17,263
edits
Changes
→RMT Fees in Diablo 3
Time will tell if the eighty cent fee is viable in the final game, and Blizzard will surely be responsive to player needs and economic functions, as they have no previous experience running this sort of system either.
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==Korean Games Rating Board==
Late 2011 and early 2012 saw a lengthy saga as the Korean Games Rating Board repeatedly refused to certify Diablo III for sale in Korea, due to the Real Money Auction House. Korea strictly regulates all forms of gambling, online or off, and by their laws, the Real Money mechanism built into Diablo III turns it into a form of gambling. A quote from the online Korea Times explained the potential problem in September 2011.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/korea-may-ban-d3-over-real-money-trading]
::The issue of gambling, illegal for Korean nationals, is a sensitive one, especially after a 2005-06 nationwide scandal over the Sea Story game machines that first passed the regulatory body inspection but were removed after the police discovered excessively speculative and addictive behavior among the players. Due to this controversy, the watchdog and approval committee was created in the Game Rating Board.
::The country’s attitude toward gaming involving cash transactions has irked Blizzard’s local staff who are reluctant to deal with the controversy expected with the introduction of the auction house but are forced by headquarters to launch the feature, an industry source familiar with the matter said.
These predictions came to pass, and when Diablo III was submitted to the ratings board in early 2012, there were numerous delays. Blizzard tried a second time with the "cash out" element removed, but still did not win approval. Only when they submitted Diablo III without any RMAH at all (just a Gold Auction House), did the game win approval on January 13, 2012.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-without-rmah-is-approved-by-korean-grb]
===Korean RMAH Timeline===
* September 26, 2011: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/korea-may-ban-d3-over-real-money-trading First word that the KGRB might] have problems with Diablo 3's RMAH.
* November 16, 2011: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/d3s-real-money-auction-house-issues Kotaku Australia points out that] the RMAH might make Diablo III illegal in Korea, as other titles with any semblance of real money or gambling have been banned or restricted in that country.
* December 15, 2011: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/clarifying-delay-and-more-beta-keys Bashiok insists that the Korean] delays are not to blame for the full game not yet being released.
* January 2, 2012: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/korean-ratings-board-delays-d3s-rating-again The KRGB again declines] to rate Diablo III due to the RMAH feature.
* January 4, 2012: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/korean-grb-again-silent-on-diablo-3 The ratings board again declines to approve Diablo 3, even with the "cash out" feature removed from the RMAH.
* January 7, 2012: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/korean-grb-again-silent-on-diablo-3 The Ratings Board again] declined to approve Diablo III, despite additional adjustments to the RMAH feature.
* January 13, 2012: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-without-rmah-is-approved-by-korean-grb Diablo 3 is approved] by the KGRB, ''''without''''' the RMAH feature. If Blizzard wishes to include the RMAH in Korea, they will have to resubmit it to another ratings agency at a later date.
* January 14, 2012: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/can-you-play-on-korean-servers-blizzard-clarifies Players ask if they can play on the Korean servers] to avoid the RMAH in other regions, and get confused and contradictory replies from Bashiok. (The thread is soon locked and then deleted, leaving the question unresolved.)
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