Report: China Bans Gold Farming
Report: China Bans Gold Farming
June 29, 2009
If you are planning on buying gold for your World of Warcraft character, act quickly. The price may be going up soon because of an official crackdown which should affect availability in a negative way.
Information Week reports that on Friday the Chinese government enacted new virtual currency regulations which, among other provisions, make gold farming illegal:
The ruling is likely to affect many of the more than 300 million Internet users in China, as well as those in other countries involved in virtual currency trading. In the context of online role playing games like World of Warcraft, virtual currency trading is often called gold farming...
The trading of virtual currency for real cash employs hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and generates between $200 million and $1 billion annually, according to a 2008 survey conducted by Richard Heeks at the University of Manchester.
He estimates that between 80% and 85% of gold farmers are based in China.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:40am
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:38am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:33am
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:30am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:29am
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:27am
Austin_Lewis: And of course, having nothing pass through or into one's brain is always the preferrable outcome.
Austin_Lewis: And of course, having nothing pass through or into one's brain is always the preferrable outcome.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:26am
Austin_Lewis: For comparison, commonly available 9mm run from 115 to 147 grains. 5.7s run between 28 and 40 grains.
Austin_Lewis: For comparison, commonly available 9mm run from 115 to 147 grains. 5.7s run between 28 and 40 grains.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:24am
JDKJ: Again, I'd rather not have any foreign objects either lodge in or pass through my brain, thank you very much.
JDKJ: Again, I'd rather not have any foreign objects either lodge in or pass through my brain, thank you very much.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:22am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Better than a larger projectile expanding as it lodges itself in one's brain.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Better than a larger projectile expanding as it lodges itself in one's brain.
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
If they do this right, I'd imagine that it would really help in the enforcement of the "No Gold Farming" portions of the EULA from many online games..
Then again, cheaters will always find a way around the system.
About damn time they did this IMO.
If you can't play enough to get the money you need for better gear, mounts, etc. that's too ****ing bad. Find another game to play.
Bleh... from what I hear Gold farming doesn't really do much to WoW's economy since the best stuff is found/dropped off monsters and bound to a character once acquired. I'm not FOR gold selling but I find the people complaining about it to be utterly ridiculous.
Thing is, you dont use the gold just to buy gear. To get that gear that drops off raid bosses like you mentioned it takes a lot of preperation. Buff food, which is very expensive. Flasks (long-lasting potions that persist through death), which are very expensive. Healing/mana potions, etc. Not to mention enchants, gems and other enhancements for those shiny new pieces of gear. And when a bunch of people buy a bunch of gold so they can buy all of these for any price, the price tends to skyrocket; supply and demand my friend.
"Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of Heaven, Jack Thompson'll justify it in the end." - nightwng2000
Ah, I wasn't aware of all those costs (wasn't a WoW player), but was assuming based on second hand infomration from a friend, who IS an avid player. My mistake then.
Still, people who complain about gold farming in WoW kind of strike me as having their priorities messed up. I mean, if a game stressed me out that much I'd just quit.
Thats exactly why I stopped raiding.. I absolutely LOVED to raid (Even to this day I miss it) but the time needed for farming outside of raiding was brutal.. The time requirement for raids is already sometimes enourmous (8+ hours over a weekend). Add to that the fact that for every hour I spend In raid, I need to spend the same amount of time farming gold to make sure I can afford to raid, and you have a part time job, without getting paid.
Surprising, I thought gold farming was all but endorsed by the Chinese government. It's probably tied in with their general campaign against MMOs and 'addiction'.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
That it's tied to their campaign against MMOs was my first thought as well.
-Gray17
The "campaign" is actually a pretty small branch of the government. Online gaming is a huge part of China's economy so they can't just go "OKAY WE BAN IT," it would cause severe domestic economic backlash.
Trade channel will never be the same...
And the economy of WoW is save, or destroyed guess we'll have to wait and see.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Repent! Repent! The Wowpocalypse has begun.
Countless players will now be forced to actually play the game to get the elite gear.
DOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!1!!!!!1!!!111!!!!!!eleventy!!!!!!!fordfocus!!1!!!!!!
I would be surprised if they actually enforced this (outside one gold farmer turning in another). This is the same country that can not keep an eye on major producers to keep toxic materials out of food or toys,.. i.e. big physical plants with easly traced supply chains and products. Virtual stuff? I doubt they will put in the energy needed outside a few arrests for show.
I wouldn't put it past the Chinese government to block the server ip's for the games themselves.
About 90% of the MMOs played in China are servers hosted within the country itself, which explains why there are no players from China who play WoW on American servers for enjoyment. So unless they plan on blocking their own servers... chances are slim.
Also, it seems that the OPPOSITE is actually happening. When I tried playing FFXI in China I would randomly get blocked from connecting, and it seems that S-E blocked various IPs originating from China, Korea, and other Asian countries that aren't Japan.
Oh, believe me, the system they have in place works fine. You know what the ACTUAL problem is? People. Or rather, people in high places being bribed to turn a blind eye to this fucking bullshit. It's really annoying because these people are willing to indirectly cause a few hundred or a few thousand deaths just so they can get a little money. And the kicker is, when these people are punished, people from outside countries believe they're being punished because China's JUST THAT EVIL. It's a lose-lose situation.
Like they say, money is the root of all evil.
Get your quotations right.
"the love of money is the root of all evil"
Consider China has "laws" against piracy and counterfeit goods (though it would really screw the poor if it was totally cracked down on) and doesn't bother enforce them I doubt this will have much effect, besides a lot of these companies will just move more of their business to South Korea or elsewhere. In the end it won't mean much.
This is going to be about as enforced as the age of consent
China, is a huge enforcer of the Age of Consent in their country and the actions of their citizens. Seeing as how the Chinese Economy is currently experiencing inflation buying tons of United States debt they need as much revenue as they could get.
I don’t see why they would ban a billion dollar business in China unless the Chinese Government was getting into bed or putting a huge stack in the gaming industry.
Also in response to another post again, the only law Chinese Citizen in masse try to go around is of course the law of breeding due to most families wishing to have a son thus throwing or giving away the daughter which has led to many women in China be put in shelters were some are left to die. ABC and a few other outlets did some nice reporting on that.
Also a popular report known as, 'the dying rooms'
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/c-wnhol.html
http://www.taliacarner.com/thedyingroomsspecialreport.html
http://www.channel4.com/fourdocs/archive/the_dying_room_player.html
"Also in response to another post again, the only law Chinese Citizen in masse try to go around is of course the law of breeding due to most families wishing to have a son thus throwing or giving away the daughter which has led to many women in China be put in shelters were some are left to die. ABC and a few other outlets did some nice reporting on that."
Yes, this is an incredibly widespread problem. In the hospitals I've worked at in China there are lots of abortions for female fetuses. It's gotten so bad that the government has outlawed abortions of this manner. Of course, that just means that the people seek illegal abortion methods, which causes a serious vicious cycle.
From what I understand, the law itself is actually a tax upon people who have more than one child, but in a country where the average citizen's quality of life is rather low, having such a tax is a colossal blow - though, of course, there are still people who can pay such taxes.
I think the best description from those links you gave of the situation is as follows:
"The day after the program was shown, questions were raised in the House of Commons about China's one-child policy and its dying rooms. Predictably, however, no one has raised the subject of providing massive aid for a collapsed and famine-ridden China in the event of its population rising to, say, 2.4 billion if this generation is allowed to have two children per family.
"We don't want to criticize the one-child policy," says Blewett. "But we want to focus on the problems it is causing which can be solved." The documentary features a tour of a privately run, locally funded orphanage where the children are happy, healthy, and loved. "We were very keen to show what can be done with the right attitude," says Blewett. "No child should suffer the kind of neglect we filmed.""
Unfortunately, there's no easy solution for this problem.
I was caught off guard by this! I knew the Gold Farmers were making good money, even by our standards. This isn't perfect (like laws against spammers not really serving to do much) but it's better than nothing and will, at least, discourage other people from entering that market.
Go all the way to the official statement and it doesn't carry the weight of seriousness that people are giving it. From what I got that they are cracking down on the illegal trade of goods (by use of virtual currency) and the use of virtual currency in gambling. I do not see anything that would make selling wow gold illegal, but rather say that the government gets to take its cut of the wow gold earnings. Also notice that past laws have allowed China to continue trade of materials deemed illegal in China when they were selling it to people living outside of the country.
I don't believe that this will significantly effect the gold trade, so I cant wait start hearing the crying again about how buying Wow gold isn't fair...
~Weatherlight~
"I don't believe that this will significantly effect the gold trade, so I cant wait start hearing the crying again about how buying Wow gold isn't fair..."
Why would you even post something like this? HURF DURF I CANT WAIT TILL THOSE NUBS CRY. I don't know where you come from, but we expect more maturity than that here.
Well fact of the matter is, I don't play WoW and it was a extremely sarcastic remark.
~Weatherlight~
HAHA YEAH, ONLY RICH PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WELL!
People who can't afford to buy WOW gear (or don't want to) are such fucking losers amirite?
Not in the least bit. I do not belive in paying monthly subscription costs or buying virtual iteams, but I dont like people complaining about others doing it either. It happends so get over it.
~Weatherlight~
They'll ban it and gold sales will continue just fine - as we find out most of the gold sellers are from Jersey, lol.
Just kidding - but I don't think it will really work too well. Perhaps some of these people have made enough $$ to re-locate.
What is the problem?
Unemployed players, have time... but no money...
Employed player, have money... but no time....
Both win!
Don't complain about the Chineese stealing your work...
They've probably made most of the parts of the harddrive
where your game is installed, the computer you play on,
the mouse and keyboard you interface with, the chair you
sit on, the table your computer rests on, the clothes you
are wearing, the glass you drink your coca cola from...
They're only capitalizing on some people not having the time
to play 2000 hours to get a potion. I can't se anything wrong
with that.