Diablo III: Online only, real money auctions, mods forbidden

[Julio Franco]

Blizzard is easily one of the most conservative developers around when it comes to announcing release dates, however as they reveal more details about the third installment of the Diablo series it becomes evident that the game is finally nearing completion.

Among the most interesting, and should we add, potentially controversial things to be learned about Diablo III is that the game will require an active net connection to play. Blizzard believes a high percentage of users have access to a permanent internet connection anyway, and even though piracy was a concern it was not "a deciding factor" in making the decision.

Instead Blizzard claims connectivity will be necessary due to the wealth of Battle.net features that complement the game, to name a few: persistent character saving server-side and the possibility of opting in/out of co-op play, persistent friends list, party system and matchmaking, the game's achievement system, and an auction house system that will allow real world currency to purchase items.

Blizzard does not plan to sell any items directly on the auction house, but will let players list items for which they will charge a fixed fee. The novelty here is that real money auctions will be allowed along with in-game gold and normal item trade. Gamers will be allowed to pull up the auction house at any time, with instant transactions of nearly everything, including characters.

The last tidbit of information that was recently disclosed is that Diablo III won't support bots or mods for a "variety of gameplay and security reasons". That is, Blizzard is expressly prohibiting modding from the upcoming game in spite of the success it had on the two previous installments.

Diablo III is expected to enter limited public beta testing sometime this quarter, most likely ahead of the Blizzcon October event, with a tentative release schedule before the end of the year.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/44888-diablo-iii-online-only-real-money-auctions-mods-forbidden.html

 

[Guest]

Cue the inevitable calls for piracy, threats of non-purchase and death of PC gaming chants.

 

[Guest]

good for blizzard, pirates are scum bags

 

[TorturedChaos]

I remember the open battle.net setup in Diablo 2 where you could bring a offline character and play online. Only problem was 85% of the other characters you came across where hacked up to ridiculously stupid stats. So I ended up playing closed battle.net anyways (where you could ONLY play online). So this really wont be any different to me anyways.

I'm still not exactly happy about being forced into it, as anytime I'm forced into only one option it makes me annoyed. But its a (at least partially) a mutiplayer game.

 

[Kralnor]

Can't say I'm happy about the game being exclusively online, nor am I pleased to see their complete rejection of modding.

I'll end up buying it anyway, though.

 

[Guest]

I've drawn the line at DRM that requires constant internet access for single player offline access. I will not be purchasing this game. However, the announcement of the online auction house / no mods, real cash for audtion, doesn't bother me however.

 

[Guest]

Blizzard is milking the franchise and this is just the next step in setting up a proper efficient industrial size milking operation. I'm not a cow and not gonna let myself be milked by Blizzard. My time is precious, don't have much of it to play games and there is plenty of other just as entertaining if not better options. So count me out, I'm not signing up for this!

P.S.
To all those sheep who are gonna queue up days before the release to get the game: Mmmeeeeeehhhhh!

P.S.2
Ever wondered what the Blizzard exec think about when they enjoy the slaughter playing the cow level... YOU! Their valued customers

 

[Jesse]

I really don't mind the online only piece. The part that I don't understand is the real money player auctions. Why would they want to allow this? Selling/buying characters and items for real money has always been a mmo faux pas, and usually is against the EULA/TOS in most games.

 

[DDG4005]

I hadn't planned on buying the game anyway since I prefer Titan Quest and the first two Dungeon Siege games over the Diablo franchise. I imagine this will piss off a number of people though.

It sounds like Bilzzard has chosen the persistent online option over DRM like SecuROM since the former would be preferrable to most gamers. At the moment I'm looking forward to Mass Effect 3 and maybe Doom 4 if it's decent but I'll continue reading news about Diablo 3 as I find this new announcement interesting.

 

[emmzo]

Everybody gets into the milking business sooner or later and I`m sad that Blizzard took this step. The real money auction could mean that even if I were to buy the game and play it like a maniac I`d still be pwned by some guy who simply affords to purchase the ultra damage heavily enchanted sword and whatnot. I guess by doing this they won`t be surprised with an increased number of private servers.

 

[Ithryl]

Really curious about the auction feature. And the always online on b.net was to be expected I guess.

 

[frodough]

auction house w/ cash = double-edge sword

i can see how the auction can really boost the traffic on the servers and players can find another reason to keep playing the game (make real money!)

but i also see the bad side of it, w/ real money buyouts D3 will be flooded with douchebags whose parents are made of money and all they do is souping out their characters and make others mad. and last but the worst, return of 'farmers' in a big way, with an integrated cash-for-items system everything will be even more slipstreamed so you will see many trying to farm for a quick bug.

no bots/mods will help dial down the farmers but many will still farm since it's one of the most anticipated MMO so for the next 2-3 years you will see villages of farmers that will only know how to curse you out b/c you are in his farm... -_-"

 

[Muggs]

The only issue is most people will not use the gold only AH since why do that if you can sell it for real money.

What I love is there is a listing fee and a selling fee and a cash out fee. They hit you 3x for selling things on the AH.

In D2 I played and traded with friends because of the Duping and bots I will just continue to do so in d3 although my friend base that games consistently has become much smaller since d2.

 

[fimbles]

Smells a lot like pay to win to me.......

 

[Guest]

For those of wondering about the reason behind the real-money auctions, take a look around at any TF2, Runescape, WoW, etc. site. There's alot of pixels that are being traded for real currency. IMO it's about the dumbest thing you can spend money on, but there's obviously a huge demand for it.

 

[Guest]

I wish it was available on Steam. But luckily for them his is my one exception. I will purchase anyways. I was addicted to the first Diablo, then even more to the second. I can't wait for Diablo 3!

 

[Guest]

I dont understand what ppl are bi*ching about. SC2 you have too be online too play single player ... after that we should of all known .. all blizard games will require online at all times. As far as the AH taken real monies ... this does 2x things. Hurts gold farmers & cuts bliz in on more cash. I have not played WoW in 2 year .. but I bet you can still buy someones account on ebay & have gold sold too you for real money.

As far as all the info goes .. this changes nothing for me. I knew it would require net & if I get A chance to sell some items I find for real money .. hell yea.

Now what will piss me off .. is if their is a monthly fee. That would be A no no.

 

[venomblade]

won't stop pirates. Many have tried the active internet connection thing and there's always a way around it. This sucks, I don't always have an internet connection :/

 

[TrekExpert]

Does any one know if this online system would work similarly to Starcraft II? If so it would not be so bad as their is still an offline mode.

 

[Guest]

I hate the idea of forced online gameplay for so many reasons, but most of all the fact that my characters won't be my own. They'll surely be stored on some Blizzard server where they'll be wiped from existence if I take a break for a few months. Then again, maybe they'll just charge me extra for "extended storage time" or some crap like that. Doesn't that sound like something Blizzard would do? They're all about greed now, post-WoW success. The fact is, I don't care about their precious little battle.net, and I don't care about achievements and all the facetwitter things it can do! I just wanna play an awesome Action-RPG co-op with my friends. All these extras, like auctions, achievements, etc. it's all just a smokescreen to try to make you forget that you're wasting your money on something you'll never own. The game is not yours, the characters are not yours. It all belongs to Blizzard, just like your money. They're gonna be cashing in like crazy, on the fact that there hasn't been a good Action-RPG (with multiplayer/co-op) since Diablo 2, and we've all been begging for another one for a decade now! We're gonna buy it and play it, simply because it's Diablo 3, and Blizzard KNOWS IT! There are no substitutes available! As much as I don't want to give in to Blizzard, I know I will. I'm gonna buy Diablo 3 even if I have to pay a monthly fee to play it. I have been waiting a decade for this, after all.

 

[Guest]

it's funny how nobody realizes this is about the gradual, yet 'forced', progression to ensure every single person on earth is connected online to the 'grid' to be able to track, trace and have a total information awareness network on everybody that exists..


and that's only the beginning lol..


after you are either forced or beg for brain-chips, you'll be connected fully all the time etc..

then the end-game ensues,

they flick the 'switch' and the borg-ification is complete..


enjoy diablo 3 lol..


(and yes, the 'cow' level is the analogy for all you goy/cattle lol that need to be herded about, enslaved or killed off lol..)

 

[Brewskie]

I'm tossed up on whether I'll buy Diablo III now.

With data caps being implemented by most ISPs constant connectivity requirements in single player games are asinine.

You think I'll waste my precious data on this video game, or any video game, when I want to play single player?

I use my connection for a lot of things, including my businesses. It's called "real life".

If I do buy Diablo III it will be rarely played, to be sure.

The lack of mods may actually put me over the edge on whether I'll spend my money on this game, and if Blizzard keeps this attitude in the future I may never buy another of their games again.

 

[Brewskie]

BTW....Torchlight 2 is beginning to look like a better deal to me after read this article.

 

[Xclusiveitalian]

A true console game

 

[Richy2k9]

hello ...

pre-ordered Diablo III long ago (& still haven't finished D2 ) ...

I don't like an 'always connected' gameplay but my main game is City of Heroes, so doesn't really bother.

The trade system if it doesn't make it compulsory, would be just fine.

No MODs !!! Well I'm sure some people would find a way to do so with offline play, i just hope it doesn't do the reverse effect, i.e. Online ONLY to stop piracy (as if wasn't the real reason) & no mods that will push some people to crack the game to mod it then have offline pirate gamers!

OK mods aren't good for MP, it spoils the gameplay & makes it an unbalanced one, but i guess this will be replaced by the now inevitable DLCs !!! :S .. common Blizzard we are your fans, your customers & what's make a business are the cUStomers ... please do consider the US in it

Anyway won't cancel pre-order, i love the franchise & surely will enjoy the game.

cheers!