Four years after it was announced in 2008, and 12 years after its previous installment, Blizzard Entertainment announced today that the long-awaited PC and Mac game, “Diablo III” is now available for purchase online at www.diablo3.com and at retailers throughout most of the world. The high expectation of gamers was evident, as this third installment broke presale records of more than 2 million preorders making “Diablo III” the most pre-ordered PC-based game in history. However, despite the anticipated RMT feature, many gamers are now concerned with a recently discovered game-breaking bug.
“Diablo III” is a fantasy/horror-themed action role playing game that is set in the world of Sanctuary—a universe in which there is perpetual conflict between the High Heavens and the burning Hells. Players will take on the role of one of five heroic characters—The Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk, or Demon Hunter—in hopes to eventually save the world of Sanctuary from the evil forces of the Burning Hells. According to PCWorld, Blizzard did not offer early “Diablo III” copies to the press, therefore, delaying reviews of the finished game for a few days. One aspect of this game that definitely stands out is the ability to auction one’s loot for real money.
RMT, or Real Money Trading, is the practice of spending real money for digital goods such as game items, characters, gold, or other such features or services, as defined by diabloWiki.net. “Diablo III’s” version of the in-game Auction House will support real-world currency, yet is completely optional. Before “Diablo III,” Blizzard did not allow any form of RMT in its games and so, it came as a shock to most when the company announced that the Auction House for the series’ third installment will have a real money aspect to it.
So, what’s the deal with RMT?
Many may be unknown to the fact that RMT has been illegal, or strongly discouraged by most Western game developers, especially in MMORPGs (Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Games). According to 1up.com, Executive Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo stated that the reason why hardcore characters cannot use the currency-based auction and only the in-game gold one is because they are “protecting players from themselves.”
“We don’t want a situation where someone spent a lot of money and then that character—along with the items—gets deleted due to combat or PVP soon afterwards,” Pardo stated.
During the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris, France, Jay Wilson, the lead designer of Diablo 3, stated (according to 1up.com) that the third installment will not end the Diablo Franchise.
“We’re not saying this is the end of the Diablo universe, but we are trying to bring this storyline to a close. It’s not just Diablo III—we’ve got plans beyond," Wilson stated.
According to Gamespot.com, there have been reports on the Battle.net forums that a game-breaking bug in “Diablo III” was found. Apparently, the issue triggers Error 3006, which is stated to boot users from “Diablo III” servers and prohibits them from logging back in. Blizzard currently has this problem under investigation and “a fix is on the way.”
The 2000 release of “Diablo II” led to over 4 million units being sold in a matter of 14 months. As stated by ibtimes.com, analysts have predicted that “Diablo III” will sell several million copies in its first year. Yet, a Cowen and Company Analyst predicted that the game will break five million copies in its first year.
Since this is only Day 1 of its release, one cannot make any solid projections about the game’s success, but at this rate and looking at the presale numbers, it appears as though “Diablo III” will definitely be a game worthy of a worldwide discussion.