Property Exchange in MMORPGs

The practice of gold farming in MMORPGs has emerged from sub-culture news into mainstream news. Up to now, the media attention has largely been disregarded as a gimmick; just gamers trying to justify their addictions. However, a former on-line broker turned gamer, referencing his annual take of $120,000 in MMORPG sales, would say otherwise. With such earnings passing under the table, it’s no surprise the IRS has shown an interest.

Profits used to be made by selling rare artifacts. But modern gold farming targets the fluctuating exchange rates of MMORPG currency against real dollars. Based on the volume of in-game commerce, many currencies within MMORPGs have emerged stronger than those of real nations. Calculations against Everquest’s in-game economy show it would rank as the 77th richest nation on Earth. Energy consumption of virtual avatars is no longer the only MMORPG attribute that exceeds real world comparison.