With a bit of Yankee ingenuity, you can outsource all sorts of drudge work.
But now, the reality of exchange rates and international income gaps has spawned a virtual version of the real-world relationship between rich and poor countries. While players in wealthier countries casually drop hundreds of dollars to buy their way into better positions in the games — or out of tedious parts of the games — some workers in poorer countries are playing around the clock to produce virtual goods that earn them real money.
These “currency farmers” sell their virtual goods to companies that, in turn, offer them to players who can afford to pay.
For example, entrepreneur Valery Markarov said he pays workers in Russia a base salary of about $100 per week to earn in-game money, which Markarov then sells to Internet Gaming Entertainment, or IGE, the major seller of virtual goods. Workers get paid more as they’re more productive, though, and could make up to $500 a week, he said.
“It’s very good money for them, especially for Russia,” Markarov said.
Yes, we’re talking about outsourcing the boring bits of online games. Not the programming, the playing.
Come the revolution, though, those capitalistic game players will be against the wall, man …
(via GeekPress)