Gold prices dropping in the US
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 17th 2008 at 4:30PM
In the EU, things aren't so clear -- while there are still bumps around content releases, things are holding pretty steadily at a price well below the United States. Either way, no matter what price it is, we should note as well that buying gold from anywhere is against Blizzard's terms of service and will get you banned. Hopefully, these lower prices in WoW mean that Blizzard's attacks on goldsellers are working, and that low demand has driven the price down further than its been in a long time. Even so, and even assuming that these prices actually do correspond to the market (no idea where MMOBux gets their info from), there's not much concrete info we can suss out of this other than the fact that prices are dropping in the US.
[Via Worldofwar.net]
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Making money
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Yanel Apr 17th 2008 6:04PM
Yeah, with the raise from 10 to 25 dailies, golds MUCH easier to get, so that'd be my guess
Treima Apr 17th 2008 4:38PM
Or it could just be the inevitable inflation of MMO currency thanks to perpetual mob kills introducing more and more gold into the economy.
Xeren Apr 17th 2008 6:32PM
If no one ever spent gold on repairs, mounts, gems, armor, enchants, professions, and a thousand other things, you would be right. But money is constantly leaving the game at around the same rate it is entering it.
Xeren Apr 17th 2008 6:35PM
People think that the amount of gold coming into the game is unlimited, because there are an infinite number of mobs that can be killed and looted, but the number of mobs you can loot is limited by time.
You don't have an infinite amount of time to kill and loot mobs, so the gold supply is not infinite either.
Pzychotix Apr 17th 2008 6:41PM
This delicate balance of gold in = gold out has most definitely been thrown off with the most recent addition of dailies.
bluesky_v2.01 Apr 17th 2008 4:41PM
It's just my opinion but buying in-game stuff with real money is simply sad.
Pzychotix Apr 17th 2008 6:46PM
I assume pouring money into any other hobby is equally sad to you then.
A set of new, top of the line golf clubs? Sad.
A pair of sweet basketball shoes? Sad.
A booster pack for that TCG you love to play? Sad.
The only difference between WoW and any other hobby is that you can generate money much easier (i.e. in game gold is much easier to get than getting money playing professional golf).
jbodar Apr 17th 2008 7:04PM
@Pzychotix
Important difference though: There's no chance for me to get basketball shoes by "grinding" basketball. I HAVE to buy them myself. Sorry, but paying money for shortcuts is cheating the system, IMO.
Also, basketball shoes, contrary to what Nike tells us, do not dramatically improve your jump-shot.
Pzychotix Apr 17th 2008 8:18PM
You missed my last point.
You can, in fact, earn basketball shoes by playing basketball. Just play professional basketball well, and you can earn those shoes from sponsors. In golf, it's the same thing. And there, golf clubs make a tremendous difference. Golf club technology has made it possible for literally any average joe to hit some long drives now.
Same thing with TCGs. I play drafts with my friends at my local card shop, with booster packs for entry, and also as prizes. I earn booster packs through play.
The only difference between WoW and any of these other hobbies is that Blizzard frowns upon cash transactions while others do not. But that's not the point here. The point is that it's cynical for one to view one action as sad (as in something to be pitied), whereas the same exact action in a different environment, it's perfectly fine.
Silverrealm Apr 18th 2008 2:56PM
I'm sorry did I miss the part where this is VIRTUAL money nad you are comparing it to the REAL WORLD where currency rules?
Let me get out my imaginary pocket book and buy myself a million dollars. I could really use a boat.
*rollseyes*
Zor Apr 17th 2008 4:49PM
what do you call anyone who pays 15$ a month to play a game?
look at it from a 12 year olds point a view, then look at it from a pro-athlete's point of view
and ...your still playing real money to play a virtual thing, nothing new here
the amount you pay is relative to those with money or lack thereof
what about the Trading Card Game.....you telling me its around cause people play it?
morelikelly then not, looking for llot cards, now how is that different?
its like politics, if you pay tax on it ( pay Blizz) its legal
dont pay tax its illegal (gambling, prostitution, drugs)
you cant tax (or its extremely difficult to) thses things, hence illegal
notice cigs are still legal?....cause i cant grow their grade with their additives that have me by my balls
mensrea Apr 17th 2008 5:04PM
I agree with the main point you're making, but your arguments are for crap.
Things aren't illegal because they can't be taxed. Things aren't illegal because they're not taxed. In fact, drugs ARE taxed in many places (See, for example, Kansas) and still illegal.
It's also just as easy to tax the sale of WoW gold as it is anything else.
This isn't a taxation issue, it's an issue of Blizzard not liking something and making it against the rules.
Mad Cow Apr 17th 2008 4:51PM
Hi, we're WowInsider ... we hate gold buyers ... but hey, check this out, GOLD IS CHEAPER THAN EVER!!!! GET SOME!!!
Jeff Apr 17th 2008 4:55PM
Or it could be the daily quest and easier to obtain gold Blizzard has introduced made gold for the gold sellers that much easier to come by and has flooded the market causing a price war to the bottom for gold sellers.
Shumina Apr 17th 2008 4:58PM
I was just talking about this very point last night to my guildies. They were happy for the fact that there was so much new gold now that they'd be able to get their epic mounts and what not. It got me to thinking that when inflation rises in this WoW economy, it HAS to have real world effects to the gold farmers. Then it hit me in the face: Blizzard's not curbing the gold influx...they *want* the inflation. It's driving real cash prices down and I can see it eventually crashing out some of the bigger pay-for-gold services. Good on them, I say.
The inflation will need to eventually be addressed, however. What's hurting the gold farmers is going to be hurting us as well before much longer.
Charlie Taylor Apr 17th 2008 5:16PM
Inflation does not exist in a controlled market. Blizzard controls how much things cost, as well as how much money you could be making. Therefore any change in economy is completely controlled by them. Inflation occurs when market forces cause a denomination to fall in value, inflation is only a problem when either of these two things occur:
Income doesn't change to compensate.
Foreign denominations remain at the same value, creating an unbalanced international trade.
Since neither of these things occur in WoW, it is not inflation.
Treima Apr 17th 2008 5:22PM
But the player-run economy (the Auction House, enchanters, etc.) is not under Blizzard's control (or rather, it's a free market), and this is where a majority of trade and currency use is. With more gold in the economy, buyers spend more gold more freely, sellers increase prices, and thus you have inflation.
Charlie Taylor Apr 17th 2008 5:55PM
As I said, it's not a problem if income increases. The intrinsic value of the item remains the same. The system remains balanced. Those who make more money than others continue to make more money than others. Inflation only becomes a problem when one of the factors is out of wack. Since Blizzard controls the drop rate of items, the amount of money dailies give, and the amount you have to spend on repairs, it controls EVERY aspect of WoW's economy. Therefore inflation cannot occur.
The causes of inflation can occur yes, but the symptoms (eventual crash of the market because of ever increasing costs of living vs. wage) cannot occur because blizzard controls everything.
This is why 100% controlled markets do not work in real life. No one can control natural disasters, no one can control a source of iron to make steel running out, these are limited sources and therefore factors that cannot be controlled.
zdiver Apr 17th 2008 5:10PM
It would just be nice if every time i was in org there weren't two people standing on the mailbox spamming for gold buying sites.
If blizzard wanted this out of the game, they'd have done away with it by now. I guess the 14.99 / month gold buyer subscriptions still add to the bottom line.
h8rain Apr 17th 2008 5:20PM
Wow! Over $10 for 300 gold! I easily make 250g from the dailies in about 2 hours.... If I am low on dough, bored, or waiting in queue I do dailies to past the time and get money.