Is real money for game items in our future?
by Elizabeth Harper 
Jun 9th 2007 at 3:09PM
But, we all know that something will happen in the next two to five years to business models in general, so we're paying attention to what's going on [with the secondary market]; watching what's going on with Sony Station whose servers support and manage this.
Does Steefel have a point? In the long run, is the only way to fight the secondary market to legalize it and integrate it with our games? But even if you look at Everquest II, where Sony provides an official method for selling gold, items, and characters for real cash, there's still a secondary market. And I've got to say, if Sony's method doesn't stop secondary market gold sales, I've got to wonder if any method of legitimizing the trade will. And while we wait to see what Steefel decides to do with Lord of the Rings Online, we can watch Blizzard approach the problem in their own way -- in the courts.
[Via Joystiq]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Economy
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris M Jun 9th 2007 3:27PM
What it seems you're trying to push here Elizabeth- is eliminating the whole issue of a merchantable society- virtual or not.
Whenever someone offers a service, someone else will offer it cheaper- and then someone else even cheaper, and so-on and so-forth. That's all I imagine is happening with any virtual secondary market. You could level the character yourself (expensive in terms of time) or you could pay someone to do it for you (possibly less expensive). You could pay sony to do it for you, or you could pay Joe Nobody that needs college tuition; who will do it much cheaper because he's not financing a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Eliminating the secondary market is only possible through a virtual nazi-regime in our games- which isn't much fun.
Well, it was fun for Hitler, and it'd be fun for the Nazis- but you get my point.
Chris
Tom Jun 9th 2007 3:44PM
said it before, and i'll say it again.
if companies such as blizzard sell gold or items for real world currency themselves. the incentive for people to buy from 3rd party companies and risk being banned is gone.
im sure it costs nothing for blizzard to create gold or items, they can make as much as they like. 100% profit? (minus the cost of admin fees to sell them that is)
Of course... this could make the game unbalanced for those who cant afford to buy gold or items... but then again those who can might just buy from other companies anyway right?
Natt Jun 11th 2007 1:02AM
Isn't it a clear sign that something is wrong with the game if people pay money so that they do not have to play parts of it?
Who can resist the temptation of including enormous timesinks in subscriber fee based software?
Chris M Jun 9th 2007 5:24PM
Tom, I think you didn't see my point.
If Blizzard offers their wares at one price, the people who are really (per-se) 'frugal' will opt to pony up less cash to anyone that can give them the same service cheaper.
Then it becomes a price war with Blizzard Entertainment vs the World.
Not exactly optimal in stopping third party sellers.
Chris
Meno Jun 9th 2007 6:40PM
It all depends on what they sell for. I dont see what the big deal is, I have always bought gold and always will.
Instead of spending hours and hours grinding I can just pay $20 and get a mount, gear, weapons, whatever.
len Jun 9th 2007 8:01PM
This game is a contest to decide whose time is the least valuable. Buying gold to save time is cheating.
Let the banhammer fall loudly and often.
Rich Jun 9th 2007 8:40PM
The MMO's companies selling items and ingame money for real cash is the way of the future. The Korean games already do it, some of the American games do too (Second Life anyone?) and others are thinking about it.
There is a HUGE amount of money to be made on top of the game from selling items. We've seen already games popping up on for XBOX Live, Wii and PS3 that would be considered "incomplete" and the pieces can be purchased.
We know there is a huge market for this. If there wasn't, there would be no golf farmers selling their "warez". IGN is being sued for making millions. So the demand is there and companies will be stupid not to take advantage of it.
Like it or not, it really will be the way of the future for MMO's. We may not see it in WoW, but you can bet, it will be more common in future games.
Merus Jun 10th 2007 12:42AM
I think I prefer the way that Puzzle Pirates handles RMT - most of the casual Korean games have a very similar system.
In these RMT games, your money can buy cosmetic improvements (like different coloured armour) and items that might, theoretically, make a difference (like a Unique potion). The way these games are set up is that you can spend as much as you want, but if you can't play the game, no amount of spending money will get you an IWIN button. (Puzzle Pirates players have learned to watch out for players who are dressed in all-black with a giant fleet and about three other crew members - it's a sure sign that you're dealing with someone trying to buy their way to victory, and thus probably isn't very good.)
For a game designed like WoW, where you can get a fair way without requiring skill and the amount of in-game items you have determines your rate of progress, I'd be loathe to see RMT. But if it had to go in? I'd guess the safest places to allow you to use real money would be for repairs and buying special consumables (like the aforementioned Unique potions - you can only carry a limited amount). You could also perhaps use real money to buy items already available from vendors, such as gems. (Obviously, no trading real money.)
Again, I would be loathe to see RMT in a game that it wasn't designed around, because it has the potential to massively break things.
Rhadagast Jun 10th 2007 1:04AM
Somebody is going to be short on tme, high on cash, it is inevitable. Life happens. There is going to be somebody with lots of time, who can make more money at WoW than at McDonalds. So gold buying happens, bad thing, should not be allowed, yadayadayada.
I have not bought Gold, have my epic flyer, and can farm like mad. Why? because it is fun, and good stress relief (Kurenai exalted, using the same path for consortium, Nagrand Ogre's have nightmares about me).
If you want to buy gold, good, no problem, there should be a server set for you, and Blizzard sould sell it to you. Nice ad - want to get there quick? $100 gets you to 50, 200 to 60, 300 o 70. It would throw PVP off a bit, but if a guild hits a lot of world firsts by buying their gold to get the mats to get the crafted items for an advantage, least we know it by the server set they are on. Guy bragging about his gear? Whats your server - suddenly deathy silence.
In short - let them buy, just let them be elsewhere from those of us just having fun. If the buyers are gone, so are the farmers. If it costs more to transfer a character to get the gold than you can sell it for, they go poof, AH prices normalize, and you can farm what you need.
Hornface Jun 10th 2007 10:58AM
I like the idea of pay-for-gold servers. It sounds like a good outlet. And hey, maybe it'll be a revenue stream for Blizzard.
I also like the emphasis on reputation in the expansion. You can buy gold, but you can't buy rep.
Of course, I'd like it if the reputation grind were mixed up a little. Random world events, maybe, along the lines of the elemental invasions in Azeroth. You happen to be in a capital city when a yell goes out than an invasion force is on the way. Everybody in town gets five minutes to form up into groups, then a few waves of mobs start coming. You get a little rep just for surviving the battle, and you get more for taking down foes. If you're in a party with lower-level players, you get even more rep, giving the end-gamers an incentive to team up with the littles.
It could be fun. It might also be an unbelievable investment in developer time that could never pay off. I really don't know.
Lori Jun 10th 2007 2:38PM
The idea of selling ingame gear for real life money is VERY troubling to me. If it becomes a reality and the generally accepted way of getting T5 (or whatever) sets, I would most likely stop playing. Fine if they want to sell new hairdos or non-combat pets and I don't have a problem with people buying gold to get epic mounts. They aren't necessary to succeed at playing the game. But the day they start selling necessities will be the day I quit.
Aiggan Jun 11th 2007 10:42AM
Aside from needing a couple more thousand gold for my epic flyer, there's nothing on my server I can or want to buy. When I look on the AH for stuff most everything is less powerful that what I have and I am not "uber geared". I'm sure this will change just as more and more of tier sets in the pre-expansion became BOE, but for now you really seem to only need a large pile of gold for that epic flyer.
Juliah Jun 11th 2007 11:44AM
The whole gold buying thing leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. I don't think Blizzard or any other MMO company should pander to cheaters. People who buy gold: it's just a game. Why is it so important for you to accelerate it? Progress at your own pace and earn your own rewards.
franz Jun 11th 2007 3:05PM
As soon as you put a hard-and-fast price on things and items in a game, we're going to be taxed. TAXES NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!