This sounds just wrong. It's no more a game.
And, also, as they want to create specific auction houses and rules for geographical zones, this means they will split people even more. The great great thing in AO (or EVE by the way, and now to some extent AoC) is that people from the whole World can play together.
Were you looking forward to Diablo3?
Re: Were you looking forward to Diablo3?
Hmm. Seems to me like the whole legalize drugs thing:
narcotics are illegal.
Gov't spends tons of money trying to fight narcotics trade.
Drug lords make millions, but don't contribute anythign in the form of taxes.
Legalize the drugs, make the money that the drug lords would make, but face the possible social problems introduced by legalization.
In my opinion, the second option is better because then at least it's above the table, and you can track usage, and, impose greater taxes or even limit spending, depending on how the market goes.
So, while I can see that it might cause some furor, I can see why companies would do it. And, frankly, I can't blame them. Putting yourself in the shoes of a shareholder, thats just a market that you failed to get into, if you did'nt do it -regardless of what the player or playerbase thinks.
narcotics are illegal.
Gov't spends tons of money trying to fight narcotics trade.
Drug lords make millions, but don't contribute anythign in the form of taxes.
Legalize the drugs, make the money that the drug lords would make, but face the possible social problems introduced by legalization.
In my opinion, the second option is better because then at least it's above the table, and you can track usage, and, impose greater taxes or even limit spending, depending on how the market goes.
So, while I can see that it might cause some furor, I can see why companies would do it. And, frankly, I can't blame them. Putting yourself in the shoes of a shareholder, thats just a market that you failed to get into, if you did'nt do it -regardless of what the player or playerbase thinks.
" I Don't Like That Man. I Must Get To Know Him Better." -Abraham Lincoln
Re: Were you looking forward to Diablo3?
I wasn't looking much forward to Diablo in general ... but ... every multiplayer game that has come out has had the same problem: gold farmers. And even Funcom has been doing RL cash for -some- transactions (even if that nice looking AI armor for cash is just for looks).
It seems to me it is the way of the future until someone figures out a way to prevent gold/platinum/credits/whatever being sold for real cash. If it is going to happen, I prefer the money goes to the company running the game than the scammers and farmers that tend to ruin them.
It isn't just MMORPGs, either, Farmville/etc wouldn't even exist without stuff like this.
I'm not saying it is a good thing ... simply that we're going to see more and more of it.
It seems to me it is the way of the future until someone figures out a way to prevent gold/platinum/credits/whatever being sold for real cash. If it is going to happen, I prefer the money goes to the company running the game than the scammers and farmers that tend to ruin them.
It isn't just MMORPGs, either, Farmville/etc wouldn't even exist without stuff like this.
I'm not saying it is a good thing ... simply that we're going to see more and more of it.