The worst thing about trying to catch up on my blog reading and writing is that some of the stuff becomes dated – but this is still relevant from Technolama.
According to Slashdot, eBay has caved-in to increasing pressure from the games industry and has de-listed all in-game items from its database. However, I’ve made a search and you still can find some items. If you want to buy gold, rare items, swords of power and exotic pets, you will have to go to other websites. In many instances, you may have to go to officially sanctioned websites, such as Sony’s Station Exchange, in order to get your goodies. Why? Because this could be another profitable source of income for MMORPG providers.
The economics of gaming is a fascinating subject which has just begun to be explored. Here are some interesting starting points:
Lastowka, F. G. & Hunter, D. The Laws of Virtual Worlds
Taylor, T. L. Whose Game is this Anyway?
Klang, M. Avatar: From Deity to Corporate Property