2013-09-18



One of the main criticisms that Diablo III received when it released on PC last year was the inclusion of a real-money and in-game currency auction houses, which sucked away some of the rewarding loot grabbing action in favour of grinding for gold or simply whipping out your credit card to get the game’s rarest and greatest items. This system was not included in the recently released Diablo III for consoles, which could explain why people see this version as a much more rewarding experience.

And it’s not only gamers who have taken notice of this fact. Blizzard has now announced that both the real money and in-game currency auction houses will be shut down in March next year.

Blizzard production director John Hight spoke about the decision to shut down the auction house and what led to the decision.

“When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades.”

“But as we’ve mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo’s core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot. With that in mind, we want to let everyone know that we’ve decided to remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III.”

Hight concluded that the closing of the auction houses and the Loot 2.0 system that would make it’s debut with the upcoming expansion, Reaper of Souls, will result in a more rewarding experience for gamers.

He did also state that exact logistics surrounding this closure are still being finalised, and that the massive notice was just inform players that this change would take place in the near future in order to prepare them. So if you’re still in the market to buy some of Diablo III’s most powerful items, you may want to do so soon.

It’s a good move from Blizzard in my opinion. I just wish this step was taken months after Diablo III’s initial release, because it’s going to take more than this to encourage players to return.

The post Blizzard Is Finally Killing Diablo III Auction Houses appeared first on eGamer.

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