The Devil to Pay

With Diablo IV out, adding a new chapter to the eternal conflict between good and evil, it is time we remember one of the times the series made the headlines, but for a very different reason that you can imagine.

The game that popularized the series was Diablo II, a game released in 2000. The game was compatible for online play and, among others, had a feature that allowed for players to trade items.

That option gave the idea to some people to start selling their (digital) weapons, armor, and magical artifacts for money. Real money!

Thus, websites were created, in which players could request the items they wanted and receive them after paying.This might not be something entirely unheard of now, but back in the day, paying real-life currency for in-game items was not common, and certainly a practice not many people would understand.

Blizzard was not entirely happy with that, so they created their own auction houses for players to bid on items of their next game, Diablo III. It is also said that they, on purpose, lowered the drop rate of good equipment, forcing players to buy the good one from them instead.

Now, I know what you are thinking. Was the precursor to Diablo: Immortal’s strategy of implementing a gazillion of lootboxes, paid items, and, in general, being a pay-to-win game? Maybe. But that game is a topic for another time.

You can learn more about this case and more on this video.