Gambling Laws Could Halt Diablo 3's South Korean Release
- Thread starter Logan Westbrook
- Start date
People have worried way too many times about what I said at the beginning of this story. I don't like games where you can buy power. Has it existed in previous Diablo games? Yes. Does that make it ok? No.
John Funk pointed out in a few posts up that prohibition doesn't work. That is true. I agree with what he said in his statement as well. People have pointed out that it's only PvE. Which is not true. There is a strong PvP element to the game and this will break the balance of that portion. So now you're saying, "WEll Baresark, you should probably not worry about that part of the game". Which is true, I would never bother with PvP on a Blizzard game. It's all equipment based, and since there isn't going to be different ways to build or play your character really (just like in WoW), it is all quite pointless.
Also, the auction house is just money grubbing on Blizzards part. You pay 3 fees to sell an item. One is a fee just to list the item that you do not get back if you do not sell it. It would be fine if that one cost in game currency, but to have it cost real money is ridiculous. Also, you can buy gold on the auction. It's funny, how many accounts go banned over this in WoW. It ruins the in game economy because it's based off of fiat money (gold that anyone can just sell more stuff or kill things to get, in endless supply) that cannot be stable.
A friend of mine debated with me on the merits of the auction. It was interesting. He ended up having to lie to me about what would and would not be available on the auction house as a way to win. He used tactics like, "if a rare item is appearing for too large an amount of money, they'll just change the drop frequency or sell some on their own on the auction house to bring the price down", both of which are completely untrue. The first would change the status of an item as a certain level of rarity and ruin the game balance even more if everyone could get it, and the second is something they outright stated they would not be doing.
There, that is my argument. I may still play the game, but you would never see me on PvP, maybe not even cooperative. And you better believe that I would play with a crack that allows me to play offline if I can find one.
John Funk pointed out in a few posts up that prohibition doesn't work. That is true. I agree with what he said in his statement as well. People have pointed out that it's only PvE. Which is not true. There is a strong PvP element to the game and this will break the balance of that portion. So now you're saying, "WEll Baresark, you should probably not worry about that part of the game". Which is true, I would never bother with PvP on a Blizzard game. It's all equipment based, and since there isn't going to be different ways to build or play your character really (just like in WoW), it is all quite pointless.
Also, the auction house is just money grubbing on Blizzards part. You pay 3 fees to sell an item. One is a fee just to list the item that you do not get back if you do not sell it. It would be fine if that one cost in game currency, but to have it cost real money is ridiculous. Also, you can buy gold on the auction. It's funny, how many accounts go banned over this in WoW. It ruins the in game economy because it's based off of fiat money (gold that anyone can just sell more stuff or kill things to get, in endless supply) that cannot be stable.
A friend of mine debated with me on the merits of the auction. It was interesting. He ended up having to lie to me about what would and would not be available on the auction house as a way to win. He used tactics like, "if a rare item is appearing for too large an amount of money, they'll just change the drop frequency or sell some on their own on the auction house to bring the price down", both of which are completely untrue. The first would change the status of an item as a certain level of rarity and ruin the game balance even more if everyone could get it, and the second is something they outright stated they would not be doing.
There, that is my argument. I may still play the game, but you would never see me on PvP, maybe not even cooperative. And you better believe that I would play with a crack that allows me to play offline if I can find one.
That?s a separate argument and one I touched on before. The issue is one of inflation with massively more high powered items and gold to go around and concentrating them on a certain group you create a two-tier system. Those who buy items will be significantly more powerful than those who don?t. This is what happens already to some degree but by making it legal and convenient you exacerbate the problem tremendously. The victims in this case are those who don?t enjoy having their effect on the game wholly marginalised.John Funk said:
Money, dear boy.
This trope is being played so straight that it shames even the most masculine heterosexuals of the world.
This trope is being played so straight that it shames even the most masculine heterosexuals of the world.
Finally, someone else with a sensible view of things! It drives me crazy how it is such a common opinion that Blizzard is "money grubbing" and "greedy" simply because they made a decision that will net them more profit. Not to mention the lack of trust even though everything that has come out since Starcraft 1 has been stellar and has support better than arguably any other company on the planet. And FUN! Everyone always forgets about the FUN aspect of things because they're too busy rambling about the logistics of things.L10nH3ArT said:
This should be stickied in the front page of any forum thread dedicated to whining about the RMAH IMO.
This is the most hilarious view of the RMAH I have read so far. Hats off to you sir!Haakong said:
Can someone please explain how it's gambling, the only time chance even comes into the picture is the original act of any piece of loot dropping, once that occurs it's a concrete object incapable of change! I mean really Korea, that just seems to be a stupid thing to get hung up on.
It involves the risk, because of Blizzard taking out the fees for using the auction house, the main fee in question is the real money listing price, which is non-refundable if you happen to lose to someone else in the auction house, then if you win Blizzard takes out another fee to get them more money, and if you want to cash out they take a third fee.Necromancer1991 said:
If people can be undercut for a single copper or bronze coin in other MMO's you can bet they will be very very stingy with REAL money, so the gamble comes in from the fees Blizzard takes out regardless. And since the drops are random and luck based it can fall under the jurisdiction of gambling.
If the listing fee wasn't there I can't see of any way it would involve risk. But with it there you risk losing your initial investment.
It isn't. If anyone tells you it is they're playing off of their own biases and fears without actually understanding the definition of the word.Necromancer1991 said:
I guess we should all be used to ignorant @$^@#'s posting their opinions by now. But we are not.
1) First of all the balance issue. If you have ever played any MMO and enjoyed it shut it about balance.
The auction house model is the same in any of the hundreds of MMO's to come out. Using real cash
won't change that. Not all gear will be BOE. If you choose to buy it with gold or cash doesn't matter.
2) Second the Gambling issue. If you do indeed pay real money to set up your auction then there is a risk involved and I can see it being classified as gambling. If you don't risk your real world money it is not gambling.
3) Third yes this is the best way to cut out third party gold spammers and the likes. There's no other way without the classic methods that simply aren't that effective.
4) Yes Blizzard is making a cut. They are a business and their goal is to make more money. It's a tiny cut but a cut non-the-less. And of course the third party gets a cut for their services. If you don't like Blizzard making 0.05cents off of whatever money you do make, DONT FREAKING USE THE AUCTION HOUSE.
If someone else decides they are okay with making $5.00 off an item and letting Blizzard take a small fee how is that your business?
I hope it doesn't get banned in South Korea. I'm sure a huge percent of the population of South Korea are also opposed to this. South Korean's are the hardest core gamers on the globe. They want this game just as much as anyone else.
1) First of all the balance issue. If you have ever played any MMO and enjoyed it shut it about balance.
The auction house model is the same in any of the hundreds of MMO's to come out. Using real cash
won't change that. Not all gear will be BOE. If you choose to buy it with gold or cash doesn't matter.
2) Second the Gambling issue. If you do indeed pay real money to set up your auction then there is a risk involved and I can see it being classified as gambling. If you don't risk your real world money it is not gambling.
3) Third yes this is the best way to cut out third party gold spammers and the likes. There's no other way without the classic methods that simply aren't that effective.
4) Yes Blizzard is making a cut. They are a business and their goal is to make more money. It's a tiny cut but a cut non-the-less. And of course the third party gets a cut for their services. If you don't like Blizzard making 0.05cents off of whatever money you do make, DONT FREAKING USE THE AUCTION HOUSE.
If someone else decides they are okay with making $5.00 off an item and letting Blizzard take a small fee how is that your business?
I hope it doesn't get banned in South Korea. I'm sure a huge percent of the population of South Korea are also opposed to this. South Korean's are the hardest core gamers on the globe. They want this game just as much as anyone else.
According to the OED gambling is either:
play games of chance for money;
take risky action in the hope of a desired result
Which is an auction house whatever game you play.The difference is that usually you play with fake money (like on a free-to-play poker table). Yes its gambling but no there is not any real cost. (Yes ok Gold farmers subvert this but they are not part of the offical game).
Now Blizzard are releasing a game that costs real money to "play" the Auction House, and South Korea have said this breaks the gambling rules. So to all those who argue this isnt gambling...well yes it is, but such a mild form that I would have understood if South Korea had said it isnt gambling. And like Gambling, the House always wins.
play games of chance for money;
take risky action in the hope of a desired result
Which is an auction house whatever game you play.The difference is that usually you play with fake money (like on a free-to-play poker table). Yes its gambling but no there is not any real cost. (Yes ok Gold farmers subvert this but they are not part of the offical game).
Now Blizzard are releasing a game that costs real money to "play" the Auction House, and South Korea have said this breaks the gambling rules. So to all those who argue this isnt gambling...well yes it is, but such a mild form that I would have understood if South Korea had said it isnt gambling. And like Gambling, the House always wins.
