The Hobbit Hole XXXI - Mawwage is what bwings us togethew today!

http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ ^ | Sept 7 2006

[RosieCotton]

You mean people buy and sell in-game items like weapons in addition to characters?

I had no idea...

[RosieCotton]

What happened to good old-fashioned beat-the-snap out of other characters and take their stuff?

[TalonDJ]

Think about it like this. It takes time to go out and kill stuff and get money. If you want to go straight to already having money you exchange real cash for the time someone else already spent to go out and get stuff. So in a sense you are saying, I want to play the cooler harder parts of the game but I don't have the time to work my way there and I think my time is worth some cash. Kind of makes sense.

The FUNNY part is 'Chinese farmers'. Since westerners and more affluent Asian countries count their time more valuably, companies in China hire people for peanuts to play the game and then sell the virtual gold they get to people with more money than spare time for real cash. And since over there peoples time or worth way less to to the reality of global costs of living, the companies make a killing. So you have these random loaner characters withs strange names running around dungeons killing stuff for the gold (they call that 'farming') and unable to communicate in english. Most players can't stand Chinese Farmers (and few will admit they have bought gold from them. But to Americans it is not a bad deal. If you just want a big influx of cash in the game to get cool goodies you can exchange 30 bucks or so for what might take you 4-10 hours of the more boring part of the game, farming for gold.

It is kind of the ultimate in internet capitolisting opertunism. Very ironic it is mostly chinese that do that.

[RosieCotton]

Fascinating.

I think I need more popcorn. ;-)

[Rb ver. 2.0]

My kids made $250 selling A WOW character of theirs online.

Younger son heard a certain desirable drug was going to be banned from the game (but not banned from your inventory if you had it prior to the ban) so he spent all his time building up a huge inventory of this stuff and now trades it for things to increase the real money value of his current character, which he plans to sell.

Those Asian game farmers can be scams. Son#2 used Son#1's credit card to buy some game gold for $60 and was told it would take a few days for the farmers to get it. Days kept passing and he kept getting put off, so he called the credit card company and cancelled the order. He was pretty sure it was a scam.

[Lil'freeper]

I have now completed a task.

Not for my project... but for the project that gave me the boot.

They came up here with their pouty-faces, "Gee, Lil' we're so baaaaaad at pictures and PowerPoint. Will you help us? Please??"

It took Photoshop and me about 15 minutes to pretty up their mess. I popped downstairs to say, "Tadaaaah!"

But they've all gone to lunch. How tacky.

I rock anyway. It's not like I had anything better to do.

[Overtaxed]

No chimney liner today, eh?

[Ramius]

Mornin' folkses... [sip]

Speaking of WOW, there was I think a case a couple years ago of a murder case in Japan related to a deal gone sour within EverQuest. Something to do with a sword being traded in the game in exchange for some real Yen. Then the buyer was unhappy with it or something. Ended up hunting down and doing in the seller.

Yah know... when full-immersion interfaces become a reality... it'll be the last time we see a segment of the population. I can see some people just deciding to live in the virtual world.

[osagebowman]

Nope, and it's still drizzling. After 4 months of no rain, we finally get fall weather. It's not too bad in here this morning, about 66 degrees. Need to get more firewood in and drying for tonight before I change into non-bonfire stinking clothes and go to the drugstore.

LSA

[TalonDJ]

Maybe... Having done a lot if it I don't see it that way. Some people spend all their time watching sports, or TV shows, or hanging out in bars, or at the gym. And some play a lot of games. Yeah some lose touch with 'reality' but at the risk of offending some people, how is that so different than spending all your free time looking at sports statistics? But, in a lot of ways it is a deeper kind of escapism so some people will all but check out. I think sooner or later we will see 'gamer retirement' communities. Give them a zillion bucks and it is like being in a full service old-folks home with a broadband connection.

[Overtaxed]

Oh well. It's supposed to be in the 70's tomorrow.

[osagebowman]

Yeah, I'm hoping he will make it out tomorrow, 'cause the temps are suppose to plumment again Wednesday. I have to be at Repub. Hdqtrs. for part of Wednesday to do one more mailing, so I'll stay warm (and I won't have to listen to Miss Annie!!)

[Overtaxed]

Meow!

Miss Cat seems happy to have her reflecting pad in action. She's comfy cozy in my laptop case.

[g'nad]

I need tuh try that...

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"Mom! More Hot Pockets!"

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Here's your path to a fortune, Design a feeding tube/w access for this thing:

[Corin Stormhands]

Cool! Lookin' forward to it.

[SuziQ]

Yah know... when full-immersion interfaces become a reality... it'll be the last time we see a segment of the population. I can see some people just deciding to live in the virtual world.

How would that be different from the way those folks are today? ;o)

[RosieCotton]

Mmm...Hot Pockets...

Don't have to be a gamer to appreciate those. ;-) They made good FReeping fuel, too.

[RosieCotton]

Point...