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Are Blizzard looking for a slice from the $3 Billion currency transaction market

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  • TorikTorik Member UncommonPosts: 2,342

    Originally posted by Creslin321

    Look at WoW...the whole game is built off of accomplishment, especially the end-game.  It's all about raiding enough times to get that uber item, or gaining enough IN GAME gold to purchase it.  When you get that item, you feel proud.  You actually accomplished something, and now you will perform better because of it.  You will also be more desirable for other players to group with because of this.

    Now imagine that you can just buy whatever you want with real money.  So instead of raiding for weeks on end to get your uber items, you can just shell out $40 and have them in a hot minute!  This completely TRIVIALIZES the accomplishments of the people that actually WORKED for their items.  After all, those items they raided months for could have just been instantly bought for $40.  What's the point of even trying at that point?  May as well just shell out the dough or, even better, not even bother playing (my personal choice).

    I find this way of thinking to be rather pathetic and a major failure of WoW and Blizzard for fostering it.  It creates a toxic atmosphere in the game and trivializes people's skill and accomplishments to shiny 'epeen' items. 

    It's the equivalent that the accomplishment of an Olympic medal winner is trivialized because people can buy replica Olympic medals.  Similarly noone is going to mistake you for Michael Phelps just because you have one of his medals or his swimming trunks.

    I abhor the concept of 'working for your items'.  The items are bits of data that can be duplicated with a few keystrokes by the devs and GMs.  Only idiots 'work for the items'.  What you really should be working for is the actual accomplishment of raising your skill high enough to beat the challenge.   And you should have fun doing so. 

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by cheyane

    Can I play this by myself online or with a friend and not take part in this aspect of the game. This only involves the ladder thing right so if I am not interested in PvP and only want to play the story and go on and play with a couple of friends will I be affected by this real money auction thing ?

    you must be online w battlenet

    but you can still play solo or with friends and ignore the auction house features

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Diablo-3-Rob-Pardo-Auction-House-DRM-Battle.net,13154.html

  • servedoggservedogg Member Posts: 105

    Originally posted by Torik

    Originally posted by Creslin321

    Look at WoW...the whole game is built off of accomplishment, especially the end-game.  It's all about raiding enough times to get that uber item, or gaining enough IN GAME gold to purchase it.  When you get that item, you feel proud.  You actually accomplished something, and now you will perform better because of it.  You will also be more desirable for other players to group with because of this.

    Now imagine that you can just buy whatever you want with real money.  So instead of raiding for weeks on end to get your uber items, you can just shell out $40 and have them in a hot minute!  This completely TRIVIALIZES the accomplishments of the people that actually WORKED for their items.  After all, those items they raided months for could have just been instantly bought for $40.  What's the point of even trying at that point?  May as well just shell out the dough or, even better, not even bother playing (my personal choice).

    I find this way of thinking to be rather pathetic and a major failure of WoW and Blizzard for fostering it.  It creates a toxic atmosphere in the game and trivializes people's skill and accomplishments to shiny 'epeen' items. 

    It's the equivalent that the accomplishment of an Olympic medal winner is trivialized because people can buy replica Olympic medals.  Similarly noone is going to mistake you for Michael Phelps just because you have one of his medals or his swimming trunks.

    I abhor the concept of 'working for your items'.  The items are bits of data that can be duplicated with a few keystrokes by the devs and GMs.  Only idiots 'work for the items'.  What you really should be working for is the actual accomplishment of raising your skill high enough to beat the challenge.   And you should have fun doing so. 

    I agree with this completely.  Furthermore, I find it rather pathetic that people think a game wont be fun if another person can get the same item as them.  The game itself is the fun part!  Just play it and have fun and stop worrying so much about what others are doing.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    Originally posted by servedogg

    I find it rather pathetic that people think a game wont be fun if another person can get the same item as them.  The game itself is the fun part!  Just play it and have fun and stop worrying so much about what others are doing.

    RMT has been a can of worms forever in mmos

    the irritation it causes among players is not as simple as "dont mind what others are doing"

     

    if blizzard didnt think players cared about RMT

    --Blizzard would be selling gear direct to players and not just pets/mounts

  • cheyanecheyane Member LegendaryPosts: 9,100

    Thanks for the clarification got me scared there I really will not spend real money for in game items and that worry was eased.

    Chamber of Chains
  • IllyssiaIllyssia Member UncommonPosts: 1,507

    Will be a situation similar to the current currency transaction market...you can look away and not get involved, but many may be dipping in.

  • UnlightUnlight Member Posts: 2,540

    Originally posted by htiger23

    Originally posted by CalmOceans

    Good lord, after watching Totabisquit. you need to pay money before you can sell an item in Diablo III....so if your item expires after like 2 days, and doesn't get sold, it goes away and you just lost all your money to Blizzard.

    So you can actually lose money on this game without buying anything.

    That's quite.. horrible lol.

    You do realize that there is still a normal auction house, right?

    Adding a real money auction house literally does nothing to the game for those that don't want to use it.  They aren't selling items...

    Also, I highly doubt that Blizzard would take away your item if it fails to sell.  Do you honestly believe that a company would intentionally shoot themselves in the foot by pissing off customers like that?

    Who's going to use the normal auction house when there's nothing but trash drops on it?  Anything of any rarity and value is going to be sold for real money.  Why sell something for virtual gold when you can sell it for cold hard cash instead?  Doesn't the RMT service pretty much nullify the in-game one?  You're only real choice then is to farm yourself or pony up your credit card.  Unless there's some barrier to posting an item for real money, the in-game auction service may as well not even exist.

    And what about the value of gold in the game.  Will it have any worth if you can't use it to purchase anything because the good stuff requires a real money transaction?

    The game becomes a business, not just for the company making it, but for the players playing it. 

    Win?

  • VengeSunsoarVengeSunsoar Member EpicPosts: 6,601

    Well lets use WoW's color scheme as the example.  Green and blue's and not trash items however I doubt many people would pay RL cash for these items, I know I certainly wouldn't.  I think most would only pay for the truely rare items, purples and beyond, or gold. 

    That means that the greens and blues would do better being sold for in game gold on the normal auction house.

    Venge

    Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
  • UnlightUnlight Member Posts: 2,540

    Here's a little irony that I just thought about.

    Who will profit the most by Blizz/Act approved RMT transactions (besides B/A themselves):  the standard player who spends a couple of hours on average every night playing the game, or the asian gold selling outfits (they'll need a new appellation) who throw dozens of "employees" at the game in 18 hour stretches, 24/7/365-we-never-close-we-take-no-holidays?  It sounds like the filth that have always profited from illicit RMTs will continue to due so, they'll just need to factor in the expense of a Blizz/Act tax.

    But I suppose that protecting the stupid and reckless from themselves by filtering transactions through a safe auction system outweighs all other considerations.  After all, people who buy gold and get their identities stolen really didn't have it coming.  I mean, how could the possibly know?

  • servedoggservedogg Member Posts: 105

    Originally posted by Unlight

    Here's a little irony that I just thought about.

    Who will profit the most by Blizz/Act approved RMT transactions (besides B/A themselves):  the standard player who spends a couple of hours on average every night playing the game, or the asian gold selling outfits (they'll need a new appellation) who throw dozens of "employees" at the game in 18 hour stretches, 24/7/365-we-never-close-we-take-no-holidays?  It sounds like the filth that have always profited from illicit RMTs will continue to due so, they'll just need to factor in the expense of a Blizz/Act tax.

    But I suppose that protecting the stupid and reckless from themselves by filtering transactions through a safe auction system outweighs all other considerations.  After all, people who buy gold and get their identities stolen really didn't have it coming.  I mean, how could the possibly know?

    So what your saying is everyone wins.  Blizzard makes money, RMTs make money minus the fees going to Blizzard, and gamers have a safer environment to buy and trade items.  Sounds pretty amazing to me.

  • IllyssiaIllyssia Member UncommonPosts: 1,507

    Except it makes online gaming more expensive for people as not only do they buy the game, but a significant number will head to the auction cash house to get a better game experience.

  • servedoggservedogg Member Posts: 105

    Originally posted by Illyssia

    Except it makes online gaming more expensive for people as not only do they buy the game, but a significant number will head to the auction cash house to get a better game experience.

    I plan to use the RMAH, but I wont be putting any extra money in.  You can start listing items for free, then use those proceeds to list more items in the future, so as long as your AH spending is always less than your sales there is absolutely no need to ever use real money even on the RMAH.  So only the people that choose to spend real money will.  The average player can still use the market without paying a dime.

  • ChilliesauceChilliesauce Member Posts: 559

    Originally posted by Illyssia

    Except it makes online gaming more expensive for people as not only do they buy the game, but a significant number will head to the auction cash house to get a better game experience.

    I disagree. People who are going to spend real life cash in auction house wouldn't care  for the 'expenses'. Only those who have extra money to burn will go straight to AH. For rest, they can play and use AH to generate income and not spend a penny of real life money to buy anything.

    image

  • TorikTorik Member UncommonPosts: 2,342

    Originally posted by Illyssia

    Except it makes online gaming more expensive for people as not only do they buy the game, but a significant number will head to the auction cash house to get a better game experience.

    This issue wholly depends on how the game is designed. 

    Diablo 2 was completely playable without ever trading for any items and you could complete the game with just the items you yourself received.

    If the game forces players to get certain rare gear before attemping content than you have an issue since people who are unwilling to spend real money on virtual gear will be locked out of parts of the game.

  • crazynannycrazynanny Member Posts: 173

    Blizzard scenarios:(warning! some irony ahead, sort of sense of humor required to proceed)


    1. Blizz: we go with bind on pickup items to stop RMT.
    Players: Why U makin WoW clone blizz, You greedy bastards, we want diablo not horde and alliance /ragequit


    2. Blizz: we go with oldschool diablo and we'll fight RMT and spent tons of $$$ on GMs(to ban) and support(to restore hacked ppl) cuz we're charity.
    Players: Why U let ppl buy items and not ban them, U should monitor Ebay 24/7. And what's with all item/gold spam? And wtf I got hacked(cuz I buyed stuff from RMT but won't admit it evah), U has no security. /ragequit


    3. Blizz: we go with oldschool diablo but don't care about RMT
    Players: Argh U blizz get cash from those RMTs, I saw one gold farmer and he still plays and spam and that other guy I lost PvP to haz bought his toon for sure. You are with them from start. Traitorz!!11 /ragequit


    4.Blizz: we go with real $$$ AH so we can haz more $$$ and You can have some too, who carez about PvP and rich nerds, it's for fun after all, no real gamerz will buy stuff, right?
    Players: Why U blizz are so greedy and wtf with sellin itemz in cash shop. That guy in Iml33t lobby room haz 3 best itemz it ruined my gameplay /ragequit


    In all seriousness - this isn't MMO. It's lobby game. If You aren't into PvP RMAH is only a win for You. You can ignore it 100% of time, or try to get some cash out some items. All this caring how someone plays his game in his lobby room is like caring that some people used hero editor in D2 to spawn gear and gold.

    The thing that I don't like is no offline mode, RMAH I couldn't care less about...

  • gtonimushagtonimusha Member UncommonPosts: 9

    Originally posted by Unlight

    Who will profit the most by Blizz/Act approved RMT transactions (besides B/A themselves):  the standard player who spends a couple of hours on average every night playing the game, or the asian gold selling outfits (they'll need a new appellation) who throw dozens of "employees" at the game in 18 hour stretches, 24/7/365-we-never-close-we-take-no-holidays?  It sounds like the filth that have always profited from illicit RMTs will continue to due so, they'll just need to factor in the expense of a Blizz/Act tax.

     

    I don't quite see your point there. Why can't we all look at these so-called "farmers" as players just like everyone else? True they make a living out of it, but that doesn't strip the fact that they are human and they play fairly as we do. Look at it this way, players enter games for different purposes, some for the sake of entertainment, some for their livings. Who are we to judge what their intentions are...

  • TheLizardbonesTheLizardbones Member CommonPosts: 10,910


    Originally posted by gtonimusha

    Originally posted by Unlight
    Who will profit the most by Blizz/Act approved RMT transactions (besides B/A themselves):  the standard player who spends a couple of hours on average every night playing the game, or the asian gold selling outfits (they'll need a new appellation) who throw dozens of "employees" at the game in 18 hour stretches, 24/7/365-we-never-close-we-take-no-holidays?  It sounds like the filth that have always profited from illicit RMTs will continue to due so, they'll just need to factor in the expense of a Blizz/Act tax.
     
    I don't quite see your point there. Why can't we all look at these so-called "farmers" as players just like everyone else? True they make a living out of it, but that doesn't strip the fact that they are human and they play fairly as we do. Look at it this way, players enter games for different purposes, some for the sake of entertainment, some for their livings. Who are we to judge what their intentions are...



    That's fine, right up until they force prisoners to do it, botting or hacking peoples' accounts to get more stuff to sell on the AH. Those are the things that make it damaging.

    I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.

  • servedoggservedogg Member Posts: 105

    Originally posted by lizardbones

     




    Originally posted by gtonimusha





    Originally posted by Unlight

    Who will profit the most by Blizz/Act approved RMT transactions (besides B/A themselves):  the standard player who spends a couple of hours on average every night playing the game, or the asian gold selling outfits (they'll need a new appellation) who throw dozens of "employees" at the game in 18 hour stretches, 24/7/365-we-never-close-we-take-no-holidays?  It sounds like the filth that have always profited from illicit RMTs will continue to due so, they'll just need to factor in the expense of a Blizz/Act tax.

     






    I don't quite see your point there. Why can't we all look at these so-called "farmers" as players just like everyone else? True they make a living out of it, but that doesn't strip the fact that they are human and they play fairly as we do. Look at it this way, players enter games for different purposes, some for the sake of entertainment, some for their livings. Who are we to judge what their intentions are...







    That's fine, right up until they force prisoners to do it, botting or hacking peoples' accounts to get more stuff to sell on the AH. Those are the things that make it damaging.

     

    It sounds like your not against the RMAH at all as long as account security and bot exploitation is handled well.  I would like to note that I think these are extremely important issues both with and without the RMAH.

    I guess we still need to learn more about account security and how Blizzard plans to protect its players from hacking and gutting accounts.  If they provide sufficient means of security and account recovery then I don't see the problem with having a real money marketplace. 

    Again, I don't think they have released enough information about the complexity of gameplay to know how prevalent botting will be.  I'm hoping they learned from D2 and will have measure in place to ensure that bots wont be as effective as they were in the past. 

  • SonofSethSonofSeth Member UncommonPosts: 1,884

    I'm too curious in how this will turn out to be worried. Every paradigm shift as huge as this is exciting.

     

    LEGALIZE IT!

    na na naaaa na  na na naaaa na  naaaa naaaa na  naaaa na

    image

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