Enter the World of the Chinese Gold Farmer
June 22, 2007 - ז' תמוז תשס"ז by admin
The world of MMOGs has evolved and matured over the years and today the market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars with 30+ million avid gamers across the world and 80+ major titles in current circulation.
We’ve previously written about the big daddy of MMOGs – World of Warcraft (WoW) – and this past weekend the New York Times Magazine reported on the grey-market that has developed around these games.
The fascinating article exposes the surreal life of a “Chinese Gold Farmer”, Li Qiwen, who works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, slaying dragons and collecting virtual gold coins in WoW. He is part of a $2 billion a year grey market for R. M. T (real-money-trading), a phenomena of buying and selling virtual goods. “It is estimated that there are thousands of businesses like it all over China, neither owned nor operated by the game companies from which they make their money. Collectively they employ an estimated 100,000 workers, who produce the bulk of all the goods in what has become a $1.8 billion worldwide trade in virtual items.”
Julian Dibbell, the author of the article, has written a book entitled “Play Money: Or How I Quit My Day Job and Made Millions Trading Virtual Loot.” He reports that, “for every 100 gold coins he gathers, Li makes 10 yuan, or about $1.25, earning an effective wage of 30 cents an hour, more or less. The boss, in turn, receives $3 or more when he sells those same coins to an online retailer, who will sell them to the final customer (an American or European player) for as much as $20.”
Read the article and watch the video to get a glimpse into Li’s life.
