Today is a Diablo 3 special news posts for obvious reasons (see the news below). For a complete coverage of the Diablo 3 Press Tour and more information on the upcoming beta, check out Diablofans.com


Diablo 3 Auction House Announced - Spend and Earn Real Life Money!
The Diablo 3 Auction House was announced during last week's press tour and I'm sure that news will be very interesting for most of the readers of this site, because most of us wonder if it will have any effect on the evolution of WoW in the long run.


Diablo 3's Auction House will feature two currencies, the first one will be in-game gold and the 2nd one will be real life money. Yep, you read it right, Diablo 3 will let you buy items with either gold or real life money! It's also worth noting that you will also be able to sell loot for money, and transfer that money outside the game. I guess gold farming just got interesting.

See the screenshots and official FAQ below for more information.


Auction House Bidding - Dollars

Auction House Bidding - Gold

Auction Log - Gold

Auction House Search - Dollars

Auction House Sell - Dollars

Auction House Sell - Gold
 
Auction House Selling - Dollars
 


Diablo 3 Auction House - Overview
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
We’re introducing a powerful auction house system that will provide a safe, fun, and easy-to-use way for players to buy and sell the loot they obtain in the game. Items can be sold and purchased using real-world money or in-game gold.

An Easier Way To Trade
Sure, slaying monsters, demons, and cultists is a surefire way to obtain a ton of random new loot in Diablo III, but with the new auction house feature, it’ll be easier than ever to gear up your character with the exact items you’re looking for. You can also post the items you don’t need for players who are desperately searching for what you’ve got!

Don’t Need It? Put It Up For Auction!
Nearly everything found in the game, including gold, can be exchanged with other players directly or through the auction house system. So say you’re a witch doctor and you’ve just found an incredibly rare, incredibly powerful axe that only barbarians can use. In the previous Diablo games your best option might have been to sell the axe to an in-game vendor, but in Diablo III, you now have the ability to list that axe in the auction house for your fellow barbarian players to bid on. And you know another player will probably appreciate the true value of that axe more than some heartless vendor who’ll likely just melt it down for scrap….

Amazing Search Functionality
The auction house’s "smart search" functionality can automatically sort items in the auction house based on which upgrades would be most beneficial to your character. Also, searching for the best gear for multiple characters on the same Battle.net account can be done all from the same interface without having to log out.

The Choice Is Yours
Use of either the real-money or gold-based auction house is completely optional -- that decision can be made on a per-item basis, and both versions of the auction house are functionally the same. In addition, players have the option to simply sell the items they obtain to in-game vendors for gold. They can also trade items to other players through a direct character-to-character trading system in the game in exchange for gold, other items, or just an overwhelming sense of goodwill.

Players Only
Blizzard does not plan to post items for sale in the auction house. The driving purpose of the auction house is to provide players with a fun additional in-game option for what they do with the items they obtain in the game. Items sold in the auction house will be posted by players and purchased by players.

Safe and Sanctified
The real-money auction house provides players with an easy-to-use, Blizzard-sanctioned way to collect money for items they obtain while playing Diablo III. It also helps protect players from the scams and theft often associated with questionable third-party sites by providing a secure, completely in-game method for purchasing and obtaining the items they want for their characters.

Faster Than A Seven-Sided Strike
Sellers can post items for auction from any of the Diablo III characters on their Battle.net account, or from their shared stash (extra inventory space accessible with any of the characters on their account), without logging out. And after a buyer has won an auction, the item will become immediately available to be equipped and put to good use in the ongoing struggle against the forces of the Burning Hells.

Diablo 3 Auction House - FAQ
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
What is the Diablo III auction house system?
Acquiring epic new gear for your characters has always been a big part of the Diablo experience. Because of this, players have found a number of different ways to trade and otherwise obtain items both within and outside of the game. Many of these methods were inconvenient and either tedious (for example, repeatedly advertising for a desired trade in Battle.net chat channels and waiting for responses) or unsafe (e.g., giving credit card information to third-party trading sites). With Diablo III, we’re introducing a powerful auction house system that will provide a safe, fun, and easy-to-use way for players to buy and sell the loot they find in the game, such as weapons, armor, and runestones. Two different versions of the auction house will be available in Diablo III: one based on in-game gold, which players acquire through their adventures, and one based on real-world currency.

What’s the difference between the gold-based auction house and the currency-based auction house?
The gold-based auction house uses in-game gold for purchases and sales. With the currency-based auction house, players will be able to conduct these transactions using actual currency from an authorized payment method or from funds that have been added to their Battle.net account. Players can choose to participate in whichever version of the auction house they prefer, on a per-transaction basis.

How does the auction house system work?
Players can open the auction house interface from anywhere in the game to make purchases or list items for sale. Items can be sold from the shared stash (storage shared among all the characters on your Battle.net account) or from any individual character’s inventory. When posting the item, the seller picks whether it will be sold in the gold-based auction house or the currency-based auction house. The item is then held by the auction house system until the listing expires or a purchase is made. Items that are not sold are returned to the seller’s shared stash, and items that are sold are delivered to the winning bidder’s shared stash. In either case, the auction house system will deduct a nominal fixed transaction fee from the seller, the amount of which is determined by whether or not the item was sold (see below). For the currency-based auction house, players will have a few different options for how to pay for item purchases and receive funds for item sales, as discussed elsewhere in this FAQ. There may be differences in how this system will work in different regions of the world. We’ll provide further details at a later date.

How is the transaction fee determined?
A nominal fixed transaction fee will be deducted from the seller for each item listed in the auction house. This fee consists of a fixed charge to list the item, which is assessed whether or not the item is successfully sold, and an additional fixed charge that is assessed only if the item is sold. Because the listing portion of the fee is charged even if the item doesn’t sell, it will be in the seller’s interest to list items he or she believes other players will be interested in, and to do so at a competitive price. Specific details related to the transaction fee for the currency-based auction house will vary by region and will be announced at a later date.

Please note that we plan to waive the listing portion of the fee for a limited number of transactions per account. In other words, for these transactions, the seller will only pay a transaction fee if the item is successfully sold, and that fee will not include the listing charge. We’ll have further details on this as well at a later date.

Why are you creating a currency-based version of the auction house?
Our goal with all of our games is to ensure players have a highly enjoyable, rewarding, and secure experience. Acquiring items has always been an important part of the Diablo series, but the previous games have not had a robust, centralized system for facilitating trades, and as a result players have turned to inconvenient and potentially unsafe alternatives, such as third-party real-money-trading organizations. Many of the transactions between players and these organizations led to a poor player experience and countless customer-service issues involving scams and item/account theft, to name a few. To that end, we wanted to create a convenient, powerful, and fully integrated tool to meet the demand of players who wished to purchase or sell items for real-world currency, and who would likely have turned to a less-secure third-party service for this convenience.

How will the currency-based auction house work?
Players will be able to make purchases in the currency-based auction house using a registered form of payment attached to their Battle.net account. As with other popular online-purchase services, players will also have the option to charge up their Battle.net account with a balance of funds that can be drawn from for purchases of any digital product available through Battle.net -- this includes not only auction house items but also things like World of Warcraft subscription time and paid services, to name a few examples. On the flipside, when players sell an item in the currency-based auction house, the proceeds of the sale are deposited into their Battle.net account and can then be used as described above. Note that this process might be different for certain regions; we’ll provide further region-specific details as we get closer to launch.

Can players choose to get cash from currency-based auction house sales, instead of having the proceeds deposited into their Battle.net account?
Yes, as an advanced feature, players will have the option of attaching an account with an approved third-party payment service to their Battle.net account. Once this has been completed, proceeds from the sale of items in the currency-based auction house can be deposited into their third-party payment service account. “Cashing out” would then be handled through the third-party payment service. Note that this process will be subject to applicable fees charged by Blizzard and the third-party payment service. Also, any proceeds from the sale of items in the currency-based auction house that have been deposited into the Battle.net account will not be transferrable to the third-party payment service account. Not all regions will support this advanced feature at launch. Region-specific details, as well as details regarding which third-party payment services will be supported and the fee that Blizzard will charge for the cash-out process, will all be provided at a later date.

Is the currency-based version of the auction house optional?
Yes, the currency-based auction house is available as an option for players who wish to purchase or sell Diablo III items for real money. Players are also able to buy and sell items through the gold-based auction house, and they can trade items with each other as well through direct character-to-character in-game trading.

Why would I want to pay real money to buy or sell in-game items?
Acquiring items has always been a core part of the Diablo series' appeal. With the previous Diablo games, many players have shown a great interest in buying, selling, or exchanging items for their characters using real-world currency, turning to potentially unsafe avenues to accomplish this goal. The currency-based version of the auction house provides players with an easy-to-use, Blizzard-sanctioned way to collect money for items obtained while playing Diablo III. In addition, it helps protect players from scams and disreputable third-party sites by providing a secure, in-game method to search for and purchase items posted by other players that are a perfect fit for their character and play style.

The currency-based auction house is completely optional. Players who aren't interested in paying real money for items will still be able to rely on items they acquire through their own adventures, and they'll also be able to trade with friends and use the full-featured gold-based auction house.

Can I play on a server without a currency-based version of the auction house?
We want to provide a secure, fun environment for our players to purchase and sell in-game items using gold or real money and have no plans to divide the community. Players are free to participate in the gold-based auction house or the currency-based auction house, or to opt out of using any of the auction houses at all, progressing through Diablo III using only the items they obtain through their own adventures or direct trade with other players.

Does Blizzard plan to post weapons, armor, and other such items for sale in the currency-based version of the auction house?
The currency-based auction house is a place for players to purchase or sell items they’ve obtained within the game. Blizzard does not plan to post items that affect gameplay, such as gear or character-enhancing runestones, for sale in the auction house.

Will Blizzard sell anything directly through the auction house?
We don't have any plans at this time to post items for sale in the auction house.

Does the currency-based auction house signify a shift in Blizzard’s business and revenue model?
We’ve always tailored our business models to match what we’ve felt would be most appropriate and effective for each game and in each region, and that’s the case with Diablo III as well. The item-based nature of Diablo gameplay has always lent itself to an active trade-based ecosystem, and a significant part of this trade has been conducted through unsecure third-party organizations. This has led to numerous customer-service and game-experience issues that we’ve needed to account for. Our primary goal with the Diablo III auction house system is for it to serve as the foundation for a player-driven economy that’s safe, fun, and accessible for everyone.

What’s Blizzard’s cut?
As with other online auction sites and real-world auction houses, our fee structure will vary by region. However, we plan to collect a nominal fixed transaction fee for each item listed in the auction house. This fee consists of a fixed charge to list the item, which is assessed whether or not the item is successfully sold, and an additional fixed charge that is assessed only if the item is sold. The listing portion of the fee, which helps encourage sensible listing prices and discourage the mass posting of items that are very low quality or would be of little interest to other players, will be waived for a limited number of transactions per account. For players who opt to have the proceeds of their auction house sales go to their third-party payment service account instead of to their Battle.net account, Blizzard will collect a separate “cash-out” fee. Specific details regarding these fees will be announced at a later date.

Why would I even want to use the gold-based auction house?
We recognize that not all players would prefer or have the means to participate in the currency-based auction house, and it was important to us to provide these players with a full-featured alternative.

Can we buy gold from the currency-based auction house?
Players will be able to buy and sell gold through the currency-based auction house at whatever the current market price is, as established by the player community.

If I no longer need an item I bought in the auction house, can I relist it in the auction house?
Yes. Once you've purchased an item you can do anything with it that you could if you had acquired it through your own adventures, whether that be using it yourself, or, after a cool-down period, trading it to another character or relisting it on either the gold-based or currency-based auction house. In fact, you can generally do any combination of these things -- for example, you can purchase an item in the auction house, use it for a while, and then relist it or trade it to another character. Aside from certain quest items, there will be very few (if any) items that will be “soulbound” to your character and therefore untradable. Please note that the duration of the cool-down period mentioned above will be discussed at a later date.


AUCTION HOUSE FUNCTIONALITY

What items can be traded in Diablo III?
Nearly everything that drops on the ground, including gold, can be traded with other players directly or through the auction house system. Aside from certain quest items, there will be very few (if any) items that will be “soulbound” to your character and therefore untradable. We are also planning to allow players to buy and sell characters in the auction house at some point in the future and will have more details to share on that at a later date.

What is "smart searching"?
When players launch the auction house interface, they’ll be able to select any Diablo III character associated with their Battle.net account. The "smart search" feature will assess which item slots have available upgrades and will sort items available in the auction house based on which upgrades would be most beneficial to the character. You can also search for specific stats to match the requirements of a particular character build.

How does bidding work?
Players will be able to place a current bid as well as a maximum bid if they wish to engage in automatic bidding. In addition, they’ll be able to check the status of their bids on the "Currently Winning" page and the "Outbid" page in the auction house interface.

Can I buyout items that I want to purchase immediately?
Yes, the Diablo III auction houses will support a buyout feature as well as standard bids.

How do I pay for items?
For the gold-based auction house, purchases will be made using in-game gold. For the currency-based auction house, players can make purchases using a registered form of payment attached to their Battle.net account. As with other popular online-purchase services, players will also have the option to charge up their Battle.net account with a balance of funds that can be drawn from for purchasing items in the currency-based auction house. Note that this process might be different for certain regions; we’ll provide further region-specific details as we get closer to launch.

How do I receive the items I’ve won?
After winning an auction, the item will be available to pick up through the built-in auction house interface in the Diablo III client. Players will then be able to immediately send that item to their shared stash (storage shared among all the characters on a Battle.net account) or repost the item in the auction house after a cool-down period. The duration of the cool-down period will be discussed at a later date.

How do I sell items?
From the auction house interface, players will be able to select items from their shared stash or from a specific character's inventory. They will then be able to post items for sale by listing a starting bid and buyout price.

How do I cash out from the currency-based auction house?
As an advanced feature, players will have the option of attaching an account with an approved third-party payment service to their Battle.net account. Once this has been completed, proceeds from the sale of items in the currency-based auction house can be deposited into their third-party payment service account. “Cashing out” would then be handled through the third-party payment service. Note that this process will be subject to applicable fees charged by Blizzard and the third-party payment service. Also, any proceeds from the sale of items in the currency-based auction house that have been deposited into the Battle.net account will not be transferrable to the third-party payment service account. Not all regions will support this advanced feature at launch. Region-specific details, as well as details regarding which third-party payment services will be supported and the fee that Blizzard will charge for the cash-out process, will all be provided at a later date.

Will buying or selling items in the auction house reveal my identity?
No. All player transactions in the gold-based and currency-based auction houses will be anonymous, and neither your real name nor your character name will be revealed to other players.

Will there be a mobile or Web-based auction house?
We're always on the lookout for opportunities to enhance the game experience and keep our community connected to our games through the Web or mobile devices. However, we do not have any plans to share along those lines at this time.

When will this be available for testing?
We'll share more information on our auction house testing plans as we get closer to launch.


REGIONAL AUCTION HOUSE DETAILS

Which regions will have currency-based auction house support?
We plan to roll out the currency-based version of the auction house in as many regions as possible with the launch of Diablo III. In regions where the currency-based auction house will not be available, players will still have access to a gold-based auction house. We'll share more details in the future.

Will there be separate auction houses in each region? Will I be allowed to bid on items from players outside my own region?
Due to various factors, including technology, language, and currency, there will be multiple separate auction houses serving different player communities around the world. We’ll share specific details on how the auction houses will work for each region as we get closer to launch.

If I live in Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia, what server will I play Diablo III on?
As with StarCraft II, players who purchase the Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia version of Diablo III will have their own regional servers, offering lower latency and more action during peak hours. While we encourage players to play on these servers, we recognize that many have longstanding friendships with North American players and would like to continue playing with them. Because of this, we're again giving Australia/New Zealand/ Southeast Asia gamers access to both regions' servers so they can choose where they'd prefer to play.

How does this impact the items I have purchased in the auction house?
Auction house purchases are bound to the servers in the region in which they're bought. Any items acquired on the Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia servers, in-game or otherwise, are bound to those servers and are not transferrable to the North American servers (and vice versa). Please keep this in mind when making purchases in the auction house.

What currencies will be available? What currency will items in the auction house be viewed in? Can players purchase items using local credit cards or bank accounts?
Our goal is to make the auction house experience in each region as seamless as possible for players, and we are currently exploring various currency and payment options to help achieve that goal. We’ll provide further details as we get closer to launch.


AUCTION HOUSE GAMEPLAY ISSUES

Will I be able to use third-party mods to track auction prices?
For a variety of gameplay and security reasons, we will not be supporting bots or mods in Diablo III, and they’ll be expressly prohibited by our terms of use for the game.

Can Hardcore-mode characters use the currency-based auction house?
No. Hardcore characters will only have the option to buy and sell items together with other Hardcore characters via a separate "Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house; they will not be able to use the currency-based auction house. Hardcore mode is designed as an optional experience for players who enjoy the sense of constant peril that comes with the possibility of permanent death for a character. All of a Hardcore character’s items are forever lost upon that character’s death, so to avoid the risk of a player spending real money on items that could then be permanently lost when the character dies, we decided restrict the use of the currency-based auction house in Hardcore mode.

If my character dies in Hardcore mode, will I lose the items that I purchased in the "Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house for that character?
Yes. Again, Hardcore-mode characters will only have access to a "Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house, not the currency-based auction house, and will not be able to trade with non-Hardcore characters. Hardcore is an optional mode designed for players who enjoy playing with the risk of permanently losing their character if the character dies, and that includes the items they acquired with that character.

Can I just buy the most powerful items and breeze through the game?
Items will be level-restricted, meaning your character won't be able to use an item until he or she is at the appropriate level for that item.


AUCTION HOUSE CUSTOMER SUPPORT

What happens if a player does not receive a purchased item?
The auction process is automated, but if a player purchases an item and for some reason does not receive it, he or she will be able to contact our customer service team to look into the issue.

What happens if there is a patch and the item I purchased is altered?
It's important for us to ensure that Diablo III remains balanced and fun for years after launch. To that end, it may be necessary to change stats or alter abilities of items from time to time. It’s very important to note that Blizzard will not be providing refunds or making other accommodations if a purchased item is later altered in a patch. Given this, it's up to players to determine whether they're comfortable purchasing items in the currency-based auction house.

Someone bought an item on my account without my permission. Can I get a refund?
Please note that account sharing will be forbidden in Diablo III's Terms of Use. In cases of compromise, our customer service team will look into the situation and determine the appropriate course of action.

I accidentally lost or dropped an item I just purchased -- can I get a refund?
No. After a purchase is made, players will be responsible for what they do with the item.

How will you address bots or cheaters?
We take cheating very seriously, and we've designed Diablo III and Battle.net to include measures to detect and prevent unfair play. In addition, we will have anti-cheating policies in place and will take action to address any issues as they arise.
This article was originally published in forum thread: Diablo 3 Auction House Announced - Spend and Earn Real Life Money! started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 1869 Comments
  1. ShiroRX's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by KrazyK923 View Post
    So you're reading every website talking about this, at the same time, and managing to successfully obtain a logical and true statistic based on what people are all saying, on every website?

    I have a video for you:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9go38MgZ4w8
    Unlike sarah palin, I can actually name what I'm reading.

    mmo-champ, twitter, kotaku, diablo@incgamers, diablofans.com, gamespot, 1up, blizz official forums

    i believe that's enough.
  1. Strakha's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by headies View Post
    i was actually excited for D3 to come out. Now, forget it. Blizzard has been extremely disapointing the past year or so. The in game auction house will attract big buisiness into the game as well as remove the spirit of real competition. He who has the money money wins.
    The principle of using money to get ahead of people is what bothers me, I don't really care how the profit is divided. The system of manufactured success through real money sales just makes it not that enticing. I will probably play D3 with some close friends just for the story/lulz of co-op multiplayer, but I don't even think at this rate it will be better than the original Dungeon Siege in terms of immersion.
  1. mmoc5aaba10aed's Avatar
    People seam to think there going to make alot off money off this But LOL to them just think every one is thinking the same as u are hmmm i got all these items I will sell them then u have hundreds of the same items on Ah now i wonder what will happen oh yes Undercutting.

    Ok maybe ONE rare or two rare items might show up But more people will be pting stuff on the Ah than buying it also with Tax depending were u live blizzard % and then 3rd party taking some action i don't think people will be making as much as they think they will i mean items are likw $0.50 with taz and charges is it worth it,

    And here is the other thing Nice items drops do i

    1. give to my m8 to upgrade his gear
    2. keep it and sell it for cash

    I see no co op in that tbh
  1. Dragonwing's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ShiroRX View Post
    Unlike sarah palin, I can actually name what I'm reading.

    mmo-champ, twitter, kotaku, diablo@incgamers, diablofans.com, gamespot, 1up, blizz official forums

    i believe that's enough.
    Congrats, you are reading the works of a bunch of angry forum posters who have no clue as to what they are posting about.
  1. Redici's Avatar
    i dont think people are seeing this right, people who are willing to spend money will do so and thoes of us who do not will not have to if we dont want to, easy as that.
  1. ShiroRX's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Borgoth View Post
    to ShiroRX: Since you're here actively and seem to be strongly against this, perhaps you have a better idea than this AH? The people here defending the new AH have stated over and over again, that if there's no Blizzard AH running on money, there will be a third party website selling them anyway. So, direct question to you personally: do you think the third party item&gold sales would be better than Blizzard money AH, or do you have some better alternative?
    Soulbind everything.
  1. Vespian's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonwing View Post
    Ill repeat myself;

    If only you could buy items with in game gold or have them drop instead. OWAIT.

    + Looking at the prices...$5 per item? Lol. Don't mean to be offensive to anyone, but if you are so dead broke you cant afford the items, should you want to buy them, you shouldnt be buying games. Not that you are being FORCED to by the items anyway, like a lot of the people here think.
    But it won't stay at $5 either Think big.
  1. Baron01's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by gruyaka View Post
    • Player A buys Diablo 3, installs it, and plays it without ever buying anything from players.

    • Player B buys Diablo 3, installs it, and plays it while buying epics and rares from players using gold he earned in-game.

    • Player C buys Diablo 3, installs it, and plays it while buying epics and rares from players using his credit card.

    Player A will accumulate gear slower than Player C simply because he is poorer. Not only is he poorer in real life but now he is constantly reminded of being poor in a game that he plays to escape being poor. Lawl
    Are you really that stupid you derive such a conclusion from just the fact somebody is not spending real money to obtain in-game advantage? You have also ignored player B who just does not fit into your little scheme. What is preventing player A using game gold to buy stuff he needs? Right, well thought argument you have there.

    While it is no concern to you, I have yet to spend single EUR on top of monthly fee in my 5 years of playing WoW. Yet, I'm not poor, not in game nor in real life. I own a flat, a car, a dog and few other amenities that certainly does not fit "poor" definition.
  1. Papabull's Avatar
    If everyone is so "hardcore" about the game then this should end the thread.

    Can Hardcore-mode characters use the currency based AH?
    No. Hardcore characters will only have the option to buy and sell items together with other Hardcore characters via a separate "Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house; they will not be able to use the currency-based auction house. Hardcore mode is designed as an optional experience for players who enjoy the sense of constant peril that comes with the possibility of permanent death for a character. All of a Hardcore character’s items are forever lost upon that character’s death, so to avoid the risk of a player spending real money on items that could then be permanently lost when the character dies, we decided restrict the use of the currency-based auction house in Hardcore mode.
  1. ShiroRX's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonwing View Post
    Congrats, you are reading the works of a bunch of angry forum posters who have no clue as to what they are posting about.
    And you're correct because you oppose them? Even if you're in a vast minority?
  1. Weenietot's Avatar
    I'm not crazy about this. I won't join in with the 'DURR CANCEL PREORDER" crew but I can't be happy about it. While it is optional and I understand this is solely a player driven (e.g. not Blizzard driven) economy, bringing real money into the mix seems like a bad idea. Specifically that hackers, who already have plenty of systems in place to try and snag b.net accounts, now also get the bonus of emptying bank accounts, both b.net and real ones if they come across a D3 account that plays in the real money AH. From a strictly player perspective, seeing how many people play the WoW AH like a stock market leads me to believe that the D3 AH will be played harder as real money is involved. I just don't think it's the best idea for the D3 playing community (even if it is fantastic for Blizz). Of course, the day I get a drop I sell for $100 real dollars, my tune will probably change.
  1. Sunshine's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ShiroRX View Post
    And you're correct because you oppose them? Even if you're in a vast minority?
    Vast minority? Let's not exaggerate for the purpose of provoking an argument, please.
  1. KrazyK923's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ShiroRX View Post
    And you're correct because you oppose them? Even if you're in a vast minority?
    *Goes to post on his six different accounts about how he like this idea*

    Am I changing the statistic yet?

    Vast minority? Let's not exaggerate for the purpose of provoking an argument, please.
    That's all that he's doing. In a discussion based on opinions, he's the person to jump in and say: 'EVERYTHING I SAY IS CORRECT AND IT IS CORRECT BECAUSE I SAY SO'
  1. wigg1es's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonwing View Post
    + Looking at the prices...$5 per item? Lol. Don't mean to be offensive to anyone, but if you are so dead broke you cant afford the items, should you want to buy them, you shouldnt be buying games. Not that you are being FORCED to by the items anyway, like a lot of the people here think.
    Because a marketing picture will realistically reflect what the real prices of items are going to be, right?

    You can't possibly be that stupid. Expect to be paying $50+ for anything worth half a crap.
  1. mmoce18e486643's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by eurobank View Post
    Makes you think...
    yes it does indeed I agree
  1. Borgoth's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by headies View Post
    i was actually excited for D3 to come out. Now, forget it. Blizzard has been extremely disapointing the past year or so. The in game auction house will attract big buisiness into the game as well as remove the spirit of real competition. He who has the money money wins.
    Define winning in Diablo?
    Let's see... purpose of the game? To have fun.
    I bought all the best items with money. Am I having more fun now? Hmm... no, actually I'm having no fun at all because I have no chance of getting new loot.

    If there was something in Diablo that you could 'win' with better gear, you could buy it from other players or third party websites anyway. Saw someone with a legendary sword you really want? Try offering him $50000 for his account and I'm sure it's yours. Then trade the item to your char. Blizzard AH isn't needed to buy stuff. It just makes it safer for you to pay that $50000 and actually get the sword you wanted without risk of getting scammed.
  1. probert's Avatar
    Anyone who ever wondered whether Kotick would actually be able to influence Blizzard can use this as their ultimate example.

    Anyone who wondered whether Blizzard was still the company of their youth, now no longer needs to question when they lost their way.

    As Rock/Paper/Shotgun puts it, your children will ask you "where were you when the war began, daddy?".

    Diablo 3 just came off the purchase list. Guildwars 2, Torchlight 2, and ...god, maybe even SW:TOR if it doesn't totally suck.
  1. Elhaym's Avatar
    Congrats, you are reading the works of a bunch of angry forum posters who have no clue as to what they are posting about.
    Yeah... They decide if they want to smoke, drink, have unprotected sex, what job they want, where to go to college, and a myriad other things BUT as soon as they have a view dissenting from yours it's clear that they can't possibly be making informed decisions. THE ONLY CONCLUSION MUST BE THAT THEY ONLY READ THE TITLE OF THE THREAD, AMIRITE??????
  1. YankeePhan1234's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Papabull View Post
    If everyone is so "hardcore" about the game then this should end the thread.

    Can Hardcore-mode characters use the currency based AH?
    No. Hardcore characters will only have the option to buy and sell items together with other Hardcore characters via a separate "Hardcore-only" gold-based auction house; they will not be able to use the currency-based auction house. Hardcore mode is designed as an optional experience for players who enjoy the sense of constant peril that comes with the possibility of permanent death for a character. All of a Hardcore character’s items are forever lost upon that character’s death, so to avoid the risk of a player spending real money on items that could then be permanently lost when the character dies, we decided restrict the use of the currency-based auction house in Hardcore mode.
    Right so a choice to lose everything when I die? No thanks...
  1. Duster505's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Tiptoes View Post
    Why are people complaining about this? The same people who are going to buy shit are the people who would buy gold or characters in WoW or other games and have an advantage because of that anyways. One way that blizzard might stop the I have money = I have better gear than you, is to make certain high level gear BoP like in wow with a few epic pieces BoE with very very low drop rate. If somebody wants to spend money on something at least its going to other players and not illegal 3rd party services.
    You do not understand the fact that by doing this in Diablo Blizzard is in a way saying that selling stuff for real life money is acceptable in gaming. Not just Diablo but every single of their game. In fact.. not only in their games but all games.


    First off. Many countries have laws that ban selling virtual items for real life money. There is a reason for that. Its called slavery.

    Second. The item and goldsellers will not be using the ingame AH to trade items. Infact - virtual item shops will pop up all over the internet (its no longer illegal or Blizzard would be showing double standards) offering cheaper items by the ammount that Blizzard would be getting if the trade was in AH.

Site Navigation