Battle.net Auction House Announced, Exchange In-Game Diablo III Loot for Real Cash
by Mike Bendel on August 1, 2011 @ 11:29 am
The loot-centric nature of the Diablo franchise has always attracted a sizable black market. Items for Diablo II can be purchased off auction sites, despite the practice being forbidden under Battle.net’s rulebook.
With Diablo III, Blizzard is tackling the issue directly, opening its own official auction house to discourage third-party sales. Players can exchange loot for real cash or Battle.net credits, which can be used to purchase other items, WoW subscriptions, and so forth. There’s a mutual benefit as those that cash out are subject to listing and transaction fees, which is a plus for Blizzard.
A notable point is those that want real cash need to cash out at the time of sale. As only non-transferable Battle.net credits can be stored, it’s not possible to amass funds then transfer out in one lump sum. In this sense, Blizzard avoids regulations that banking institutions have to abide by.
It’s an interesting way of regulating the loot market to be sure.
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Read more: Blizzard Puts Real Money Auction House for Diablo 3 On Indefinite Hold, Clarifies Security Concerns, Diablo 3 Sets Launch Records, Shifts More Than 4.7 Million Copies on Day One, Blizzard: Mods A Terms of Service Violation In Diablo III, Diablo III Artisans Revealed in New Video, Blizzard Acquires Diablo Fan Site
