14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard is getting ready to launch Diablo III later this month and, in order to clear things up about the controversial auction house feature, which allows players to sell loot either for virtual gold or real-world money, the studio has posted an extensive guide about the service.
Diablo III is getting ready to appear later this month, after a lengthy wait and several delays, so Blizzard is making sure that potential customers know everything there is to know about the dungeon crawling role-playing game.
After checking out quite a few videos about the game’s classes, the studio has now posted an extensive guide about its Auction House feature, which allows players to buy and sell items they find in the game, from gems or recipes, to weapons or armor.
First up, Blizzard reminds players that they can sell or buy loot for either virtual gold or real-world money, as each major Diablo III region will have two distinct Auction Houses, depending on their currency. What’s more, those who play on Hardcore difficulty will be able to access their own version of the Auction House.
Those who want to spend real-life money on items in Diablo III’s Auction House can use three different payment options. These range from the Battle.net Balance, which can be used to buy items in Diablo III, as well as actual games from Blizzard, to PayPal or regular credit cards, although special fees will be taken by these services.
Speaking of fees, Blizzard is taking quite a bit of money from all transactions.
If players sell commodities, like crafting materials or gems, Blizzard takes a 15% cut of the transaction. If you sell a piece of equipment, like weapons or armor, Blizzard will take $1 (around €0.75) from the transaction.
If you then want to transfer your earnings to a third-party service like PayPal, Blizzard will once again take a 15% fee from the total sum. If you want to avoid giving the studio money once more, you can transfer the money to your Battle.net Balance and then spend it either on games or other Diablo items.
Blizzard is sure, however, that the Auction House will be a huge success for both those who want to earn in-game gold and real-life money.
For an extensive description of the feature, check out the studio’s official FAQ here.
Diablo III is out for PC and Mac on May 15.