How do you feel about buying in game wealth?

[Deleted]

Wealth accumulation has always been a vital part of most RPGs. With wealth you can buy items from other players as well as from NPCs and as such have a far easier time in the game.

In the last few years lots of F2P online games have emerged where you are able to buy in game wealth directly or indirectly with real money. An interesting business idea. However, lately, we have also seen buy and pay to play games introducing the same. For example, Diablo 3 with its real cash auction house. WoW with its Guardian Cub pet. And most recently, GW2 with its tradeable cash shop gems.

Call me old fashioned, but I personally find this trend disturbing as one of my main attractions to games is that everyone is on even footing, and only effort/skill in the game can give you an advantage. With the introduction of legit ways of trading real world currency for in game wealth, I feel that my enjoyment of the game is diminished, as in game wealth accumulation becomes a commodity for sale.

I am really interested in how others feel about this and especially what and what not would make you play a game that allows cash to wealth trading.

[klaps_05]

im quite happy that those options are out there - it means the gaming industry is DEVELOPING. this is not about greed or anything. a lot of the money companies get are actually reinvested - this isnt a bank where you give your employees big bonuses. obviously there are bonuses just like in any other company, but the majority of the money is reinvested, because in the end - its a GAMING company, it wont go on and get involved in say the oil business.

the more money companies get the more gets reinvested which means we can enjoy better and better products. development is not free, and if companies can find new ways of raising money, they should use them and not be afraid of being called greedy.

[Edge-]

It all depends on what the wealth can purchase in a game. If it purchases power, that's not alright. I'm ALWAYS against purchasing power, either directly or indirectly. Money should NEVER give one player an edge over another.

If it's all convenience purchases? I couldn't care less. If it buys in cuts down on farming time by allowing you to buy consumables/item enhancements ect. that you would normally farm to fun, that's perfectly fine. It's not buying something that someone who doesn't take part in the cash shop doesn't have access to.

RMT is fine if it's done properly.

[ara]

Depends on what the wealth can be used for and if it's indirect or direct. Indirect gold buying is kind of fine, but worse if it can make you powerful (diablo 3). Having it in Guild Wars 2 is kind of a kick in the nuts but at least it's not going to make anyone more powerful since gear caps out quite quickly.

[Duruka]

I'm perfectly fine with cosmetic stuff, or even something like the Diablo 3 auction house. They're optional, and don't make you any stronger. However, I probably wouldn't play a game that lets you buy powerful upgrades, making you stronger than other players. That should be about skill, not who has more money.

[Skelington]

Nay. In-game money should be something that is received in-game. Real life money should not be used to receive in-game money, or anything outside of cosmetic fun things for that matter.

[cyan421]

I've played wow with people who bought gold, items even max level characters. I could tell by their game play that they didn't level that paladin or they didn't earn that gear. Even if you have the best gear you still have to have some skill. This is obvious when you get into the game and see people play.

People who have money and want an easier time in game will spend the money. If it goes back to the developers to make more games/content than is GOOD THING for all of us. If the money goes to some Chinese gold farming sweat shop, well that is only good for the sweat shop owner.

I don't know how the gold works in Guild Wars 2, but it sure seems like its selling power. It sure seems like a game with that kind of system should be F2P.

[Teasy]

Highly depends on the game itself.
If it gives your character a really noticeable change, minding the looks, then no.
For example, a game like Cabal Online, that was REALLY in-game cash dependant. Was hard to farm it, and everything was overpriced, so it kinda pushed me towards buying gold, and it gave me an insane boost.

[flarecde]

I'm fine with systems like EVE's Plex system, where you can trade time cards for in game currency with other players. Stuff that can't be bought with in game currency and only out of a cash shop is a bit of a turn off however.

[Deleted]

Making money on the AH has always been like a little game within WoW for me...not that I have a lot of gold compared to many, but I like that I am able to afford whatever I want because I have worked for it. People being able to simply buy their way to where I am now would be kind of an insult. If I wanted a game where I could buy currency I'd go to one of the F2P ones as I view it as a trade off for playing an inferior game.

We probably all know people who have bought a few thousand gold to help them along, but I usually try and help those people play the AH and give them some tips so they don't have to do it again. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the last days of WoW, Blizzard goes F2P and starts selling currency via the store. It will be interesting to see how the real money AH works for diablo 3.

[Deleted]

I've never even have the slightest desire to buy any in-game edge and I don't care about cosmetics. So yea, boycott and stop playing if non-cosmetic items are sold in the cash shop. If other players are selling for real life currency, I wouldn't care. I wouldn't buy anything and might sell but it wouldn't bother me at all since players can't "print" the items they sell unlike the game companies, so they can't ruin it.

[NoRest4Wicked]

I've bought gold a few times, not much, just 20-40k at a time. Most of it is for mounts or if I'm low on cash and want to level an alts professions w/e I desire. Is it really game breaking in WoW? No, not at all. If you aren't in a situation to earn the gear you can buy off the AH (being a raider) you aren't breaking the game by buying it and sitting around org/queueing for dungeons. Sure, gold is pretty easy to make, but so is money. $20 for 20k or how ever much it goes for these days, is about 25 minutes of salary pay.

[Strah]

It lacks a "Yes, i don't care" option.

[Agent Mercury]

I wonder if a lot of people that are against it realize its even in WoW.

[PBitt]

Games are supposed to be fun, unless you are pro, to me, it's never really been something I plan to make money with, as it's a hobby (granted if I could make just as much money gaming as at my current job, I would do it). I don't think players should feel forced to spend real money just to keep up with everyone else.