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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