Diablo 3 - Creating a new use for virtual goods.

A artical on PC gamer back in august 2011 has revealed that the up coming title Diablo 3 will have a in-game auction house that allows players to sell the in-game virtual goods for real world cash allowing players to buy with real money and sell to gain real money. This will change how virtual goods are seen in the eyes of gamers because before most virtual goods are techinally worth nothing not even if they have been bought because they are virtual.



Above is a image shown in the artical, what is shown is what the virtual in game auction house which to me feels like a gamer version of ebay with players able to search for the items they are after and bid money on what they want to increase there satisfcation of the gameplay or potentially make more money off the item later.

Blizzard have said they will take a small flat rate cut to any item put onto the list and again once its sold, meaning although the players will be interchanging money they will inturn gain of profits out of the system. They have said that they will not be taking a percentage cut.

“We talked about this as a service we wanted to provide players, and not primarily as a financial model… we don’t know if it will make us money. It would be nice if it did, but as long as we don’t lose money, that’s really what we care about: that we provide the players with a great experience that doesn’t put us out of business.”

They talk about how its benefital for both types of players, the ones that have the time to play the game, explore and collect great items and the ones that dont but want the items and are willing to pay to achieve the same outcome as the ones that dont. They also mention about how it will also be fair as players will have level limits to what they can buy to stop level 1 players buying the best items from the beggining. unauthorised Third partys used to sell virtual items for real money in the older games of diablo usually being players selling there items on websites.

They also have allowed for players that dont want to be appart of the action system with a second auction house that only works with in-game credits 'gold' to allow players that spend there time playing to collect the currency.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/01/diablo-3-will-let-players-buy-and-sell-items-for-real-money/