Gold Farming Industry Worth $500 Million
According to a study conducted by Manchester University, gold farming in online games like World of Warcraft is now an industry worth an annual $500 million. Gold farming allows users to use real-world money to purchase in-game currency; it has become a controversial issue for game makers and players alike.
The study was carried out by Professor Richard Heeks, a gamer himself, finding out that the industry currently employs approximately 400,000 people – 80% of which is in China.
“I initially became aware of gold farming through my own games-playing but assumed it was just a cottage industry,” said Heeks. “In a way that is still true. It’s just that instead of a few dozen cottages, there turn out to be tens of thousands.”
Additionally, Steven Davis, chief online game security firm Secure Play, claims that the criminal underworld has gotten involved, revealing that these “gangs pay for their accounts with stolen credit cards” and not deliver on the goods.
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