Diablo 3 facing release problems in Korea

Blizzard is hitting a snag releasing Diablo 3 in Korea, having submitted the game three times amid hesitation due to the auction house feature.

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Diablo 3 is preparing for its launch early this year, but it's hitting a snag in Korea. The somewhat controversial auction house feature is edging a bit too close to gambling, which is making the Korean Ratings Board hesitant.

"Committee members are conflicted about what to do with Diablo 3," a board spokesperson told The Korean Times (via The Escapist), "because of (its American developer) Blizzard's information on the game's 'auction house' feature."

Blizzard has released three submissions to the ratings board, and the latest even removed the feature. Still, the board remains "reluctant" according the representative. The auction house will let users bid on in-game items using real money, and let the sellers profit from their sales.

Meanwhile, a Blizzard spokesperson says the company is committed to a global release "in principle." She declined to give a release date -- understandable since its release in the territory is so up in the air.

Shacknews has contacted Blizzard regarding the Korean release, but has yet to receive a response.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 6, 2012 2:00 PM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Diablo 3 facing release problems in Korea.

    Blizzard is hitting a snag releasing Diablo 3 in Korea, having submitted the game three times amid hesitation due to the auction house feature.

    • reply
      January 6, 2012 2:10 PM

      This is getting awful close to the January 24th release date....

      :(

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      January 6, 2012 2:22 PM

      Why is the AH considered gambling?

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        January 6, 2012 2:35 PM

        gambling your life away!!!!

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        January 6, 2012 2:43 PM

        You could sell items for real money (on blizzard's terms, of course).

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        January 6, 2012 3:08 PM

        [deleted]

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          January 6, 2012 3:54 PM

          It could be. Pull the slot machine lever, wait to see if you get a payout is similar to click the monster, click the loot, see if you randomly got something worth real value.

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          January 6, 2012 4:29 PM

          There's no real-money AH for hardcore characters, and I *think* the item has to be identified.

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        January 6, 2012 3:52 PM

        some places just consider all gaming related to gambling. For example sometimes a company will want to run a tournament for their game, but they can't let people from other countries play because it is seen the same as gambling like if you hosted a black jack tournament.

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        January 6, 2012 6:31 PM

        random chance to drop + sell for money = maybe possibly gambling?

        That's the question Korea is debating. They haven't decided one way or the other yet.

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        January 6, 2012 6:56 PM

        My understanding of the paid AH system may well be wrong, it's based on old-ass info that may have been misinterpreted or changed.

        However, as far as I know, the user is charged a small fee for listing items on the paid AH. This fee is not refunded if the item does not sell. If this is correct, you're definitely gambling. If you lose the bet (i.e. the item does not sell) you lose your money.

        Blizzard will also take another fee if the item does sell (a percentage of the sale price, probably). Woohoo, double dipping! (Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong, is the paid AH active in the beta?)

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          January 6, 2012 7:36 PM

          [deleted]

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            January 6, 2012 8:14 PM

            Thanks for the clarification, in that case it's definitely gambling then.

            It will be interesting to see how Blizzard reponds. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I assume the "nominal" fee for listing items on the paid AH is not sheer greed, but it is to prevent people flooding the market, cancelling and relisting, and other undesirable behaviour.

            If there is a penalty and risk associated with posting an auction then people are more likely to set reasonable prices and not go bananas with it.

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      January 6, 2012 2:25 PM

      [deleted]

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        January 6, 2012 3:12 PM

        Probably June 29th which will be exactly 10 years from the release of D2:LOD

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          January 6, 2012 3:33 PM

          that's not "early 2012" :( that's closer to mid

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            January 6, 2012 4:23 PM

            That doesn't seem particularly relevant.

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              January 6, 2012 6:15 PM

              Blizzard said it'd release in early 2012. Blizzard has never missed a release date.

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                January 6, 2012 6:33 PM

                "early 2012" isn't a release date.

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                  January 6, 2012 7:00 PM

                  It's a release window, and one that went out in a press release to everybody. It's as official as they get. If they miss it, Diablo III will be the first Blizzard game ever to be delayed.

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                    January 7, 2012 3:31 AM

                    They already missed their first publicly stated release window, which was late 2011.

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                      January 7, 2012 5:09 AM

                      I think that just came from that supposedly leaked release plan graphic, I haven't found anything where they actually went on the record and said so.

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            January 6, 2012 5:35 PM

            In Blizzard years that's actually 2005.

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          January 6, 2012 4:38 PM

          11 years, actually.

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            January 6, 2012 8:15 PM

            I suppose you would know! Hey, is the book out yet? If not, are you getting close to a release?

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              January 7, 2012 5:35 AM

              I'm aiming for a summer release. :) Not to imply I know anything, because I don't, but I'm shooting for summer so I don't step on Blizzard's toes as far as Diablo 3's release, which I'd think (again, no insider info) should be out in the first or second quarter. I have tons of info regarding each version of the game and I wouldn't want to spoil anything and piss of Blizz and/or fans, especially since Blizz could take legal action.

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                January 7, 2012 5:53 AM

                That's very considerate of you, looking forward to it whenever it does launch. Thanks for the info!

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            January 6, 2012 8:18 PM

            That's why I said LOD was 10 years D2 itself was 11 yeah.

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      January 6, 2012 2:26 PM

      Good. Maybe they will be forced to pull it from all versions.

      Probably not

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      January 6, 2012 3:05 PM

      Eh, they've got like a year or more to sort this out before the game is done anyway...

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        January 6, 2012 4:03 PM

        shut your delicious face, Snapple!

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      January 6, 2012 3:30 PM

      they can go play starcraft...

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      January 6, 2012 3:59 PM

      Do you lose money if you lose the auction? If not, how is it gambling? What kind of risk or chance is involved?

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        January 6, 2012 4:30 PM

        Probably because the items people are selling will be gained through random drops, which makes it sort of like a lottery. You can be lucky and get great drops, or unlucky and get crap ones. Because there is an auction house, that makes the good drops valuable in the real world.

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      January 6, 2012 4:12 PM

      So you can just buy in-game items that Blizzard puts up, or only from other players? I would be ok with buying from other players, but just having a store that sells items is pretty stupid, imo.

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        January 6, 2012 4:35 PM

        [deleted]

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        January 6, 2012 7:12 PM

        Like the TF2 store?

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          January 6, 2012 9:01 PM

          No.

          Its like the WoW auction house, but with the option to use real money. And ofc you can use only the gold that enemies drop, if you want.

          And well, the best example of auction is Ebay XD.

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      January 6, 2012 4:28 PM

      Good for them. Fuck blizzard.

      I think I can pass this one up at this point. The nostalgia has worn thin.

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      January 6, 2012 4:34 PM

      [deleted]

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      January 6, 2012 5:34 PM

      umm screw Korea that is all....

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        January 6, 2012 8:54 PM

        Blizzard gets shitpiles of money from Korea thats why they care. If it was someplace else like France, they probably wouldn't give a shit.

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      January 6, 2012 5:54 PM

      why does this game feel so old already

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        January 6, 2012 10:23 PM

        Because it has been in development almost as long as DNF.

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      January 6, 2012 7:03 PM

      they just need to bribe a few people and there will be no more problem. you've removed the AH? we are still cautious. you removed loot? we are still cautious.
      we will leave the room with a collection dish on our desk. we are not saying what to do, but we will not judge anyone if there is money in the dish when we return and we will not ask where it came from.

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      January 6, 2012 10:21 PM

      Who cares about korea. they are broken.

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        January 7, 2012 5:43 AM

        I think that if any company in the world cares about Korea, it's Blizzard

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        January 9, 2012 1:58 PM

        They aren't broken, just confused in so many ways.

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        January 10, 2012 8:22 PM

        I do - I like my Samsung LCD's.

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