As confirmed in numerous previews beginning to hit the web today, it appears as though Diablo 3 will feature an auction house that players can buy and sell items using real currency. When I first read about this, I looked at the date on my calendar and saw August 1st and thought it was an April Fool’s joke. Until I realized there is no April Fool’s day in August… but I still have trouble believing what I’m reading.
There will be a traditional auction house as well that uses in-game currency to buy and sell items, but you have to wonder what the implications are of being able to purchase items with real money. Will players who are willing to spend their cash have the best items? Will people be able to make a living off of playing Diablo 3? This is by far one of the most controversial moves in gaming considering how massive, and dedicated, the player-base for Diablo games are. Put some popcorn in the microwave and get ready, the backlash and reactions across the internet are sure to be interesting.
