Hey there. Michele here. How much do you know about gold farming? MMORPGs? How about labor exploitation, wage problems in China, and the trade of virtual goods? Way too much or not enough? Yeah, I didn’t either until I went to Singapore and realized that most young adults and 20 somethings there play World of Warcraft, Maple Leaf, or one of the other 80+ MMORPGs. Some people play longer hours than they work or socialize with family and friends!
What’s more, is that much of the fun of these games has turned into an industry. A big one. And millions of dollars are being spent and earned for things that only exist in the virual world! Crazy? Maybe. Revolutionary? Certainly? An important issue? Definitely, and you should be in the know because this affects you! Ebay, the original marketplace for virtual goods in these gold farms, recently banned the sale of MMORPG goods and companies owning the rights to these alternative reality games are trying to cut down on the industry where many Chinese gamers play for hours only to earn a few dollars, the working conditions could be considered comparable to the sweatshops of jeans and sneakers, and Europeans/Americans pay big bucks for virtual goods many of the developing world could not afford. And these items don’t event exist! Crazy!!!
Read more about it here and let us know what you think!
I came to know about Gold Farming backed 2,3 years ago. I still think that these people are being exploited. Let’s face it, IF a business were not making money, why do you think the business owner wants to do that? We also want to understand the business practices of many Chinese business owners (in that sense I do not limit to ONLY mainland Chinese business owner. I am not surprise there are foreign business owners are exploiting the people as well, in China).
5, 6 years ago I was in Malaysia. I did not have a lap-top (I do not want one and will never want to own one. I don’t want to be a slave to a lab-top and the internet), I went to a local internet cafe to check my emails. 100% of the clients were children below the ages of 12, 13. AND all of them were playing games. These were kids from poor income families, with no PC or internet at home. So, then what is the point of the very well promoted project by a MIT professor (I forgot his name) about One PC Per Child? in poor, developing country? How are they going to control kids using the OLPC for games instead of studying? Playing internet games does not limit to people from poor, developing countries. Just look at how popular video games is for x-mas or birthday present.
We under estimate the damage internet and PC etc. is doing to our society. We only want to believe the advantages of the internet (of course there are many), but fail to want to see the weakness of human natures. How often do we see parents buy vidoe games for kids to play? Why do they want to do that? Why don’t they want to take the kids out for a walk, to the library, read with them …?