The story of the week for the last seven days comes by way of the news coming out of Blizzard regarding the Real-World Money Auction House that's going to be making its way into Diablo 3 when the highly anticipated title hits the shelves. What repercussions will the MMO industry see from Blizzard's decision to go this route? That's what we take a look at this week in our Story of the Week

As we reported and pontificated on already, Blizzard announced this week that Diablo 3 will launch with a real-money auction house where players can hawk their goods for real world money. Let’s put aside the fact that the game will also force users to be connected to Battle.net to play (even solo), and instead focus on the very big story that Diablo 3 will allow item-farmers to sell their rares and valuables for cold hard cash. In the words of Ron Burgundy, it’s “kind of a big deal.”

Read more of The Story of the Week: Blizzard Grabs for Cash.

I have mixed feelings about this.  Ultimately, I think it will succeed though.

bots and exploiters paradise

What's to stop people in the videogame 'black market' from setting up a Craigslist-style item-selling site to bypass the fees sanctioned by the in-game AH? This is just my opinion, but I don't think Blizzard has all their bases covered when it comes to trying to curb outside sales of items. People, invariably, will work to find their way to cheaper venues. If someone offers a model that functions well enough that others can replicate, I think Blizzard will have their hands full trying to shut it down.

THis is a money grab...

They could have easily just added a auction style system using in game currency. 

Which would have been amazing... instead they go the greedy route as if Diablo 3 isnt going to sell 5 million copies the first year.

I quit Lineage 2 for the very same reason. Farmers simply camped and owned places where best items (and most expensive) dropped so they could sell them on Ebay.

What will prevent farmers now to camp places like that to collect all the best items and sell them regulary (this time) on market. And believe me, there is no guild that can fight off these farmers as I'm talking about 100+ organised people who work for their *BOSS* in some shady place.

People will buy the game. Firstly because it Blizzard and secondly because its probably good.

But once  realising they cant get items they want simply because of farmers, unless they say hello to the little thing called Mastercard or Visa. Rage quit is inevitable.

Blizzard, wake up! You are going the wrong way! Billions aren't good enough for you? You want trillions?

it's not a grab for cash. it's an Blizzard's attempt to control the market that is built on their own effort. as i really can't see a way to remove item economy from Diablo, it's just a path of lesser evil.

personally, i'm more annoyed by "online play only", but then again i don't have to play itl, so... meh. to be honest, unless gameplay is changed to something else than point-and-click, i don't really want to play it, either.

I'm very curious how this is going to play out. If it goes well we will see a huge shift in the market. If it doesn't, the Throne of Gaming might by up for grabs by another company.

I posted this elsewhere, but the same holds true after reading Joystiq.

The irony here is that "Gold Sellers" were once the bane of a gaming worlds’ economy and virtual-goods pursuit. Studios gave the impression of coming out in-force to squash them as often as possible.

However, now Blizzard has turned everyone into gold sellers; now with Diablo III.

http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/the-lawbringer-qanda-on-diablos-real-money-auction-house/

Originally posted by Benthon

I'm very curious how this is going to play out. If it goes well we will see a huge shift in the market. If it doesn't, the Throne of Gaming might by up for grabs by another company.

 I have to agree here. no matter the outcome this will evolve online games. one way or another. I wont buy D3 as I havent played a game like that since Baldur's Gate but I'll watch the unfolding drama :)

Blizzard, er *cough cough* (Activision) can kiss my left nut!

FFS there is like ten or more threads about it already....

if this system is a la guild wars .what is avail in ah can be had relativly easy through grinding it will be ok .but if the item is almost impossible to get ,player will just leave the game cause it will be another version of the already crowded style p2w

Has everyone forgotten about SoE's own attempt at this with the Bazaar/Vox servers on EQ2?

Here is a quick look at some of the stuff forsale using SoE's livegamer sales site.

Lvl	Name	Class	Race	Artisan ()	Bid()	Buy Now!	Time Left	Server
90	Renaultx	Paladin		(9)	$80.25 (2)	$200.00	1d 2h 32m	The Bazaar
54	Thaeran	Warden		(51)	$10.25 (2)	$50.00	1d 2h 1m	The Bazaar
90	Brainwaves	Conjuror		(90)	$10.00 (1)	$88.00	2d 16h 4m	The Bazaar
90	Excom	Inquisitor		(9)	$55.00 (1)	$200.00	1d 2h 34m	The Bazaar

	Name	Min Lvl	Slot	Bid()	Buy Now!	Time Left	Server
	Specialist's Elixir of Thorns	82	Charm	$2.00 (0)	$2.00	1d 3h 35m	Vox

Now this is only live on 2 servers, it did cause a bit of fuss when it went live but it never got pushed out to the other servers.

This is worse than a Korean "F2P"..it is our very own pay to win,cold,straight out..

And because it is Blizzard,people will still buy it..just have a look at the comments here.."im not sure about it"..if people dont get it,they deserve it coming to them..those that do,dont buy the game,at all,only meaningful way of expressing your disapproval. Trying to imagine my son/daughter asking me if its alright to connect my account to this 'game',cause they 'need' it to play..and people are still "not sure"..human nature at its finest ;p

In the past I would refuse to believe that when people would tell me that Blizz are not against bots and gold trolls. Now I believe with all my heart that they made a deal with the devil lol no pun intended. Now they are EMBRACING botting and gold trolls. I think Blizz and Activision just crossed a path and are now going to be responsible to children all across the world in saying GREED is good.

I just loss some respect for Blizz I have left WoW and now I will refuse to play Diablo 3.

Chinese farmers will be the only people to profit from this(aside from Blizzard).

I'm sure some people are thinking they will hawk their wares. No you won't, because the Chinese farmers who have an army that farm crap 24/7 will drive prices so low you won't be willing to grind for a few dollars an hour.

One of the worst ideas ever.

this idea is targetted at gambler!it is that simple!compulsive buy is big business