Blizzard Speaks Against Real Money Sellers

Blizzard posted a strong statement on their site condemning those who buy and sell in game items and money with real money. The threat was both to banning any accounts found doing this and taking legal action against the sellers. Those who have followed our site in the past know that we have taken great pains to turn down the advertising dollars offered by these companies, even when many other sites have willingly run their ads, and even though their offers have been very lucrative. I feel very strongly that these activities ruin the games we play and should be dealt with harshly. Here's hoping that, unlike some of the other game companies, Blizzard follows through with their threats and keeps these sellers out of their game. This is far too good of a game to be ruined in this manner. Here's the full text of what was published on the official site: --------- It has come to our attention that certain individuals are selling Blizzard's in-game property for cash on auction sites such as eBay and on personal websites. The World of Warcraft Terms of Use clearly state that all of the content in World of Warcraft is the property of Blizzard, and Blizzard does not allow "in game" items to be sold for real money. Accordingly, Blizzard Entertainment will take any and all actions necessary to stop this behavior. Not only do we believe that it is illegal, but it also has the potential to damage the game economy and overall experience for the many thousands of others who play World of Warcraft for fun. In order to promote a fun and fair environment for all our customers, we are actively investigating those individuals who engage in this inappropriate activity and reserve the right to take legal action against these individuals to protect World of Warcraft for all those who "play by the rules." If you are found to be selling in-game property (such as coins, items, or characters), for real money, you will lose your characters and accounts, and Blizzard Entertainment reserves its right to pursue legal action against you as well. We also want to remind potential buyers in the game to please refrain from buying in-game property with real money. We understand the temptation to purchase better items, but Blizzard, and not the seller, does own all in-game property. In addition, we feel that characters can find ample equipment and money within the game through their own adventuring and questing. Please understand that if you do purchase in-game property from sellers on eBay and personal sites, we may temporarily suspend your account, and at the very least, delete the offending items. Thank you for understanding our position. Blizzard Entertainment is committed to maintaining the atmosphere of fair play and fun in World of Warcraft.

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w00t
# Dec 11 2004 at 5:09 PM Rating: Excellent
Awesome decision. Blizzard has always been a very upstanding game company, imho, and this goes to prove it. Very customer-friendly, very devoted to their products... Blizzard not only is THE top-of-the-line gaming company, they are quickly becoming the company that defines the line itself.
*Cheer*
# Dec 11 2004 at 4:28 PM Rating: Excellent
20 posts
Bravo Blizzard! I know there are lots of us out here that thank you for that stance.
Wish SE did this for FFXI
# Dec 11 2004 at 3:55 PM Rating: Excellent
Good to see Blizzard isn't complacent like Squeenix was with their game. Ban thier accounts and show them that we want a legit game, not under the control of chinese gil sellers like in FFXI...

fortunately this game is so well designed it's much harder to exploit /camp things and ruin it for other gamers, but knowing the rats they will try to find ways to inflate the economy and have monopoly over sought after items. I'm pleased Blizzard has acknowledged this threat early on before it gets out of hand.
WTG
# Dec 11 2004 at 3:23 PM Rating: Excellent
WTG, Blizzard. Sue the IGNs of the world into the friggin' ground. Vultures ruining the game for real players.
RE: WTG
# Dec 13 2004 at 1:52 PM Rating: Decent
27 posts
mebbe SE realized they made ffxi such a drag to farm/level unlike WoW which is fun every moment as soon as u login... on ffxi i spent more time waiting for invites; then waiting for the other 5 people to get together; then waiting to find one of the few designated leveling area for your level that aint overcamped more than anything else...
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