MMORPG Sweatshops?

[Ryan Burger]

Here's an astounding article on gaming sweatshops and gold farming:
www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3141815&did=1

What do you think? What are the ethical issues of gold farming? How real are these issues (eg. are they less real because they're in a game?)

Voice your opinion!

[tinytibb]

Ethical issues? What ethical issues? I might quote the very last line here for a second

"They get paid dirt. But dirt is good where they live."

I mean, its not much, and it may not be "fair pay", but its still better than nothing at all. These people wouldn't be seeking a job that pays that little if they had something better to fall back on. Besides... how freaking skilled labor is it to watch the computer play itself... and field any questions you might get from moderators or other players. I wouldn't pay someone minimum wage for that either... but I'm not in the business.

You can pull the emotional strings if you want... "poor people! living on such wretched wages while the boss gets rich!"... ... ya, thats called every major corporation ever. D'you think the clerk at Microsoft Headquarters makes even a thousandth of the salary that big ole Master Gates does? Do you think Gates does any work himself anymore? Ya, there you go.

And then there's the players "crippled playing experience", where the entertainment factor of the game is lost because other people are benefitting from bots, farming, and some cold hard cash. Let me go have a look at little league here real quick... oh, wait, there's Billy playing first base with his .047 batting average... and there's James playing shortstop hitting .325 with 6 homers this freaking inning. Does anyone have a problem with that one? No! James is just a good player. How did he get to be a good player? He invested: time, money (batting cage anyone?), effort. Its the exact same condition, just under different circumstances, but noones crying wolf now. Players who choose to play legitimately do indeed fall behind players who are willing to invest either rediculous amounts of time and effort or who don't have a problem with spending $200.00 on that shiny new Giant's Axe of Murderizing.

It all comes down to how serious you take the game - just like any other game, and not limited to video games (sports, chess, poker, the works) when you're the player. If you're in it to have fun, then how well you stack with other players doesn't matter anyways. Its about the undeniable joy of whacking that womp rat something awful with your rifle on Tatooine, or being freaking awesome and conjuring up bread and ale from the ether like some pickle-nosed trolls I know (ya, you know who i'm winking at right now). And if you're not in it to have fun, and would rather be in it to be awesome, then you're the kind of person who should be shelling out the bucks on it anyways, so just be happy that there are people out there making it so that you can.

So anyways, thats my take on it (from both the ethical and practical [as a gamer] standpoint). Maybe I just need a heart... maybe not.

[Ryan Burger]

What about the effect of gold farming on other players? I haven't taken econ before, so I might be dead wrong, but wouldn't having more gold available lower the value all around?

[dvideogamer]

yes it would, as supply increases price decreases. basic economics

[nemoutopia]

You'd think it would. You'd THINK. However, because gold spent by a player in game goes TO THE GAME, not to another player, you're not actually decreasing its in-game value. There is no player running the NPC (NON-Player characters) who "profits" by taking your gold (or whatever). So, because of this, it's hard to say that in-game currency devalues as there is more of it. Can you even say that the amount really changes? {Edit}Also, you're not actually using it for things such as basic needs: food, home, children, etc. {/edit} Also, sadly, it is a business like any other: with one exception. Like smuggling, it's specifically illegal by ANY EULA (end-user liscense agreement, for those who don't know) which MUST be agreed to to play a game in the first place. This means that profiting through such means, regardless of ethics, is illegal. The problem is that instead of tracking down abusers and bringing litigation against them, they just ban them, let them create a new account, ban them, let them create a new account, ban them....you get the idea. {Edit} What the future holds, only time will tell...oh, yeah, almost forgot. Just my 2 influence ;D{/edit}

[dvideogamer]

Intresting, well I do think it is a HUGE problem that nothign is beign doen about it. My thoery on laws is this: If it's a law then i should be enforced, if it isn't gonna be enforced or we are gonna change it for every little circumstance, it shouldn't be a law. If not, laws are essentially meaningless.