Originally Posted by
Nocuous
From a business/legal perspective I think whoever pulled the trigger on the RMAH idea should be fired. Even though players sign a TOS agreement, I think Blizzard has opened itself up a slew of issues that a TOS cannot address or provide adequate protection for. Just because you list something in your TOS and players agree to it, doesn't mean that the IRS/Government is going to play along with it and absolve you of all wrong doing.
I am accountant and in my job I have to be extremely careful at how we handle certain issues related to payments to individuals and corresponding tax implications. Most accountants, or people that have had tax issues involving the IRS, know that the IRS is not an entity you want to mess with. They can indescriminately clean out your bank accounts, seize assets, garnish wages, etc., etc., etc. IRS = GOD on earth. If someone makes $600 or more a year through Blizzard, Blizzard must report this to the IRS and to the individual (Form 1099). If paypal is doing this on that for Blizzard, the 15% makes sense. What about the Battlenet side? The IRS does not allow you to pass on your responsibilities of reporting to the individual.
I also think they have opened themselves up to lawsuits/investigations resulting from "patching" the game. If they nerf/buff stats, doesn't this affect the prices/value for gear on the RMAH? I can't help but feel they have built a way into D3 for the developers to fleece down the players. What if a developer is able to "make" gear with any stats they want and then sell it for huge profits on the AH? What if employees knows about game changes prior to the public knowing? Isn't it essentially equal to "insider trading" if an employee dumps gear with impending nerfed stats on the RMAH at inflated prices or buys gear with implending buffed stats at discounts prior to the changes being announced to the public? How is Blizzard going to monitor any of this?
Blizzard needs to quit trying to be something they are not and should get back to what they used to be good at...making games.