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Despite government, civic groups and media features, the Chinese gold farming industry - with online game World of Warcraft as the primary vehicle, continues on.
Some proponents of the underground industry are adamant that the supply is still huge. They think that gold farming will continue to exist because players will continue to look for it and pay for it. “The reason people buy gold is the same reason they pay people to wash their car – they would rather spend money than do it themselves”, said one anonymous Chinese gold farmer.
Let’s take a look at the current state of the Chinese gold farming industry and take a behind-the-scenes-look at 2 actual employees.
One more click, sir…
Case Study 1: Li
Here’s an excerpt from a post at MMOSITE:
Li is just one of more than 100 workers employed by Wow7gold, an internet-based company that makes more than 1m pounds a year selling in-game advantages to World of Warcraft players. Customers may ask for their avatar’s skill level to be increased (“power levelling”), or for a virtual magic sword or precious ore to be obtained. As one player put it: “Where there’s a demand, China will supply it.”
For thousands of Chinese workers such as Li, “gold farming” is a way of life. Workers can expect to earn between $100 to $150 (PHP4,800 to P7,200) a month which, given the long hours and night shifts. After completing his shift, Li is given a basic meal of rice, meat and vegetables and falls into a bunk bed in a room that eight other gold farmers share. His wages may be low, but food and accoMMOdation are included.
Case Study 2: Eva Yuan
A 26-year-old graduate who speaks three languages, she has been working in the white-collar departments of Wow7gold for more than a year. Each day she helps more than 100 customers, placing orders and answering queries. “Most of our customers are from America but they are people of all ages and careers,” she says. “The biggest transaction I have seen was one person who bought 100,000 gold, which costs $3,000 (P144,000). For me this is a lot of money but for them it is not.”
After leaving university, Yuan was unable to find employment in the “real” economy. Now, the $325 (P15,600) she makes every month at Wow7gold allows her – with a bit of help from her parents – to support her one-year-old son.
“We face unemployment in some areas and China has a large population so the challenge is severe,” she says. “These firms provide the employee with a place to live and money to earn. When I came there were just 100 employees, now there are over 130. This is a new and innovating area for the economy”. I ask Yuan whether she thinks her job is worthwhile. “Everything that appeals to some people in the world needs some people to produce it. We are allowing people to buy what they want, and we care about that.”
The latest estimates put around 400,000 Asians (mostly Chinese) employed in these sweat shops.
The underground industry is reported to make around $900 Million (PHP43.6 B) a year. With a customer base numbering from 5 to 10 million. This is expected to grow in the years to come as Internet access and online games become more popular.
Via MMOSITE
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I know two people here in the country who does this and earning PHP6,000 to PHP10,000 a week from Hero Online. The only different is that he still had a full time job but whenever he stays a home he gold farmed with his partner. He is doing this for more than a year now. While for him its not feasible for local games when he tried doing the same strategy in one online game in the country.
Whats your stand on this ? in most cases its considered illegal for most game publishers but if it can give jobs to unemployed filipinos maybe it can be re-considered ?
a big no no for me.. eventually magfafade din ung laro.. edi back to 0 ulet ung mga employees..
sabihin na nting bad… pero kung yan lang talaga ikabubuhay ng isang tao.. wala na tayo cguro sa pusisyon para sbhing di fair or di tama ung ginagawa nila…
magfafade? ang totoong tanong, magfafade nga ba AGAD? i’ll give WOW a decade more of gaming years.. #1 online game ba nman sa buong mundo.. and marami pang possible udpates sa WOW..pero awtz.. no social life.. maliban sa socializing sa kapwa farmers..haha.. boring din kpag in d long run >,
If a company sell things, it reminds property. If it reminds property, it reminds taxes. That’s my comment to the first poster. Does LU pay taxes for each cool super hat that it sells GM T?
Back on topic, thinking here, I don’t really mind those farmers. If they play by the rules and someone wants to pay for whatever they produce, that’s fine by me. I don’t do that and I don’t recommend others to do it for many reasons, game rules and account security mainly. What really breaks a game in my opinion is botting and other means of cheating.
@blades
the earliest decline that WoW will get is when Blizzard unveils it’s new MMO.
I agree with bRO’s points. It’s a supply and demand thing though.
We do pay taxes but not directly for the sale of each item. There’s no law for it yet. But our main product, the top-up card, is mandated by law to be taxed.
@GM T – thanks for the clarification!
still, if ever a new mmo to topple wow exists, there will be gold farmers there as well
it might be a net loss for the first few quarters but it will pick up
simple, supply and demand
argue anything you want about how non feasible making money out of playing a game is,
but the bottom line is, it’s just simply supply and demand. plain black and white.
as long as people are willing to buy, people will be willing to sell
as an off topic issue
i personally think that SOME people who think that playing games is something an immature person does, is more immature than the actual person playing the game.