An Insight Into Diablo 3’s Defunct Auction System

Article Supplied


Diablo 3 is a hack-and-slack action role-playing game created by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the third instalment of the Diablo series. Launched in May 2012, the game is set in Sanctuary, the Diablo series’ dark fantasy world, two decades after the events of Diablo 2.

Like its predecessor, Diablo 3 features a four-act structure. The game utilizes the Havok physics engine and allows players to make use of the environment to help in their quest. The user interface is similar to Diablo 2 in terms of functions.

However, there are some graphical upgrades and more details when it comes to expanding tabs. Diablo 3 also had a new feature called the Auction House. This trading system allowed players to buy and sell items through auction.

What was the Auction House?

Accessible through battle.net, and not from in-game, the Auction House was a feature of the PC version of Diablo 3. It allowed players within a region to purchase and sell items quickly between each other. Players could sell or buy virtually all items except quest items.

There were two versions of the Auction House. One version used gold earned in-game, and the other used real-world currency. The latter was known as the Real Money Auction House (RMAH).

Why Did Blizzard Create the Auction House?

The purpose of the Auction House was to respond to what players wanted while combating external forces. There was a lot of trading of in-game items on third-party marketplaces in Diablo 2. Informal transactions between players were also rife.

Also, many players complained of rip-offs and account hackings. Blizzard thought that eliminating the need for such third parties would solve the challenges the players faced.

The game developer also hoped to make some profit out of the auction system. Unfortunately, within two months of launching Diablo 3, the company regretted implementing the Auction House. It was shut down on
March 18, 2014.

How The Auction House Worked

The Auction house listed all currently available items in a given region. Keep in mind that Diablo 3 is region-locked. Thus, players from different regions can’t trade with each other.

By specifying aspects such as the item type and the stats the player prefers, the Auction House would analyze all items currently available and show the most relevant results. The player could then bid on the items.

The buying and selling process was quite similar to how eBay auctions work. With Auction House, however, all auctions were completely anonymous. You couldn’t tell which player put an item up for sale. The Auction House processed auctions through the battle.net interface instead of the game client.

That meant you could concurrently access all auctions across all characters when using the auction house. Likewise, after you purchased an item, the auction house sent it to your shared stash. Thus, any character could use it as long as they meet the requirements of the item.

Players could fund sales and purchases through their battle.net account balance or a third-party online payment service provider like PayPal. It was much akin to how people load up funds in their online casino accounts at places like จีคลับ (GClub).

While the Diablo 3 Auction House didn’t succeed, places like GClub are still going strong and those wanting to play can do so safely and easily.


Article Supplied

━ more like this

MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED 4K Gaming monitor Review

OLED gaming monitors are having a moment and this new 32" 4K MSI stands head and shoulders in a competitive market thats full of great options.

Funko Fusion launch set for 13 September 2024

Funko Inc and 10:10 Games have announced that Funko Fusion will launch on 13 September 2024 for PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X|S....

Asus ROG Falchion RX Low-profile Mechanical Keyboard Review

Asus has once again managed to craft an exceptional keyboard, this time low profile that has excellent performance, battery and appeal.

Stellar Blade Review (PS5) – 2B or not 2B?

Not to put too fine a point on things, but the full version of Stellar Blade presents a way sharper package than the demo...

Logitech G502 X Plus Review

The Logitech G502 X Plus improves on its predecessor with RGB lighting but not much else. Is it really worth the upgrade?