Let's not solve the problem, let's become part of the problem. Isn't this kind of illegal somehow on Sony's part? They are literally printing their own money.
I don't think it's too bad, really. People are going to buy and sell SOE's property over Ebay anyway, they can take the WoW route and ban all accounts and such from doing it, but go search <a href='http://search.ebay.com/warcraft-gold_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8' target='_blank'>Ebay right now</a> and check for people selling gold or accounts, there's still loads of them (on a quick search, 2915), despite Blizzard's best efforts.
At least with SOE looking over it all, if people are going to trade characters or stuff for real money, at least people won't get shafted by scammers.
<!--QuoteBegin-Gwahir+Apr 20 2005, 12:35 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Gwahir @ Apr 20 2005, 12:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> but the problem comes when Sony can easily conjure whatever they want from the ether and sell it for real money. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Problem for who? Sony? They make tons of cash? The players? All it means is that rich people have the advantage, instead of people with lots of time.
um... weren't people saying this is actually a fake, in that sony isn't actually behind it? Maybe I'm just thinking of some other trade thingy that was using sony's name though <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Personaly I think this idea is spot on for what they are attempting to do. They want the botters and 3rd party purchase and sell of their world's items to not exist.
What better why to completely ruin and slaughter the botting industy in EQ2 than to create your OWN industry where YOU can make ENDLESS ammounts of said product, and massively undercut any and all 3rd party competition to the point that they give up and quit?
Sure, people with money can get more money in game. Sure, more people might buy money if they go for undercutting 3rd parties. Yes, the economy may shift a good bit...or alot...
But hey, that'll teach those botters, eh?!
Like medicine, they all have their side effects... It's just a matter of detirmining if the problem is easier to live with than the side effects or the other way around.
(I should probrably add that as an EQ2 subscriber, money, even if you don't have alot of play time, is actually pretty easy to get if you go for it, so I don't see why people would pay real money for it...)
sooo the fact there's no apparent links to this from any official sony site didn't spark anyone's suspicions huh?
I'm no lover of sony but I honestly think this is false... the actual service they provide is probably real but I seriously doubt it has sony's hand in it and instead whoever's really responsible just slapped it up to look sony endorsed and even wrote a spiel to reel in idiots who actually auction for pixels :/
<b>edit 2:</b> Kinda depressing that internet stupidity has come to the level where selling and buying fictional MMO items for real cash become a company-accepted thing, whatever their reasons for doing it be it greed or 'prevention' :/
<!--QuoteBegin-Geminosity+Apr 20 2005, 06:43 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Geminosity @ Apr 20 2005, 06:43 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> ooh! I stand corrected :o ~gives pulse a cookie~
Dunno how I missed that one ^^;
<b>edit:</b> freudian slip :s
<b>edit 2:</b> Kinda depressing that internet stupidity has come to the level where selling and buying fictional MMO items for real cash become a company-accepted thing, whatever their reasons for doing it be it greed or 'prevention' :/ <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I still laugh at people who pimp their computer case with disco lighting, RAM with leds that blink etc. But this is just a step too far, this is just sad.
<!--QuoteBegin-Gwahir+Apr 20 2005, 03:35 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Gwahir @ Apr 20 2005, 03:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> but the problem comes when Sony can easily conjure whatever they want from the ether and sell it for real money. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> There's actually another game company that's doing that with their MMO game. It costs real $ to buy game entities.
What I always wondered is why people would buy something in a game like that? Surely the whole point is that you get there yourself so you get the satisfaction for that hardwork, so that the reward means something to you...
I guess its the same idea as cheaters, never understood why people do that either.
Actually, this is a very good thing and it would be even better for the players if Sony sold items\characters themselves.
There's a series of MUDs run by Iron Realms entertainment in which there are two ingame currencies - gold and credits. Gold it obtained how you'd expect, but credits are far harder to obtain. Credits can be exchanged for more XP points or certain abilities. Anyway, the thing is that credits can be purchased for real world cash. The concept is that rather than reward only people who sacrifice their whole lives to sink time into meaningless grinding in order to improve their characters and people who have real lives aren't penalised.
It's a little different in Iron Realms games because combat and character power isn't the sole focus of the game, but the concept still applies. Why force people to spend every waking second in repetitive crawl and penalise people who have other things to do with their time?
I think the point is a game should be fun whether you have an uber character and items or not, so what if you can't keep up with the jones? I'd far prefer to stay in low level games I've earned and can compete in properly than high level games where I don't know what I'm doing. In fact that would add to the frustration when I've paid to be the best at everything and I'm still not good enough.
It's so strange, how does getting something you didn't earn give you an ego boost? It's like bragging about your skill in financial matters because you have just won the lottery.
PulseTo create, to create and escape.Join Date: 2002-08-29Member: 1248Members, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin-SoulSkorpion+Apr 20 2005, 08:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SoulSkorpion @ Apr 20 2005, 08:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why force people to spend every waking second in repetitive crawl and penalise people who have other things to do with their time?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Never mind all the other things you said, this is the problem right here. If somebody were to make a fun MMORPG, this kind of thing would be virtually nonexistant.
<!--QuoteBegin-Pulse+Apr 20 2005, 10:37 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Pulse @ Apr 20 2005, 10:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-SoulSkorpion+Apr 20 2005, 08:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SoulSkorpion @ Apr 20 2005, 08:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why force people to spend every waking second in repetitive crawl and penalise people who have other things to do with their time?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Never mind all the other things you said, this is the problem right here. If somebody were to make a fun MMORPG, this kind of thing would be virtually nonexistant. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> This is why so many people are waiting excitedly for Guild Wars.
<!--QuoteBegin-Pulse+Apr 21 2005, 11:37 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Pulse @ Apr 21 2005, 11:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-SoulSkorpion+Apr 20 2005, 08:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SoulSkorpion @ Apr 20 2005, 08:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why force people to spend every waking second in repetitive crawl and penalise people who have other things to do with their time?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Never mind all the other things you said, this is the problem right here. If somebody were to make a fun MMORPG, this kind of thing would be virtually nonexistant. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Well, I suppose that's part of the reason it works in the Iron Realms MUDs, since XP levels and l33t equipment isn't the primary focus of the games.
<!--QuoteBegin-Geminosity+Apr 21 2005, 01:17 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Geminosity @ Apr 21 2005, 01:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Guild Wars? Sorry I'm waiting for a fun MMORPG not diablo-strike <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I thought you said you were going to give it over? And GW is fun. It's about as similar to diablo as any other MMORPG. What the hell is wrong with diablo anyway? Apart from the multiplayer, which I haven't tried... It's a far sight better than the button mashers you play.
button mashers? like what? If you're going to try and attack the games I play you could at least give examples instead of just using vague, airy generalisation :/
I've already given GW fair chance and been utterly unimpressed; before it came out I was a totally avid fan but when I actually got my hands on it... well. You can guess. I did say earlier I probably should just let people enjoy it if it's to their taste but every time I see it mentioned it just reignites the flames of dissapointment :p
What's wrong with diablo? well... basically nothing and everything; it depends on your perspective. Way way back when diablo was a new game and I first started playing, I would've quite happily said how great it was like you mention. Fast forward a couple of years and add in some experience of playing much more fufilling and involved games and I feel silly for ever having thought diablo was even near to scratching 'ok'. I guess it just comes down to me finding games I prefer and that I feel strongly emphasise the weaknesses in ye old D. I suppose not everyone will be into having more personal involvement over the results of their fights and for them diablo & co will be fine and fun but I just can't go back to it :s
To be honest, the real reason for my lil barb is that while I agree we need a 'fun MMORPG' I really don't think GW is it.
<b>edit:</b> while I'm at it is GW even really an mmo? The actual 'game' part has a maximum of 64 players or less depending on the map. Outside of the mission is little more than a glorified chatroom (not that I'm complaining but it doesn't really count as 'game' considering the actual aims and goals of GW itself.) If GW is mystically able to be called an MMO then so is PSO, counter-strike, battlefield and all the others. I'd be hesitant to even label the world in GW as persistant; the only thing that exists in a constant state is your character, everything else is a swirl of shifting instances :s
Soul calibur = stabby stab. Im not asking you to like GW; Im quite aware of how futile and meaningless it is to try to make someone like a game. It just annoys me when you flame it about as much as it annoys you to see its very name(?)...
I don't particularly like Diablo. I just don't see why everyone takes a huge dump on it whenever the name is mentioned.
And yeah, GW isn't the "fun mmorpg" you're looking for, seeing as it's not a MMORPG, and focused on different kinds of fun than what you get in MMORPGs. Which might be why I, an avid FPS player, like it more than any other RPG so far...
lol, soul calibur? Sure people can button bash but I've not seen any even hurt anyone who's competent... either way Soul Calibur isn't really appropriate to the point of GW being a 'fun mmo'. You even say yourself it's not really an mmo; that more than anything being part of the reason I get irked when I see people waving it about as one.
I think people pound on diablo because of the same reason people say bad things about spice girls; they're ashamed they actually liked it at some point ^~
By button mashers I mean you basically just stand around and beat the crap out of eachother with various combinations... like street fighter... More of a personal attack than related to the topic, I know. Sorry.
Meh. I'm also annoyed by people calling GW a MMO, as that'll attract the wrong kind of people. It feels more singleplayer than MMO (obviously apart from when in town as it's kind of hard to miss the dozens of people babbling about various things), so lots of people will get disappointed and flame it.
well I think the whole MMO thing comes from GW's own advertising. They seem to make a lot of, uh... 'inappropriate' claims :s On the official site they mention taking "all the best parts of existing MMOs" which kinda tries to imply it might be one and they even mention things like having a 'seamless world' which having played it, is a dubious claim at best.
If they just advertised it more appropriately as a tactical PvP combat game with RPG elements and coop instances I doubt I'd even have got that worked up about it and become angry with it when I finally got to try it out :3 Like I said; it's not my kind of game. I love coop but not in this particular playing style but with some rather inaccurate claims they sorta got me interested in a game that if I'd known better I would've approached from a different angle and at least have been more accepting of :s
No worries about the SC thingy... easy to get a bit angry on the net, I know I'm as guilty of doing stuff like that as much as anyone else :3
Check out the results of the <a href='http://www.gamefaqs.com' target='_blank'>poll</a> on gamefaqs; I think the public have spoken.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What do you think of Sony's EverQuest II items-for-cash trading site?
Great, now Blizzard just needs to do the same 7.99% 781 Good idea, Sony's doing the right thing 7.28% 712 If you can't beat 'em, join 'em 20.67% 2021 Bad idea, this hurts more than it helps 17.03% 1665 <b>This is a betrayal of every real gamer 47.03% 4599</b> TOTAL VOTES 9778 <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Comments
Let's not solve the problem, let's become part of the problem. Isn't this kind of illegal somehow on Sony's part? They are literally printing their own money.
At least with SOE looking over it all, if people are going to trade characters or stuff for real money, at least people won't get shafted by scammers.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
I never knew Sony made Everquest though
Problem for who? Sony? They make tons of cash? The players? All it means is that rich people have the advantage, instead of people with lots of time.
What better why to completely ruin and slaughter the botting industy in EQ2 than to create your OWN industry where YOU can make ENDLESS ammounts of said product, and massively undercut any and all 3rd party competition to the point that they give up and quit?
Sure, people with money can get more money in game.
Sure, more people might buy money if they go for undercutting 3rd parties.
Yes, the economy may shift a good bit...or alot...
But hey, that'll teach those botters, eh?!
Like medicine, they all have their side effects... It's just a matter of detirmining if the problem is easier to live with than the side effects or the other way around.
(I should probrably add that as an EQ2 subscriber, money, even if you don't have alot of play time, is actually pretty easy to get if you go for it, so I don't see why people would pay real money for it...)
I'm no lover of sony but I honestly think this is false... the actual service they provide is probably real but I seriously doubt it has sony's hand in it and instead whoever's really responsible just slapped it up to look sony endorsed and even wrote a spiel to reel in idiots who actually auction for pixels :/
~gives pulse a cookie~
Dunno how I missed that one ^^;
<b>edit:</b> freudian slip :s
<b>edit 2:</b> Kinda depressing that internet stupidity has come to the level where selling and buying fictional MMO items for real cash become a company-accepted thing, whatever their reasons for doing it be it greed or 'prevention' :/
~gives pulse a cookie~
Dunno how I missed that one ^^;
<b>edit:</b> freudian slip :s
<b>edit 2:</b> Kinda depressing that internet stupidity has come to the level where selling and buying fictional MMO items for real cash become a company-accepted thing, whatever their reasons for doing it be it greed or 'prevention' :/ <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I still laugh at people who pimp their computer case with disco lighting, RAM with leds that blink etc. But this is just a step too far, this is just sad.
There's actually another game company that's doing that with their MMO game. It costs real $ to buy game entities.
(Time spent is legal, selling accounts is not)
I guess its the same idea as cheaters, never understood why people do that either.
There's a series of MUDs run by Iron Realms entertainment in which there are two ingame currencies - gold and credits. Gold it obtained how you'd expect, but credits are far harder to obtain. Credits can be exchanged for more XP points or certain abilities. Anyway, the thing is that credits can be purchased for real world cash. The concept is that rather than reward only people who sacrifice their whole lives to sink time into meaningless grinding in order to improve their characters and people who have real lives aren't penalised.
It's a little different in Iron Realms games because combat and character power isn't the sole focus of the game, but the concept still applies. Why force people to spend every waking second in repetitive crawl and penalise people who have other things to do with their time?
It's so strange, how does getting something you didn't earn give you an ego boost? It's like bragging about your skill in financial matters because you have just won the lottery.
Never mind all the other things you said, this is the problem right here. If somebody were to make a fun MMORPG, this kind of thing would be virtually nonexistant.
Never mind all the other things you said, this is the problem right here. If somebody were to make a fun MMORPG, this kind of thing would be virtually nonexistant. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is why so many people are waiting excitedly for Guild Wars.
Never mind all the other things you said, this is the problem right here. If somebody were to make a fun MMORPG, this kind of thing would be virtually nonexistant. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, I suppose that's part of the reason it works in the Iron Realms MUDs, since XP levels and l33t equipment isn't the primary focus of the games.
I thought you said you were going to give it over? And GW is fun.
It's about as similar to diablo as any other MMORPG. What the hell is wrong with diablo anyway? Apart from the multiplayer, which I haven't tried...
It's a far sight better than the button mashers you play.
I've already given GW fair chance and been utterly unimpressed; before it came out I was a totally avid fan but when I actually got my hands on it... well. You can guess. I did say earlier I probably should just let people enjoy it if it's to their taste but every time I see it mentioned it just reignites the flames of dissapointment :p
What's wrong with diablo? well... basically nothing and everything; it depends on your perspective. Way way back when diablo was a new game and I first started playing, I would've quite happily said how great it was like you mention. Fast forward a couple of years and add in some experience of playing much more fufilling and involved games and I feel silly for ever having thought diablo was even near to scratching 'ok'. I guess it just comes down to me finding games I prefer and that I feel strongly emphasise the weaknesses in ye old D.
I suppose not everyone will be into having more personal involvement over the results of their fights and for them diablo & co will be fine and fun but I just can't go back to it :s
To be honest, the real reason for my lil barb is that while I agree we need a 'fun MMORPG' I really don't think GW is it.
<b>edit:</b> while I'm at it is GW even really an mmo? The actual 'game' part has a maximum of 64 players or less depending on the map. Outside of the mission is little more than a glorified chatroom (not that I'm complaining but it doesn't really count as 'game' considering the actual aims and goals of GW itself.)
If GW is mystically able to be called an MMO then so is PSO, counter-strike, battlefield and all the others.
I'd be hesitant to even label the world in GW as persistant; the only thing that exists in a constant state is your character, everything else is a swirl of shifting instances :s
Im not asking you to like GW; Im quite aware of how futile and meaningless it is to try to make someone like a game. It just annoys me when you flame it about as much as it annoys you to see its very name(?)...
I don't particularly like Diablo. I just don't see why everyone takes a huge dump on it whenever the name is mentioned.
And yeah, GW isn't the "fun mmorpg" you're looking for, seeing as it's not a MMORPG, and focused on different kinds of fun than what you get in MMORPGs. Which might be why I, an avid FPS player, like it more than any other RPG so far...
I think people pound on diablo because of the same reason people say bad things about spice girls; they're ashamed they actually liked it at some point ^~
Either way... we still need a fun MMORPG :p
More of a personal attack than related to the topic, I know. Sorry.
Meh. I'm also annoyed by people calling GW a MMO, as that'll attract the wrong kind of people. It feels more singleplayer than MMO (obviously apart from when in town as it's kind of hard to miss the dozens of people babbling about various things), so lots of people will get disappointed and flame it.
On the official site they mention taking "all the best parts of existing MMOs" which kinda tries to imply it might be one and they even mention things like having a 'seamless world' which having played it, is a dubious claim at best.
If they just advertised it more appropriately as a tactical PvP combat game with RPG elements and coop instances I doubt I'd even have got that worked up about it and become angry with it when I finally got to try it out :3
Like I said; it's not my kind of game. I love coop but not in this particular playing style but with some rather inaccurate claims they sorta got me interested in a game that if I'd known better I would've approached from a different angle and at least have been more accepting of :s
No worries about the SC thingy... easy to get a bit angry on the net, I know I'm as guilty of doing stuff like that as much as anyone else :3
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
What do you think of Sony's EverQuest II items-for-cash trading site?
Great, now Blizzard just needs to do the same 7.99% 781
Good idea, Sony's doing the right thing 7.28% 712
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em 20.67% 2021
Bad idea, this hurts more than it helps 17.03% 1665
<b>This is a betrayal of every real gamer 47.03% 4599</b>
TOTAL VOTES 9778
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
47.03% of nerds agree, this is teh suck.
:3