Re:Life of a Chinese Gold Farmer
by Tichy on Sunday June 17, 2007 @05:01PM
(#28726)
I think there are worse things in the world. After all, they don't really harm anybody, or do they? In WoW you can't really harm other players, I think.
[ Parent
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You can harm someone indirectly through the in-game economy.
Out-of-game virtual goods trading can kill meaning of progress in a game- whether there was much meaning to begin with is another debate.
This economic link between worlds breaks the "magic circle" that separates game from real life. This can hurt or kill the experience of a game, depending on how much it relies on suspension of disbelief. Then again, this also opens opportunities to explore, both in game/experience design and in business.