Most of you are convinced that Diablo III’s Real Money Auction House played a large part in ruining the game. The guy who designed your cherished Diablo and Diablo II thinks so too.
He believes the much maligned RMAH had “detrimental effects” on the whole game and its longevity.
“I think it had detrimental effects on gameplay throughout,” Diablo and Diablo 2 lead designer Stieg Hedlund told PCGamer of the auction house. “They did want to reserve a certain tier of loot for the auction house, and therefore it wasn’t dropping in the game with the kind of frequency that people were looking for it.”
Hedlund says he understands why Blizzard felt they needed to implement it though; and it had little to do with greed.
“Game developers, we work hard, and we want to be rewarded for what we do,” he said. “The fact that Diablo 2 was still on shelves and still being played, in Korea particularly, ten years after the fact of its release was something that I think Blizzard was kind of like ‘Hey, we got the price of the box and not much else out of that.’ That doesn’t respect the amount of gameplay that people were clearly getting from it.”
“So I can definitely see that point of view, where they say, ‘Hey, we should be rewarded for what we’re giving the audience,’ and then think about ways to do that.”
Honestly though? People buying your game should be reward enough. Unnecessarily monetising it after that fact is greed. Diablo III did pretty good business for Activision-Blizzard, and will likely sell pretty well when it’s released on consoles later this year. the console version won’t have a real money auction house.
Last Updated: July 30, 2013
That Super Twit
July 30, 2013 at 14:34
Makes me glad that I never bought Diablo 3.
Brady miaau
July 30, 2013 at 14:59
yeah. Resisted massive pressure from my old Diablo 2 cronies.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 30, 2013 at 15:06
Yeah, it was tough at first. I really wanted to get Diablo 3, but then.. Torchlight 1 and 2. Thank you Humble Bundle for getting me onto the first one.
Brady miaau
July 30, 2013 at 15:08
Played Torchthingy 1, was sort of fun. So was Bastion.
Will you get Diablo 3 on console? I might, if price seems right.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 30, 2013 at 15:15
I might actually, but only if the price is right. Sadly, I reckon it’ll probably launch at R6-700 (as most Activision games do these days). I really hope I’m wrong.
Brady miaau
July 30, 2013 at 15:17
me too. But I doubt it. Perhaps January it will be more agreeable.
John Various
July 30, 2013 at 15:09
Loved Torchlight.
matthurstrsa
July 31, 2013 at 07:53
Not such a super twit now are you!?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 14:35
You don’t say!
http://comstat.memecdn.com/images/comment/418.gif
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 14:40
🙂
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 30, 2013 at 15:16
#winning
Dean
July 30, 2013 at 14:38
So by that logic, I should be giving some form of yearly stipend to Kenwood ’cause I’m still getting use out of my kettle?
Interesting….
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 30, 2013 at 14:47
Let’s not forget your comfortable Movie Box set/mattress/lounge suite/fridge/etc
Dean
July 30, 2013 at 14:50
Thanks for reminding me. Gotta send that cheque to New Line for the extending watch hours I got off my Se7en DVD.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 30, 2013 at 14:39
Diablo 2 is that respectable elderly title you give your seat up for in the bus, Diablo 3 on the other hand is that annoying kid that plays Lil’wayne through the speaker of his phone that just looks at the old man standing on the bus and doesn’t get up, Jerk
Admiral Chief Minion 47
July 30, 2013 at 14:40
XD. So true, so true
HvR
July 30, 2013 at 14:54
I see Diablo 3 more like the old man on the bus that starts humping your leg and it doesn’t matter how much you scream and punch him he expects to get paid in the end.
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 14:54
This made me lol, well done sir 🙂
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 30, 2013 at 14:56
Jeez what bus is this?? Bang Bus???? oh wait …
HvR
July 30, 2013 at 15:01
The last Golden Arrow bus on a Friday evening.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 30, 2013 at 15:05
lol I know that bus, it is the bus we do not speak of. for the evil that lurks within is too terrefying to speak of….next stop, uranus
John Various
July 30, 2013 at 15:01
I think it’s a bus in Funky Town on a Streetcar Named Desire on Positively 4th Street
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 30, 2013 at 15:08
Let’s get down in funky town, all the way downtown. boogey with the lady with no teeth
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 14:57
Would the old man be right in saying… ‘Crawl over here?’ trololo! *runs
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 30, 2013 at 14:59
See you a funny man . WELL THAT”S IT!! F THIS I’M LEAVING FOREVER!I’M SICK OF THIS INDUSTRY!!
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 15:23
Cliffy B: “Come back man! Forget the trolls, we back rock!”
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 30, 2013 at 15:26
LMFAO … that was too funny man. “Yo man, build up the negative energy and Hadouken the community ” ….. lol
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 15:54
I plan on doing that to ALL OF JAPAN when they release FF13-2 32D
Sargon
July 30, 2013 at 14:43
If the console versions are released without a RMAH, however will the masses kill Diablo on Inferno difficulty on MP10?! Heavens know that items don’t just DROP for the Nephalim to use in his/her quest to rid Sanctuary of it’s GREATEST/Same-as-every-other-time/But-Slightly-Female-Diablo THREAT EVER.
CrasH
July 30, 2013 at 14:45
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Why for you post about the game that shall not be named……
Everytime i almost forget, I get reminded of how BADLY they destroyed it….
*goes into corner to cry*
RinceJigglyboobhater
July 30, 2013 at 14:46
Wha? I’m sorry, so because you make a game, that doesn’t suck, and lasts long, you want to charge more? That makes no sense. If I buy a game I play it because it is a GOOD game. Not because I can now buy the Lazygamer Superbru Boxers of Death +15 for $5. If the game does not have elements FROM DAY ONE then people will not come back to it. Simple.
loftie
July 30, 2013 at 14:47
Even the normal AH ruined it for me, I wanted no AH at all. Haven’t touched my D3 for many many months now..
loftie
July 30, 2013 at 14:48
Call it Auction House 3 as you spend more time in the AH than in the damn game lol!
Johan du Preez
July 30, 2013 at 17:35
lol spot on
sentient_slug
July 30, 2013 at 14:49
Yeah i Agree Geoff! The sheer sales success should be reward enough. blizzard is full of bull. Are they saying that not all the cool stuff was dropped into the game but reserved for those who could afford to buy it? wowzers.
HvR
July 30, 2013 at 15:00
I’m always surprised at the level on entitlement from developers and creators.
“doesn’t respect the amount of gameplay that people were clearly getting from it”
Well maybe if you maybe come up with some original content within hype period (and not 10 years later) I would give you more of my hard earned money.
Guest
July 30, 2013 at 15:03
“People buying your game should be reward enough.”
I’m pretty sure in business its not only about people buying your product, but also making profit for each sale that is made. No point selling something at cost.
John Various
July 30, 2013 at 15:05
Last time I pre-ordered a game I was so disappointed that I decided to wait until I see some reviews from now on before buying (and not reviews from the mainstream guys)
Lardus-Wolverine
July 30, 2013 at 15:15
AH, RMAH, online DRM. I still say if they made it possibly to play a character single player OFFLINE that could in no way interact with the darn online stuff it could have been a great game! I didn’t buy it, then I played the demo and it was OK. Bought it and suddenly LAG and rubber banding. Plus getting a Barbarian to Inferno and needing gear from Act 2 to play Act 1 because it promotes multiplayer and AH SUCKED DONKEY KONG BALLS! #stoptherantbeforeIlosemycool!!!
VinTaco
July 30, 2013 at 15:25
I think the RMAH (and AH) alleviated the problem that D2 had with its dark item buying/selling underbelly. Blizz ‘legitimised’ the sale of items for real money instead of it being done on eBay/Forums etc. This means its controlled firstly, and they also profit (as they’re entitled to).
The flipside of that is it ruined the game for most players because everything can be conveniently bought. That removed the carrot that drove so many D2 evenings/weekends. Furthermore, there was no endgame content to retain interest after finishing it because the carrot is gone.
Unfortunate really.
Slade Boender
July 30, 2013 at 15:26
Well no fucking duh. Isnt that what the internet said within the first few weeks? GAHD.
Rags
July 30, 2013 at 15:34
The auction house was one of the things that ruined Diablo 3. Even if it is fixed or removed Diablo 3 will still be a horrible game. You can’t fix the graphics, you can’t fix the horrible story, you can’t fix the lame scripting, you can’t give talent to the voice actors. You can’t darken the atmosphere. You can’t give it grit. You can’t bring back a thinking persons skill tree.
RIP Diablo.
Gerhard Davids
July 30, 2013 at 15:49
It was basically legalizing crack.
DII had a thriving real money black market.
Then the goverment (aka Blizz) decided if we make it legal then we can tax it.
And the RMAH was born.
Problem with legalizing it meant that those who lived sheltered lives were now exposed to things they had no intention of ever using. Now PvP is not just gimped by black market users but the entire user base now is tainted.
Johan du Preez
July 30, 2013 at 17:37
What happend to the randomized levels that was promised.
matthurstrsa
July 31, 2013 at 07:55
LEARN FROM BORDERLANDS you bastards. The epic loot may not drop that often, but damnit, that’s why you keep playing. The fact that people are putting 1000+ hours into your game should be a compliment and when you bring out the inevitable DLC/expansion, you know it will sell like hot cakes and you’ll rope even more people in. Stupid greedy Diablo 3. The only good I got out of my collectors edition was the flash disc with Diablo 2 on it.
Warren Ross
July 31, 2013 at 08:34
Yeah, that’s total bullshit. I have copies of The Lord of the Rings that I first got when I was 10, and I have enjoyed those books for years and years, and hopefully one day my children will too. The idea that I need to keep paying to use something that I paid for in the first place is JUST. PLAIN. GREEDY!