I Want Those Dragons Dead by Monday

By day, Joe pays the Chinese to develop his software.  By night, he pays the Chinese to play his computer games.  Joe loves the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), World of Warcraft, but he doesn't have the time to play the early levels to advance his character.  This frustrates Joe.  Instead he let's a kid in China play and then buys the account, or in some cases the magic spells, the swords, the shields.

I recently read an article in the New York Times about exactly this.  There are businesses starting up in China where scores of people paly computer games to advance their characters so that they can be sold to Westerners.  I quote the article:

"For many online gamers, the point is no longer simply to play. Instead they hunt for the fanciest sword or the most potent charm, or seek a shortcut to the thrill of sparring at the highest level. And all of that is available - for a price."

Basically, Joe works too hard to have time to play the game but pays for somebody else to play it for him.  It's sad but true.

Is it worth spending the money to advance your character instead of doing it by playing?  Sure it is, your character is you.  It's no different than buying a better car for yourself.  These MMORPG's gives the player "a second chance in life".  Maybe you hate your job and get not gratification, but when you are in the game, you are the king of your domain.  If that's the case, you'd rather buy for my imaginary self than for your real self.  It's "The Matrix" happening voluntarily.

You may ask why doesn't the game publisher sell the same magic sword and keep the money for themselves?  If they made it easy, then a lot of people would buy it, and there would still be no relative difference between the players.  Effectively, people would pay more for the same experience.  Nonetheless, I think they will, or at least run the marketplace for it.

More to come on this topic.