Cash for Power in Diablo III?

GameSpy reports that Diablo III will feature an in game auction house that will allow purchases with real life cash.  So, you will be able to buy the best gear in the game with cash, to include accounts/characters, allowing you to literally buy a more in game power with cash.

Not Entirely New

There is already an existing mechanism for such transactions today, but they are handled by shadowy third parties.  I believe that it is still technically against the terms of service (ToS).  So, even though this is possible today, there is deterrent in the form of a potential ban if you are caught.

Legitimacy = More Transactions

Having a readily available auction house, blessed by Blizzard, will likely have a profound increase the frequency and breadth of such transactions.  Not only will it be legitimate, it will be convenient/easy.

This will probably be good news for those selling items, as they should have a huge customer base and much shorter turnaround for sales.  Whether that results in more overall profit is uncertain, but it seems likely.

Unusually Apathetic About Gold Farming and Botting

When asked about the prospect of gold farming and botting of characters, Blizzard Executive Vice President Rob Pardo said,

"Yes, it will, and if it does and it doesn't really break the game -- if it gives players what they want -- what do we care? Who are we to interfere?"

I find this somewhat troubling simply because Blizzard works hard to stymie gold farming and character-botting in World of Warcraft, where they do NOT CURRENTLY profit from such sales.  They even went so far as to sue a company that made botting software.

So, it seems that when Blizzard is not making money off of it, they think it's a problem, but it appears that when they will make money off of it, then "...what do we care? Who are we to interfere?"

Purity of the Game

I am happy to have everyone have a chance to enjoy the game and have fun, but given that there is a player-vs-player component to the game, this cash for power approach seems really screwed up.  Wining in such a situation should be based on your gameplay, not the size of your wallet.  And to those that say, "gear isn't everything", get back to me after you have your ass handed to you by someone clearly less skilled because they were pimped out in the very best gear right away because they have more disposable income than you.

A Development Crutch?

Imagine if you have players complaining about their ability to equip their character through regular gameplay.  Now imagine how that population might diminish with the addition of the auction house mentioned above.  Then imagine how that reality might impact development decisions.  I can definitely see this scenario play out:

Customer Service: "We have a lot of complaints that Boss JoJo The Deadly Clown does not drop enough Barbarian items."

Development: "So what?  They have the auction house, so there is a path for them to acquire the gear if they have really bad luck.  We have more important stuff to develop."

Evil money grubber: "Yeah, and besides, the more screwed up the drop rates are, the more valuable the rare items are, the more reliant players will be on the auction house to get them,  and the more money we make." [And this is where he rubs his hands like Mr. Burns]

Basically, the bug becomes a feature as it becomes the more profitable option for them.

Conclusion

It's unsettling. It would be less so if the company did not profit from it.  But hey, it's not like I have veto power for Diablo III development decisions, so I guess I'll have to wait and see how it works out like everyone else.

Deus Ex, Morality, and Choice - Would You Upgrade?

Deus Ex:Human Revolution releases in about one month and as I type a friend is callously enjoying a Deus Ex gathering at Comic-Con with out me.  But that is not the point of this post.

I read William Gibson's cyberpunk novels and I have spent many hours running Shadowrun (I gave you the wikipedia entry because it seems that every time I check up on the product line, another company has bought the license).

In all of that time, I never could settle on an answer to one simple question - if I could, would I get cyberware (or human augmentation, as some say)?

Sure, the extreme example is the street samurai.  Wired to the gills and so augmented that one starts to ask how human they are.  Or perhaps that's just a "glass half full" vs. "glass half empty" point of view, depending upon whether you favor humanity or ass-kicking technology.

The makers of Deus Ex have done some wonderful marketing.  They have created a website for the fictitious Sarif Industries, as well as producing two great videos, one promoting Sarif Industry augmentations and another video refuting the benefits of such augmentations.  You can find these videos and more on the Eidos Montreal YouTube channel.

They are great videos, I recommend you check them out.

As fantastic as these implants may seem, I think our current technology already gives us some insight into the challenges and limitations.  We are all painfully aware of how vulnerable technology is to being compromised.

Hacking is annoying enough.  Do you really want to get to a point where someone can hack your mind or body?  Implants will almost certainly include wireless access to facilitate firmware updates or even simple tweaks and repairs.

I think that would be too much for me, but then again I viewed cell phones very differently when they were just beginning to become commonplace.  A silly luxury, a risky dependence on a wireless network, you name it.  And yet here I am, with the latest iPhone in my pocket.

Which is to say, maybe I am naive.   Maybe I will protest and resist, but eventually succumb to the lure of the benefits...assuming we come anywhere close to what our science fiction fantasies have created.  The only thing I know for sure is that the impact will be profound.

So, would *you* upgrade?

DC Universe Online (DCUO) PS3 or PC?

DC Universe Online is an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) where players assume the role of newly super-empowered people in the DC Comics universe.  One distinctive aspect of it is that is an MMORPG that is available on the PC as well as PS3.

When I learned about this, the first thing that came to mind for me was, which platform is better?

The Word on the "Street"

Poking around on the interwebs turned up little of use.  PS3 users thought PS3 was the best idea.  PC users favored PC.  TenTonHammer has a cute graphic decision tree to help you make the right choice for you.  It is actually pretty enlightening.  By paying attention, you start to appreciate some of the things you might not have considered beyond the obvious question of whether or not you owned a PS3 (or were willing to get one):

1. Do you want to play this on a console controller or via mouse and keyboard?
2. Is the TV available enough for an MMORPG? 
3. Are you prepared for in-game communication?

These are pretty important considerations, because MMORPGs are, if nothing else, very time-intensive.  As a result, you should use peripherals that will be comfortable for you.  For most folks that game a lot on a PC, "going carpal" is not such a big consideration, they have played many a twitchy game on PC.  I know folks that have only played Halo on PC.

TV use can be a big one too.  If you are really going to take advantage of having a console hooked up to a TV for the big flashy experience, be sure that your many hours of play will not be an issue for others.

Communication can be an issue.  Do you have an appropriate headset and mic?  If you are on the PS3, do you have a keyboard?  And since Sony is so stingy with their cords*, do you need wireless?

* - a 1-meter cord for my controller?!  Really?!

MMO Means Social

OK, so maybe you have your headset and keyboard ready to go.  Are you ready to communicate MMO style?  MMORPGs are more social than a lot of games and long-time MMORPG players rely on a mixture of voice and text communication. 

Part of this stems from the typical voice chat, which works like a military radio.  One person talks at a time if everyone is going to understand.  That can get increasingly difficult as your group grows beyond two people and even with two people, the talking over each other, due to typical network latencies, can be taxing on one's patience.

Hence the mixture of voice and text.  While someone is talking on voice chat, you have a way to bang out some comments in a text chat channel without talking over them.  It's really quite valuable to have those options.

And now we get to the subtle point.  If you are not using a keyboard and mouse to play the game, there is going to be some awkwardness with typing out information.

This is Your Side of the Playground, This is Mine

Remember, this is an MMO.  The salient benefit of this game is the ability to cooperatively play with your friends.  The content will get old and you'll probably find holes in the PvP mechanics.  However, if you are there for something to do with your friends other than play another FPS (first person shooter), then you actually need those friends to be able to play with you.

Unfortuantely, the accounts for PS3 and PC are separate.

Which begs the question - do all of the friends you ever plan to play with in DCUO own the same system on which you plan to play?

I Am Going to Try Both

Yep, you read correctly.  I am curious to see how they compare.  Wish me luck. :)