http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.133101


"SC2 Lead Designer Dustin Browder told Gamasutra that while the goal of having an "integrated experience" for their players via Battle.net was still crucial to the company - "We really wanted to bring all these players together and keep them in the same pool, and make everything work, so your achievements work, your friends list works, everything just works correctly, as opposed to having two separated ways to play" - they were working on an option to allow for the best of both worlds: LAN-level connectivity, but a plug into Battle.net regardless."

Achievements in all of their forms are a gimmick throwback to olden days of video games when there was a high score list. Despite that, they are still strangely compelling, and if done right they encourage people to try fun and interesting things in games that they likely wouldn't otherwise do, because there isn't a reward. Sadly, not nearly all console games do them right, but Blizz's achievements in WoW are a good indicator that they know how they should be done.

As to LAN... why the hell does everyone care so much about this? Who the fuck plays on a LAN anymore anyway that doesn't have internet and thus couldn't just plug into B.net in the first place? It's not like the infinitesimal lag difference will affect your game, unless you're on dialup, in which you also don't have a LAN, you caveman.

The nerve of these people!