Blizzard has opened a can of worms by announcing that they will be making users post with their real names on their forums. The real name system will be implemented on the StarCraft II forums before the game’s released at the end of this month. The World of Warcraft forums will go the same way just before the launch of Cataclysm, the next expansion pack for WOW. Existing posts will stay the same, but everything else going forward will require the use of Real ID.

“The official forums have always been a great place to discuss the latest info on our games, offer ideas and suggestions, and share experiences with other players – however, the forums have also earned a reputation as a place where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild,” Blizzard said.

“Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the Blizzard community in ways they haven’t been connected before.”

Understandably, the WOW forums are royally pissed off. WOW Europe’s thread on the subject is up to 184 pages, with the North American thread up to an insane 976 pages. We would like to point out that you don’t need to use your real name to post on our site, call yourself what you want (within reason).