threat landscape is always evolving, and we’re constantly working to track the latest developments and make improvements to our defenses.

The suit’s claim that we didn’t properly notify players regarding the August 2012 security breach is not true. Not only did Blizzard act quickly to provide information to the public about the situation, we explained the actions we were taking and let players know how the incident affected them, including the fact that no names, credit card numbers, or other sensitive financial information was disclosed. You can read our letter to players and a comprehensive FAQ related to the situation on our website.

The suit also claims that the Battle.net Authenticator is required in order to maintain a minimal level of security on the player’s Battle.net account information that’s stored on Blizzard’s network systems. This claim is also completely untrue and apparently based on a misunderstanding of the Authenticator’s purpose. The Battle.net Authenticator is an optional tool that players can use to further protect their Battle.net accounts in the event that their login credentials are compromised outside of Blizzard’s network infrastructure. Available as a physical device or as a free app for iOS or Android devices, it offers players an added level of security against account-theft attempts that stem from sources such as phishing attacks, viruses packaged with seemingly harmless file downloads, and websites embedded with malicious code.

When a player attaches an Authenticator to his or her account, it means that logging in to Battle.net will require the use of a random code generated by the Authenticator in addition to the player’s login credentials. This helps our systems identify when it’s actually the player who is logging in and not someone who might have stolen the player’s credentials by means of one of the external theft measures mentioned above, or as a result of the player using the same account name and password on another website or service that was compromised. Considering that players are ultimately responsible for securing their own computers, and that the extra step required by the Authenticator is an added inconvenience during the log in process, we ultimately leave it up to the players to decide whether they want to add an Authenticator to their account. However, we always strongly encourage it, and we try to make it as easy as possible to do.

Many players have voiced strong approval for our security-related efforts. Blizzard deeply appreciates the outpouring of support it has received from its players related to the frivolous claims in this particular suit."

Source: Courthouse News

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

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Here's your first look at Tom Cruise in the sci-fi action film All You Need Is Kill, which opens March 14, 2014.

Cruise plays Bill Cage, who must relive the same brutal battle against an unrelenting alien race in the Doug Liman-directed film. Emily Blunt co-stars.

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Multiplayer combat gaming is dominated by titles that enfold players in quasi-realistic modern war-zones. The action and the perks and the zombies-on-the-moon modes may be pure fantasy, but the settings are rooted in the real world of multi-terrain combat boots and SA-58 clips.

“

The first time you play it, it has to be fair, but also it has to be fair on the hundredth time and the thousandth time.

By contrast, Halo 4 is pure fantasy, a sci-fi dreamscape of weird colors, strange weapons, variable gravity as well as Ghosts, crazed AIs and abandoned deep-space mining vessels. Publisher Microsoft wants its key multi-billion-dollar franchise to sit at the heart of inter-human gaming.

Developer 343 has delivered what is arguably the best Halo ever made, and one key component to this is multiplayer, described by IGN reviewer Ryan McCaffrey as “golden” with “immaculate weapon balancing” and containing “an impressive collection of outstanding battlegrounds.”

343 hired Austin, Texas-based development house Certain Affinity to help out with modes, maps and map-creation tool Forge. Why? The company was founded by Max Hoberman, who spent a decade at Bungie, crafting the Halo series’ multiplayer experience.

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I'm dying to see what crazy things people come up with.

Certain Affinity is also responsible for working on MP sections of recent Call of Duty games and on Left 4 Dead. In short, these guys really get multiplayer, and they have a long and intimate relationship with the Halo universe. 85 team-members spent 18 months working on Halo 4’s multiplayer, in close association with 343.

Hoberman says the starting point for refining and evolving Halo 4’s multiplayer modes has been making it available to as many people as possible.

He explains, “That was 343's approach across the board. How do we make this better by letting more people enjoy it? We started by smoothing off some of the rough edges on areas that could be great, but just weren't quite there for accessibility reasons. That can be really difficult, really challenging, especially when you're trying to develop something that has some inherent depth. How you balance depth and accessibility is always a challenge. But that has absolutely permeated all of our decision-making.”

Certain Affinity worked on some of the War Games modes, many based on old favorites that have now been tweaked. For example, Dominion is a team-based mode in which each side attempts to capture and defend a series of bases which, over time, sprout defensive upgrades, culminating in a ‘last stand’ slaughter of the team that’s failed to secure defensive positions.

Oddball is the classic game mode that wins players points for holding onto a ball, with an added twist of being able to throw the ball. When this one feature was first shown, at PAX, it drew enthusiastic whoops from the crowd.

“

When you're designing for multiplayer, you have to be selfless.

Part of the responsibility facing Certain Affinity, and all developers that specialize in multiplayer, is the intense relationship players have with the modes and maps they play. Unlike single-player games, which are experienced once or perhaps a few times, multiplayer games are experienced again and again. They are lived. They are also very public testing grounds for people who take their skills very, very seriously.

Not only, but also, through map-editors like Forge, players understand the fundamentals of multiplayer level design. Ten years ago, players might have enjoyed a multiplayer map, without stopping to think about the subtleties of sight blocks and cover positions. These days, they intuite sloppy design.

Hoberman says, “We’re very aware of the gravity of our responsibility. We're creating this content that people are going to play time and time again, sometimes thousands of times, for one map or one game mode. It feels like a massive responsibility. We mandate internally that we play this stuff over and over. We have to be fans of our own work and we have to put it to the test day in and day out.

“

We're creating this content that people are going to play time and time again, sometimes thousands of times.

“We insist that our developers participate in daily playtests. It can be tough. Our artists, for instance, they have a big to-do list, but we make them take an hour out of their day to playtest. We think that's invaluable. Fans are going to pick these things apart. They're passionate about every detail. It's critical that everyone working on these things is also passionate about every detail and understands how these things are going to be experienced by the players.”

He points out that in single-player modes, the story embraces the player as well as the characters in the game, but only the actual player is having a real emotional experience. But in multiplayer, it’s about everyone who is on screen.

“When you're designing campaign levels, you're inherently designing something asymmetrical. You're designing for the player. You don't need to care about how the enemies feel. You don't need to care about how the Covenant feel about their experience. When you're designing multiplayer, you have to care about everybody.

“What you're designing is inherently balanced and symmetric, even if it's physically asymmetric. It has to be balanced. It has to be a fair experience for everyone. The first time you play it, it has to be fair, but also it has to be fair on the hundredth time and the thousandth time. It takes a different mindset to design for multiplayer. I'd say it also takes a different personality sometimes. When you're designing for multiplayer, you have to be selfless. You have to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes. If you're just concerned about designing a good experience for yourself, then you'll never be a great multiplayer designer.”

One of the massive projects undertaken by Certain Affinity was Forge, which allows players to make their own multiplayer maps. This tool has been around for some years but in Halo 4 has been drastically overhauled.

New features include better looks through dynamic lighting and gorgeous native environments; greater ease-of-use via neat gadgets like item-lock, duping and magnets; and local effects called player-trait zones which give designers all sorts of freedom to play around with their invented worlds.

Hoberman says, “Forge is interesting, any map editor is interesting, because so many people benefit from it whether they actually use it or not. Everyone benefits from the creations that come out of it. The accessibility improvements that we made and some of the feature additions are ultimately just going to mean that new users will find it easier, but because Forge is inherently a pretty sophisticated tool, the creations are going to be that much more inventive and novel.

He adds, “You always do something and you think maybe you’ll see a dozen interesting ways people use it. In reality, over time, you end up seeing hundreds of greats ideas. I'm dying to see what crazy things people come up with.”

Don't forget to make use of IGN's massive Halo 4 wiki.

For daily opinions, debates and interviews on games you can follow Colin Campbell on Twitter or at IGN. 

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Before you freak out on me in the comments, yes, I realize I left out some of this week's biggest releases -- Iron Man, Deadpool, Action Comics, Before Watchmen: Moloch, Green Lantern... but hey, these books I listed are just that exciting.

If you want a comprehensive list of everything that’s coming out this week and not just my own picks for what’s hot, check out Diamond’s shipping list.

Sweet Tooth #39 - $2.99

By Jeff Lemire | Vertigo

We’re drawing ever closer to the conclusion of the remarkable Vertigo series known as Sweet Tooth, as writer/artist Jeff Lemire delivers the series’ penultimate chapter. It’s been a terrific (if anxiety-inducing and tear-sprouting) ride that could ultimately end in one of two ways: optimistically or… not.

While Lemire has teased that Sweet Tooth won’t end as depressingly as we might expect, it doesn’t change the fact that we’ll soon be leaving the world of Gus the boy with antlers behind for good. Prepare to savor this second-to-last installment, for soon, we shall be Sweet Tooth-less.

AvX: Consequences #5 - $3.99

By Kieron Gillen & Gabriel Walta | Marvel

I admit that I wasn’t the biggest proponent of Avengers vs. X-Men. In fact, I more or less had the same problems with it that I do with most Marvel events: the implications of the story are far more engaging than the story itself. Luckily, it’s for that same reason that I’m enjoying AvX: Consequences as much as I am.

So far, Consequences has done a great job of positioning Cyclops’ new role in the X-Men world in a way that isn’t so much villainous as it is just really intriguing. Kieron Gillen has painted Scott Summers in a three dimensional light that was sorely missing in AvX proper, and with last issue’s reveal of his supporters, I’m ecstatic to see how this series changes the landscape of mutantdom in the Marvel Universe.

Daredevil: End of Days #2 - $3.99

By Brian Bendis, David Mack, Klaus Janson & Bill Sienkiewicz | Marvel

While I’ve been no slouch in promoting Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s Daredevil series that prides itself on straight-up fun, Bendis’ classic run on the Man Without Fear is one of the greatest things I’ve ever shoved into my brain. End of Days feels like a Dark Knight Returns-esque thematic finale to the Bendis rendition of Matt Murdock; it’s unapologetically grim and remarkably unnerving.

With Daredevil apparently dead, the series currently rests on the shoulders of Ben Urich as he struggles to come to terms with Matt’s end while also investigating it. There’s a lot of mystery and intrigue to End of Days, but hopefully issue #2 will serve to shed a little bit more light on what exactly the future of this mini-series could hold.

Colder #1 - $3.99

By Paul Tobin & Juan Ferreyra | Dark Horse

I’ll be totally honest with you and say that until today, I had no freaking clue what Colder was actually about. I did know two things: Paul Tobin is writing it and the cover makes my skin crawl. As you might recall from last week, horror comics are one of my favorite things (behind cats and liquor), and so anytime something new comes along I weep with joy.

In any case, Colder tells the story about an ex-inmate of a madhouse whose body temperature is dropping rapidly. He’s also got this innate ability to enter another person’s madness and cure it, but can he even cure himself? You best believe I want to find out, so that’s why  I’ll be snagging this book.

Shadowman #1- $3.99

By Justin Jordan & Patrick Zircher | Valiant

Shadowman is back, Jack. Even though Benjamin Bailey of the IGN Comics Review Crew already handed this issue an 8.9 score, I can’t wait to get my hands on this beast myself. Justin Jordan is one of the hottest new writers of the year thanks to the awesome Strange Talent of Luther Strode, and the art of Patrick Zircher should simply never be passed up for any reason.

With Shadowman, Valiant is adding a new type of book to its steadily growing catalog of eclectic superhero comics: supernatural horror. If you like voodoo, blood, New Orleans, and the paranormal, I’d recommend jumping on board this train.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He thinks  knows the world needs more horror comic books.

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Following the worldwide box office success of The Expendables 2, Sylvester Stallone and his team are now moving forward on The Expendables 3, with Nicolas Cage joining the geriatric gang of action men, as first reported by JoBlo.

Sly recently hit up his official Facebook page to say a few (not entirely comprehensible) words on the film:

"We are preparing the film with the same passion and commitment as the previous two. We have confirmed Nicolas Cage, a master actor who gives a veneer intellectual group. Hopefully we can realize to Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes and Mickey Rourke. That is the great mission of the producer. We will continue with the same narrative scheme, the agility and the frenzy, which are inherent to the saga. What will definitely be the last? I can not guarantee. In principle it would be two deliveries, but the affection of the people encouraged us to work on a third. I guess as long as we amused ourselves by offering fun and people, we can continue playing 'The Expendables'. For now we are not as expendable as it should and as some critics want."

His word choice is a little iffy ("veneer intellectual group?"), but it does sound like the wheels are already turning on casting. Meanwhile, Adi Shankar's all-female Expendables riff is well underway, casting Gina Carano in a leading role back in September.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

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Ever since Dr No in 1962, James Bond’s fingerprints have been all over the action genre like it was a modified Walther PPK. In the subsequent 50 years, nearly every hero that’s followed in his footsteps – some obviously, some less so – has owed something to MI6’s top agent, and so we've decided to round up a few of the top debtors. It’s 007’s world, and all these other guys just live in it. Maybe he should charge rent.

It’s Bond…But Funny

Our Man Flint (1966)

Before there was Austin Powers and Johnny bastard English, there was Derek Flint: lover, fighter, man-about-town and ZOWIE (Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage) agent extraordinaire. When an evil organization of mad scientists start tinkering with natural disasters, Flint is hauled out of his space-age batchelor lifestyle and back into the field, armed with his trusty lighter (“This has 82 different functions, 83 is you wish to light a cigar”) and James Coburn’s pure Old Spice charisma.

Most Bondian moment: Canoodling with a bed full of dolly birds, having saved the world. Again.

It’s Bond…But Arnie

True Lies (1994)

With Bond at a low ebb in the early 90s - out-budgeted, out-box-officed and up a legal creek - Schwarzenegger nobly stepped into the tux with this super-sized spy caper from Jim Cameron. Arnie plays ‘computer salesman’ Harry Tasker, whose real day job as an Omega Sector agent revolves around the wholesale destruction of whatever he comes near, quipping a lot and maybe saving the world from terrorists. Arnie can’t sell Harry’s charm like Bond does but he certainly shares 007’s ‘sensitive’ attitude towards women, forcing his wife to strip for his amusement.

Most Bondian moment: Harry removing his wetsuit to reveal a tux underneath a la Goldfinger.

It’s Bond…But Cooler

The Ipcress File (1965)

By the mid-60s, MI6 apparently had its pick of top agents – including Boysie Oakes (The Liquidator) and Quiller (The Quiller Memorandum) – as every two-bit spy novel in Britain was being picked up like VD at a Charlie Sheen party. At the back of the class, lobbing spitballs at the nine-to-fivers, was Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File. Cool, sharp and with a genuine disregard for authority, Caine’s performance turned him into an instant icon of British cool.

Most Bondian moment: Forty years before Daniel Craig got his undercarriage renovated in Casino Royale, Palmer was undergoing a somewhat-trippier torture sequence himself.

It's Bond…But With Kung Fu

Enter The Dragon (1973)

While everyone remembers the badass karate, mega riot and hall-of-mirrors finale of Enter The Dragon, few remember that Bruce Lee's character was reluctantly attending Han’s games at the behest of the British government, investigating a suspected heroin racket. The action still makes The Man With The Golden Gun’s karate dust up look like morris dancing

Most Bondian moment: A sharp-suited Lee is briefed by typically stiff British handler Braithwaite.

It’s Bond…But A Superhero

Condorman (1981)

Swap Bond’s perfectly fitted tux for a shonky bird costume and you’ve got Condorman, Disney’s most ill-fated live-action project of all time (yup, even after John Carter). Sporting a spotty American accent, Michael Crawford plays the buffoonish cartoonist Woody who tries to live the life of his superhero creation, accidentally stumbling ass-backwards into a Cold War confection of girls, gadgets and goons – the villain even sports an eye patch. Awesome theme tune though.

Most Bondian moment: Woody’s gyspy caravan detaches, revealing a modded Nova Stirling kit car underneath, complete with machine guns. “Incredible” exhales defecting Russkie Barbara Carrera, getting ready for her turn in Never Say Never Again.

It's Bond...But A Kid

Teen Agent (1991)

…or if you’re from the US, the less snappily and even-less accurately, If Looks Could Kill. Taking the premise that every kid wants to be 007 to its logical conclusion, Teen Agent – and we also see you hiding there, Stormbreaker and Agent Cody Banks – has the world’s oldest child Richard Grieco and his mullet get mistaken for an undercover CIA agent and sent off to smirk around Europe with the aid of some Q branch rejects and The Who’s Roger Daltrey.

Most Bondian moment: There’s gadgets, girls, action, etc, but the blatant product placement is perhaps the most relevant lift. LA Gear anyone?

It’s Bond…But A Dream

Inception (2010)

While Inception’s intricate Russian Doll dreams might seem a world away from 007, it’s pretty clear from the third-act snow fortress assault that student Ariadne – the architect of the landscapes that the dreamers charge through – has a poster of Bond’s iconic set designer Ken Adam on her wall and Chris Nolan has seen You Only Live Twice and For Your Eyes Only a lot.

Most Bondian moment: The ski chase has more than a hint of OHMSS about it, too. Maybe Nolan could start thinking about adding his fingerprints to another iconic franchise?

It’s Bond…But Clive Owen

The Pink Panther (2006)

At one point in the early 00s, it was so blindingly obvious that Clive Owen was going to be the next James Bond - perhaps in a more serious take on the character than Brosnan - that it was almost an open joke. When Eon opted to go for some jug-eared blond instead, Owen got a giggle out of all the chatter, sending the part up a treat as tuxedoed 006, before delivering more full-blooded takes on the espionage game in The International and Shadow Dancer. Still, at least someone got a laugh out of the Pink Panther.

More Bondian moment: Demanding a ridiculous cocktail at the casino table.

It’s Bond…But A Girl

Salt (2010)

Girls in Bond’s world have the life expectancy of a knackered fruit fly. But anything the men can do, Angelina Jolie can do better, sexier and with a snarl on her lips – here playing framed superspy Evelyn Salt, forced to utilize every trick in her make-up box to unravel the conspiracy. The irony is that the role was originally custom-built for a man, with Jolie finding it in Tom Cruise’s reject bin. But while the character undergoes a cinematic cut-and-tuck, Jolie ensure that it’s still got colossal balls.

Most Bondian moment: The escape from the SUV– nutting one agent through a window and then driving it off the guardrail onto the road below.

It’s Bond...But American

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Tom Cruise, your mission, should you accept it, is to revamp an old TV spy show but give it a more modern makeover, creating a relevant action hero complete with all James Bond’s resourcefulness, gadgets, derring-do and flame retardancy, but jettisoning his boorish dinosaur-ness. You will visit exotic locations, meet erotic ladies (whom you will treat respectfully), do some really ridiculous stunts and save the world a lot. Please keep an eye out for rival faux-007s Jason Bourne and Xander Cage. This article will finish in one sentence.

Most Bondian moment: Using the explosive chewing gum to detonate the glass aquarium, allowing Ethan to escape into the Eastern European backdrop.

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Stars Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman will soon be starring in Kazuaki Kiriya's action adventure film The Last Knights, reports Screen Daily.

The story follows a band of warriors who seek to avenge the loss of their master at the hands of a corrupt emperor. Bill Johnson's IF Entertainment is taking the project to the American Film Market later this week.

Luka Production International's Luci Kim is producing and Route One Film's Jay Stern, Russell Levine and Chip Diggins will serve as exec producers.

Current plans are to begin production as early as this month in the Czech Republic. Kiriya will direct from a script by Michael Konyves (Version).

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

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Join Nick Butcher, Roman Nurik, and Adam Koch for a live show as they discuss various elements of Android Design. This week's special episode will focus on tablets and responsive design. They look at the following apps and discuss how they respond to differing device form factors: -- Android Calendar 3:47 -- Pattrn 8:18 -- Pocket 11:33 -- TED 14:54 -- Google I/O 2012 18:28 Finally they cover the latest Android Design News (at 25:52). Slides are available here: plus.google.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5