I can't believe this has happened, but I suppose it was inevitable.
If you have ever played massively multiplayer online role-playing games like Star Wars Galaxies or EverQuest, you probably know that they can take up your life. In essence, it takes an enormous amount of time and energy to create a powerful and resourceful character in those games. Some people get really addictaed and achieve this on their own, but other players (perhaps ones with a life) choose either to settle for mediocre characters or they spend money to have other people get powerful technology or artifacts for them.
It's commonplace for economies to develop within these games that are just as complex as the real-world. Wire News reported on that way back in 2002. I believe there were even earlier studies, google turns up most of them.
Well, it looks like MMORPG economies have taken on another real-world spin, outsourcing this "drudge work" to other countries!
I can just see it now, I'm in a tavern, drinking a virtual meade, when in comes a salesman selling +5 Swords of Dragon Slaying at discount prices. Seeing the competition, the local salesman draws his blade and attacks the foreigner! Unfortunately for the local salesman, the foreigner has superior armor and weapons and makes short work of the local...
Wired News has the whole article.
Posted by Nick Codignotto at August 24, 2004 09:22 AM | TrackBack