Lazy Analogies are like Kicking Puppies

Seriously, you guys, cut this out. Games are not like crack and selling virtual gold is not like prostitution. From Eurogamer’s interview with Runescape’s Imre Jele:

The biggest concern about illegal real-world trading is - sorry for this example as I know it’s not politically correct - it’s a bit like prostitution. It’s not necessarily the prostitution which is a problem, although you might have moral problems with it. The real problem is the organised crime that’s built around prostitution; the human trafficking, the drugs, etc. And that’s the same with illegal real-world trading.

One party is trading currency for another willing party’s currency. No one is exploited in this exchange. No one is stealing kidneys to fund an mmorpg mob ring. Sure, jacking someone’s credit card info is wrong, but correlation is not causation. Trading currency should not be lumped in with these other criminal activities. Besides, the only reason that real prostitution is shrouded in all kinds of related crime is because the government has banned it. Same with drugs. If Runescape would lighten up, the peripheral crime would most likely disappear.

Sure, I can see how this sort of thing would make a game less fun. When the rich are able to buy success in an MMO, it sort of takes the juice out of the whole experience. But such is life, no? If the users really minded, they’d leave.

The creators of Runescape are well within their right to try to limit this kind of activity within the confines of the game. However, I can’t help but find it a little hypocritical that they are charging a subscription fee for premium membership that allows players to more readily access the game’s virtual assets. Isn’t that the same thing, only this time the studio benefits?

Dear Runescape, why not allow a few enterprising individuals to scratch up a little extra cash? If the users whine, give them a private server. Simple solution.

This iron-fisted stance bugs me, but then, I have to give him credit for the following statement:

To be honest, I think instead of real-world trading, games have to be designed in a way that they provide enough fun while you are getting somewhere; if I am incapable of providing you with enough fun while you collect that 1000 gold for a steed, then the game is not good enough.

Well put, Jele.

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