MMORPG Item-Accumulating 'Sweatshops' On Rise?

Thanks to Play Money for its post discussing the rise of the big-business MMORPG trading entrepreneur, with particular reference to Internet Gaming Entertainment, of which weblog author Julian Dibbell says: "In addition to the half dozen executive types working out of IGE's Boca Raton headquarters, the company employs another 65 Chinese citizens at its Hong Kong base of operations, the majority engaged in 24/7 delivery of virtual goods." He continues: "Imagine, furthermore, my wonder at learning that some of IGE's chief suppliers are mainland Chinese subcontractors running EverQuest-playing sweatshops in the hinterlands (at a level of production perhaps only hinted at in the famous but abortive Black Snow sweatshop in Tijuana)."

Comments

Sooo....

[darkmayo]

How long will it be before these are moved to India. :P /joking

EQ Sweatshop

[Anonymous Coward]

So these poor people are forced to play EQ all day and only given enough money for food? This leaves but one question, where do I sign up?

Re:What ever happened to fun?

[Anonymous Coward]

Paying hard earned real-world-dollars (RWD) to get virtual euipment, land, whatever just makes no cents

Well, from the article, with the investment these item farmers are making, it does make cents!

Solution: Reset

[frankjr]

I've got the solution to all the selling going on: just reset the games every couple of weeks or whatever. No one would want to buy something that will only last for a couple of weeks.