The Rise of Videogame Economies | Off Book | PBS Digital Studios
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- Опубликовано: 16 мар 2014
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While players of multi-player games are aware of their in-game economies, their growth and complexity would surprise many outside the world of gaming. With hundreds of millions of players around the world, MMOGs' in-game economies generate massive amounts of real dollars (i.e. MILLIONS), and real world economic theories can even be applied to these worlds. Many are now so big that game developers have hired real world economists to help them manage these complex systems. But with secondary economies, gold farming and other issues surfacing, are these systems in need of more attention, or even regulation?
Featuring:
Prof. Robert Bloomfield, Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Management www.johnson.cornell.edu/Facult...
Prof. Greg Lastowka, Rutgers University lastowka.rutgers.edu/
Kyle Chayka, Journalist / chaykak
Music:
1) "Nothing Yet" by Laszlo - / laszlo-nothing-yet
2) "Flying High" by Sacred - sacred94.bandcamp.com/track/fl...
3) "Horizon" by Kasbo - / kasbo-horizon-dl-in
4) "Zomboy - Game Time (Grumble Sounds Remix) by Grumble Sounds - • Zomboy - Game Time (Gr...
5) "Was the Best (Remastered) by Amadeo Lopez - www.beat100.com/watch-video/wa...
6) "Polyphasical" by Declan Smith - / declan-smith
7) "Laurence" by Feint - / feint-laurence
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Fascinating video, Valve and their Steam platform is steady growing the video game economics through their marketplace.
Interesting how hacking was never mentioned in this.
Gold farming sweat shops used to be very prevalent in games such as World of Warcraft, but these days it's not as common. Part of that is because of the countermeasures set against that type of gold farming, especially since they often used bots or exploits.
Something that's much more common nowadays and apparently more lucrative is hacking. Why keep a large group of humans playing when you can just steal the virtual currency from normal players? It's quicker, requires less people and can sometimes be harder to trace.
It's rare to see in game currency sold on a third party site that doesn't lead to grief for someone else down the line.
It is important to note that selling in game items or ISK(the ingame currency) in Eve Online is actually against the EULA. CCP (the maker of the game) are very tough on that rule
Good to see you guys again. It feels like forever since your last video.
I wish this video made a bit more differentiation between goldfarming and exploits vs. games with real money economies built in (ergo often already taxed and regulated). The economies where real money is allowed and regulated tend to have a less vicious black market. Cuts the margins.
can only do so much in a 7 minute video, especially from a media outlet that doesn't really have a opinion on videos game, with it being so young and all.
But you're right they really need to make the difference, cause it become an entirely different story that gets told
Cory Doctorow wrote a book about this phenomenon. It's fiction, but it tells a story of how those economies, like those of countries, are very much real. It's cool to see y'all talk about it as well.
I'm surprised that Second Life wasn't mentioned (maybe they wouldn't give the rights?) because I recall a virtual property agent who made the cover of TIMES, using her avatar in Second Life to sell properties in Second Life.
Also I understand that it's a short film so you couldn't really get in-depth, but I thought an interesting parallel could have been made with say, how developers tried to sell things like players did (i.e. DLC, Blizzard's attempt to earn off a real-money auction house in D3 initially), and the effects those actions had. D3's case is particular interesting, because the real money auction-house was an attempt for Blizzard to regulate the blackmarket economy that occurred with D2, but they ended up harming the longevity and entertainment value of their game to the point that the auction house is now gone.
It at least, seems to be a very relevant and insightful case study that warrants further investigation and would help in understanding better the role that virtual economies have on the game's success itself.
Great video and very eye opening even for someone as me who is a hardcore gamer that has participated in virtual economies from time to time. Had no idea about the Chinese gold farms!
I would suggest to everyone that they check out Cory Doctorow's amazing novel, For the Win. The story revolves around the idea of gold farming and labor rights. You can download it for free from Cory's website at craphound.com/ftw/.
I'm surprised they didn't use Entropia Universe as an example also. It might not be as popular as it used to but the idea behind it is very interesting.
fairly well done piece
Awesome music..
Wow, I never knew that gold farms existed.
Go read Cory Doctorow's FOR THE WIN -- makes the concept of the game economy into a really compelling near-future sci-fi novel.
Another great episode but seems a bit dated. No mention of companies like Blizzard integrating the auction house into Diablo and it's later failure?
that was mentioned or at least showed up at some point in the video. here 5:37 it was just in the background but it was mentioned.
In China, it seems to me as an avid reader of Chinese novels, that they take for granted that the integration of the markets in the real world and the virtual one will happen.
Funny they didn't Mention Second Life
Can you tell me the music artists and song titles for the beginning, and around 2:30-2:40? Thanks! Also, that gold farming sounds messed up. Thanks for the information!
Dude, i was just talking about Hyper and Bitcoin and this video came on!! If you don't know about Hyper - you need to get familiar; Because it's coming... Shit is gonna be crazy fo' realz y0!
I study in college and in my spare time i do league elo boosting. I can earn 200$ a week in peak annd 60$ when order is rare. In video game you just have to be better than majority and you can make real life money.
The Backgroundmusic is much too loud ...
What will happen to these games and economies when TPP is set in place? Anyone have a idea on what they think will happen to games when TPP happens?
Virtually anything can made into money, just look at the Tally Stick system of England, arguably one of the most successful forms of currency ever due to it being bound to taxes and regulated by the king, without inflation.
Steam market (playerto player) is somewhat taxed by the coverment, yes?
The new episodes on the Roku and do you the show Roku anymore
1
What's up
eve online information is way dated, also no one uses world money besides those who dont know how to play the game, also rmt is illegal for ships, prices are speculation.
NOW I KNO THE REAL REASON WHY BLIZZ SHUT DOWN THE GAH/RMAH AND MADE EVERYTHING BOA ON D3
I think Counter Strike: GO is the perfect example of how stupid virtual economies can be.
Every time a new series of creates comes out to "unlock" (for 99 cents). People but them like crazy. With the latest batch of crates I sold mine the same day for around $10. And what does this crate get them? A new skin for a random gun. Some skins themselves sell for hundreds of dollars. What do these skins do? Nothing! It doens't improve your aim. It doens't give up an upgrade to help. Its simply a new artwork for your gun. And yet the economy at first is super high in cost to get skins and crates. Even silyl stickers now for your gun! A sticker! lol.
In this case this is where virtual goods are indeed useless and the people paying for them are wasting real money. There are those who obviously spend a little money on a crate in hopes of unlocking a skin they can sell for way more then they spent for the crate. But thats essentially like playing a slot machine. Odds are you won't make a big profit. Especially as the days go by and the "Rare" skins become more common, hence the prices drop for them.
Wasting money in game overall doens't make sense to me. 5 years from now what good does that item mean to me? I can't use it in real life. If I spend $400 on a tv, I get infinite potential out of it. Playing games (ironically), watching tv, watching movies, having skype chat, watching homemade pictures/videos, watching the superbowl. It lasts for year if not longer.
But buying that special sword that has a high damage rate doesn't do anything outside the game. Aside from help me to waste more time. And for the most part people don't care if I own it. Maybe a few would say "Wow thats awesome!", but its a forgettable thing to them. Where as if people were over watching the superbowl, its a memory we all could share and get use out of.
Sorry it was to intellectual for you. You have my sympathy.
Real Money Trading is against the End User License Agreement in EVE online!
Using the sites shown in this video will result in permanent bans.
All in game items are generated by players through crafting and exploration; no item can be acquired directly by purchasing. Acquiring a titan (the largest ship in game) takes time (about two months from the start of the build) and resources gathered over long days of mining by large number of players; it is not as simple as exchanging $$ to ISK through means of PLEX (legitimate way of acquiring in game currency while in process allowing other players to play the game without a monthly subscription).
This, very much so.
Part of the reason is because if ISK, the in game currency, can suddenly easily be compared with real life money there's a risk of CCP (the developer of EVE) to be branded as a bank. And that's suddenly a whole legal debacle that the game was never designed for.
That isn't true. EVE allows you to spend real money for in game currency.
Kyle I'm concerned for your poor voice if you keep using that much vocal fry when you talk :/ Take care of your body