Diablo 3 Auction house to be shut down in March 2014

The much maligned auction house system in Diablo 3 is going to be removed, Blizzard confirmed today. Apparently, Microsoft isn't the only company that listens to its consumers and backtracks on unfavorable features.

"When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades. But as we've mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo's core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot," explained Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls production director John Hight.

And with that, Blizzard will be doing away with both the gold AND real-money auction house system in Diablo 3. The shutdown will occur on March 18, 2014, so we still have a bit of ways to go.

"We feel that this move along with the Loot 2.0 system being developed concurrently with Reaper of Souls will result in a much more rewarding game experience for our players," Hight continued. Blizzard is still working out details as to how the auction house system will be shut down, but wanted to give players as much notice as possible.

Are you pleased with Blizzard's decision to remove the auction house?