Since Blizzard announced that Diablo 3 would allow real-money-trading, allowing players to buy and sell in-game items for real-world money, the controversy surrounding RMT has been reignited. I came out of the closet so to speak in favor of RMT as I never really believed selling your account or items to someone else was wrong regardless of what the games terms were.
It seems companies themselves are also torn over the issue, Sony Online Entertainment allows Everquest and EQ2 players to buy and sell entire accounts and items to each other through their Exchange marketplace, but don’t allow it for other MMO games. Blizzard now joins SOE saying RMT is alright for D3, but not for World of Warcraft.
Aside from gold farmers, who have a direct impact on the game though spam, farming locations and ruining the game’s economy by flooding it with in-game currency
There are obvious other issues with RMT such as account hacking and theft. However these people are criminals and should not be considered, that would be like telling Ebay to shutdown because scammers can take advantage of their members. Thieves and criminals will always be around if they think they can make a quick buck, so the effort should be made to prevent them from doing so and not banning the entire enterprise of RMT.
So for those against RMT, my question to you would be, if it became possible to allow safe and secure RMT, would you still consider it wrong? And if so, why?
I think it would be an excellent idea.
First off, it’s not a good idea for ALL games, just certain ones. It gives players an opportunity to purchase stuff from others without the paranoia that comes along with buying stuff from unknown websites. It’s a safe measure to receive things. If you don’t like the idea, don’t buy stuff. If anything I think it will help the economy, and we all know anything that helps the economy in a game is a HUGE bonus. It’s not like Blizzard will be banking billions off it and it keeps the gold/item websites and spammers out of the game.
I can’t think of any situation where I have a problem with one player selling another player their items/account/whatever for RL cash.
Where RMT becomes problematic is when companies poof virtual items into existence and sell them to their players. I’ve no interest in playing a game that is effectively ‘pay 2 win’. Less directly, items generated for sale can ruin the virtual economy, devalue items I’ve acquired through time and effort, and influence developers to add time sinks, grinds and other artificial inconveniences just so players will pay to skip them.
All of that said, a game build around RMT I think can work and be enjoyable – but taking classic game designs and tacking RMT on just doesn’t work imo.
I think the big debate about RMT is due to a bit of confusion on players’ feelings about RMT.
It took me a while to realize, but I do not think RMT is “wrong.” However, I do firmly dislike RMT and do not want it in my games.
I believe there are several people arguing the right and wrong of RMT that haven’t separated that decision from their like/dislike of it.
I view RMT in an RPG-like game as very similar to a hunter who purchases a trophy buck or a former athlete purchasing a former pro football player purchasing a superbowl ring they wear around. I’m sure they are happy to have it, but when I visit them and ask about this amazing trophy, they have no story or connection to go with it. So my awe is immediately replaced with a feeling of being intentionally misled.
I then have to question the authenticity of EVERY trophy or ring that I see.
This cheapens MY gaming experience and I would prefer that it not happen.
I am totally against the idea of pay to win – and personally cannot see the difference between pay to win and RMT (if somebody would like to differentiate I am all ears ….. ) – once real money comes into the equation the playing field becomes uneven.
A lot of playing games online is about the competition, trying to work your way up he ladder. However if people are able to sink a bottomless pit of money into it and I cannot I am always at a disadvantage.
Games should be about everyone starting at the same level and having equal opportunity. If everyone is not playing on the same level – whats the point in playing?
I have tried to like F2P games, but the element of real money influencing the playing experience always spoils my enjoyment – I can’t see how RMT in games would be any different.
@Xaras, the difference with P2W and RMT is that your not adding anything into the game. Games that are P2W have an unlimited supply of items that can be purchased, where as in RMT a player still has to go and obtain that item before he can sell it to someone else. So the supply of items isn’t effected as it is with P2W games.
OK .. i do see a very slight difference, but with RMT I still see there being a plentiful supply of top gear items as “proffessional” item farming groups get established.
So, someone originally has to go and get the item fair enough, but once that item becomes available on the open market people then get the chance to spend real money on the item.
So there may be only a limited amount of a particular item but someone will still have paid real life money to strengthen their character and gain an advantage they have paid 2 win. Pay 2 Win and RMT still seem the same to me.
Being able to use real money also means players don not have to go through the game content to earn the item – If players do not play the content again whats the point in the game?
If you havent guessed Im not all in favour of RMT, I still think we should keep real money out of gaming as much as possible.
………… Unless its online poker!
1. Playing any online game (for me) almost always come down to some sort of competition. Even co-op like Horde mode, or terrorist hunt you are trying to ket more points/kills than the other guy. It’s not personal, nor is it viscous, but I am always striving to be better. Better than I was before, better that others I am playing with.
RMT makes the entire comparison between characters pointless. Even if people have not used RMT, if the option is there, the entire competition is gone. Then so is my drive to keep playing anywhere past killing the final boss the first time.
Considering that D2 (and I assume D3) has multiple difficulties as you play through again, playing beyond the final boss is a large portion of the full game.
It’s not the monetary cost, its the fact that others with money money have an advantage that has nothing to do with their skill or even time put into the game.
The illusion of equality or at least being on the same playing field is one of the things that makes an MMO a compelling escape. Why would I pay for lack of opportunity compared to players that pay in cash for advantage? I can get that in real life. That is what game balance means, leveling the playing field, with RMT running out of control they can not control game balance.
RMT violates a contract. Everyone who has an account agrees to it and that includes those who are just in there to make money.
I am totally against the idea of ‘spend time to win’ – and personally cannot see the difference between spend time to win and subscription based MMO (if somebody would like to differentiate I am all ears ….. ) – once time comes into the equation the playing field becomes uneven.
A lot of playing games online is about the competition, trying to work your way up he ladder. However if people are able to sink a bottomless pit of time into it and I cannot I am always at a disadvantage.
Games should be about everyone starting at the same level and having equal opportunity. If everyone is not playing on the same level – whats the point in playing?
I have tried to like subscription based games, but the element of time influencing the playing experience always spoils my enjoyment.
‘spend time to win’ is part of every game, someone that spends 50 hrs a week playing MW2 or Starcraft2 is going to a lot better than someone that only plays casually. While in MMO time gets you better gear and items, it’s similar imo.
Spend time to win isnt without flaws granted – but RMT encourages people to buy items, which then allows them to bypass the content that they would normally have to play through to aquire the item, or aquire the ingame funds needed to buy the item. What is the point of purchasing a game and then fast forwarding to the end game skipping all the hard work developers have put into the earlier parts of the game.
A game is supposed to be a time sink, its supposed to be a way to spend your free time. To be good at any game should take practice & thus by definition any competetive game should be “spend time to win”.
If you dedicate yourself to something your going to be better than the rest – maybe im naive, but surely thats the way it should be.
@anti-stupidity league
btw I see what you did there nice try, very clever, although the
“and personally cannot see the difference between spend time to win and subscription based MMO”
part needs a little work. I was comparing pay 2 win with RMT which are supposedly 2 different things, your comparing spend time to win with subscription based MMO which I agree are usually pretty much the same thing.
@mike
‘spend time to win’ is part of every game, someone that spends 50 hrs a week playing MW2 or Starcraft2 is going to a lot better than someone that only plays casually. While in MMO time gets you better gear and items, it’s similar imo.
With this arguement you argue that if you dont have time to earn the gear in a gear reliant MMORPG you should be a ble to buy the gear to level the playing field.
By the same arguement if I dont have the time to develop my skills in a skill based MMO I should be able to buy something to compensate and make up for my lack of skill (for example an aimbot) – that doesnt seem right.
OK three posts in a row – sorry ive kinda taken taken over this thread a bit tonight didnt realise how strongly I felt about this until this thread – its all urs now =)
why don’t u that now gaming can become a job? unlike waiting for goverment to create job. i think this is more practical.