UHHAH-CHOO "Uh, right. Good
thing I had Frost Nova selected."
Packing grenades, molten arrows, and bolas, the
Demon Hunter feels like a well-armed Rogue.
GIMMEGIMMEGIMME.
Dungeons don't feel flat.
THE AUCTION HOUSE
Yes, you can spend real money to buy in-game items, but if you think Diablo III’s auction
house is some soulless cash-grab, you might want to reconsider. Here are the facts.
WORLD OF
WARCRAFT
Use real money only
Transactions in
in-game gold only
Sold and controlled by
the developer
Completely player-
controlled
Only the developer
profits, not players
Players profit (by earning
in-game currency)
Generally sells
cosmetic items and skins,
Uses both
gold and real
money
Listings created by
players, but regulated
by Blizzard
Players profit, but Blizzard
takes “nominal” listing and
transaction fees
Can sell any items, gold,
and characters “at
some point in the
future”
Region-locked
auction
houses
Can sell weapons,
armor, and items
that aren’t bound
to your character
Same items
available
to everyone
Different auction
houses available on
a server-by-server basis
MICROTRANSACTIONS
DIABLO III
www.pcgamer.com
NOVEMBER 2011
