China's "gold farming ban" misinterpreted News
MMO PC News by Oli Welsh
An authority on the trade in virtual items and currencies has discredited claims earlier this week that the Chinese government had banned gold farming.
On his ICTs for Development blog, Professor Richard Heeks of Manchester University interprets the move as an attempt to restrict the use of virtual currencies - used widely in Chinese internet portals - to buy real goods and services, particularly gambling. In fact, that's the opposite of gold trading, which is the use of real currency to buy virtual goods and services.
"This is a government restriction on the use of the quasi-Paypal-like currencies (mainly QQ coins) that are used extensively in China to pay for virtual game stuff. As announced they can now only be used to pay for virtual stuff, and you can't buy real things with them as game companies were allowing to happen, nor can you gamble," said Heeks.
"This therefore is not about what gold farming clients do: use real money to buy these virtual currencies; it's the mirror image. And it's not about the major trade in gold farming such as World of Warcraft, which relates to other types of virtual currency. And it's not about buying/selling in-game items. And it's not about the power-levelling of avatars. Bottom line: it's not about gold farming."
So the multi-billion dollar grey market in MMO currencies and services is safe for now, it seems. To learn more about the business, read Eurogamer's recent four-part series, Gold Trading Exposed: Introduction, The Sellers, The Players, and The Developers.
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Comments: 1-21 of 21 in total
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kangarootoo
02/07/09 @ 09:00
+11
"So are you going to apologise to your readers for poor journalism?"
Did you even read the bloody article? Should EG have actually called up the Chinese government for clarification? Did you lose hours of sleep over this misinterpretation? Get over yourself. |
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kangarootoo
02/07/09 @ 09:34
0
@woodnotes
That took two edits? Its just a daft comment to make. Playing the outraged and victimised punter. Acting like EG are all a bunch of work shy losers just because they aren't experts on Chinese law. That sort of comment just has waaambulance written all over it. Apologise indeed, seriously. Edit: What is this? Tongue in cheek you say? You devious bugger ;)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 02/07/09 @ 10:35
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kangarootoo
02/07/09 @ 10:37
0
"Does this mean that MS Points would be ban in China"
Now that is a very good question. |
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Stepharneo
02/07/09 @ 10:41
0
It's still money for nothing and drugs for free...
Let me re-phrase that, they are still allowing people to trade stuff with real world value for stuff with virtual value, doesn't matter if they say it's opposite, it's the same. Pretty random really. I suppose one sounds worse. |
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kangarootoo
02/07/09 @ 10:52
0
@Stepharneo
I guess it might have been a way of dodging tax or something. They also make reference to gambling, so if you aren't gambling with real money it might not legally count as gambling and therefore fall outside of current gambling laws. |
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+1
"It's seems quite clear that you can buy virtual money with real money. ... You just can't trade virtual money for real money."
So, person A buys gold from person B, in exchange for real money, and that's fine. Meanwhile, person B sells real money to person A, in exchange for gold, and that's forbidden. Aren't these exactly the same situation? |
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optimusprym8
02/07/09 @ 12:44
0
balls, I thought this could have been the one thing that the MMO industry really needed. Oh well, my experiences will continue to be spoiled by farming bots then. So close, so far.
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notmyrealname
02/07/09 @ 18:44
-5
# woodnotes You are being downvoted because you are right.
I love the internet!1010101! |
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0
... if Person A pays real money for virtual money from Person B ... isn't Person B "buying" real money with his virtual money from Person A .... don't worry - i confused myself too!
EDIT: LOL - i just realised someone made the same exact example a couple of posts before .... ah well!
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 02/07/09 @ 21:43
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cyber_nicco
02/07/09 @ 21:04
0
I don't get it. When someone pays real money for virtual money, the other party is selling virtual money for real money. It would seem that you can't just have the "opposite", as Professor Heeks suggests.
Of course, the target may not of been things like MMO currency. My point is simply that if one person is spending real money to get virtual money (or goods), there is obviously someone selling virtual goods for real money. |
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kangarootoo
03/07/09 @ 08:00
+1
@woodnotes
"It's seems quite clear that you can buy virtual money with real money." followed by... "You just can't trade virtual money for real money." And that seems quite clear to you does it? Well I guess my logic is just flawed, 'cos they look like the same thing to my eyes. Edit: Ah, what Excors said.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 03/07/09 @ 09:01
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Comments: 1-21 of 21 in total
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