China Bans Gold Farming

[Jun 29, 2009, 4:44 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

InformationWeek reports that China has banned trading virtual goods for real money, making the practice of "gold farming" illegal (thanks Slashdot). The report quotes a 2008 survey conducted by Richard Heeks at the University of Manchester estimating that between 80% and 85% of the world's gold farmers are in China, and says this of the new ruling:

The Chinese government estimates that trade in virtual currency exceeded several billion yuan last year, a figure that it claims has been growing at a rate of 20% annually. One billion yuan is currently equal to about $146 million.

The ruling is likely to affect many of the more than 300 million Internet users in China, as well as those in other countries involved in virtual currency trading. In the context of online role playing games like World of Warcraft, virtual currency trading is often called gold farming.

The most popular form of virtual currency in China is called "QQ coins," a form of virtual credit issued by Tencent.com.

Tencent.com, which has about 220 million registered users -- about as many as Facebook -- is quoted in the Chinese government news release as "resolutely" supporting the new rule. The government justifies its ban on virtual currency trading as a way to curtail gambling and other illegal online activities.

View

30 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
< Newer [ 1 2 ] Older >

30.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jul 8, 2009, 12:09

nin

Thanks, spambot.




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

29.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jul 8, 2009, 02:57

Lizzy

Actually, they did not ban gold farming. The Chinese are trying to protect their real currency against the so called QQ coins which is now being used to buy real stuff. Be enlightened by this blog: http://www.wowgoldfacts.com/2009/07/06/the-story-behind-the-chinese-brouhaha-lost-in-translation-indeed/

28.

Re: Yawn

Jun 30, 2009, 09:33

LittleMe

Some large prison sentences. Some shootings. Some IP blocking. They'll put an end to it. There are many reasons for China doing this, most of them well-intentioned.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Totalitarian governments espouse all sorts of good intentions and future Utopias but never deliver. This is no different. The whole idea of China going communist was a Utopian delusion. You can tell things like this will fail when the goal is in a 'better future.' Tomorrow.. Tomorrow.. Never right here, right now.

Why not put some blame on the spamming gold farmers on Blizzard's and other MMO developers? Hasn't it come out that this is a revenue generating incentive for them?

Player communities could develop proxies that filter the spammers on the network level before your client gets the spam. The real solution to avoiding spam is in our hands, not the governments of the world. Same goes for dealing with gambling and obsessive/compulsive computer use. My $.02.

This comment was edited on Jun 30, 2009, 09:35.




Political freedom can only be preceded by economic freedom which is preceded by monetary freedom.

27.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 30, 2009, 00:19

the_culture

Oh, don't be so smug. Wasn't trying to be smug. Just commenting on the fact that China goes on record to condemn "gold farming" at the same time they devastate their land. That's all...

26.

Re: Yawn

Jun 29, 2009, 22:42

Cutter

Some large prison sentences. Some shootings. Some IP blocking. They'll put an end to it. There are many reasons for China doing this, most of them well-intentioned. Hopefulyl this will make MOGs a lot less of a nuisance to play.




"Are you crazy? Is that your problem?" - Jack Burton

25.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 18:31

space captain

Are you sure they take that position or is that how they sound in your "space"

im fucking with slippery jim because he is a toolbag




Go forth, and kill!

24.

Re: Yawn

Jun 29, 2009, 18:12

Kxmode

The Chinese government doesn't fuck around. They do sentence more people to capital punishment, and execute them, than any other country in the world. Something like 10,000 people in 2005 and between 5,000-6,000 in '07 (figures shamelessly from Wikipedia). They definitely put Texas to shame. Not as bad as what they do to citizens in Iran. The Clevers they used to hack their citizens is BOE.

23.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 18:10

Kxmode

The ruling is likely to affect ~~many~~ ALL of the more than 300 million Internet users in China Fixed that!

22.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 18:02

dryden555

i dont understand why China would do this -- unless the Chinese govt wasnt profiting from it.

21.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:59

VultureMAN

sc said "i think slippery jim is a neo-nazi " Are you sure they take that position or is that how they sound in your "space" 'Cause I am pretty sure that it is the Green Progressives that bloviate about the US being to blame for all the Earth's ills. Too bad they are unwilling to act responsibly by offing themselves to reduce their own "footprint".

20.

Re: Yawn

Jun 29, 2009, 17:51

Masa

The Chinese government doesn't fuck around. They do sentence more people to capital punishment, and execute them, than any other country in the world. Something like 10,000 people in 2005 and between 5,000-6,000 in '07 (figures shamelessly from Wikipedia). They definitely put Texas to shame. I appreciate what China is trying to do, and know China is pretty good at censoring just about anything they want in the average citizen's lives, but this won't change anything. And the funny thing is the PRC spent approximately $800 million on their so-called Golden Shield internet firewall and it's been said to be pretty ineffective with its intended purpose. It was more the laziness and hassle of individual people not wanting to work through proxies and whatnot that kept them going to many censored sites. China will just be the final amount that pushes us over. In college I wrote a paper surveying powerful political hegemonies and their penchant for conflicts. I came to the conclusion the most industrialized countries with broad-reaching cultures and high economic output coupled with high military expenditures produced the vast majority of the world's strategic conflicts. Especially if some economically powerful countries or continents fell under the influence of a superpower (i.e. West Europe and the United States). I know, a big obvious "duh!" comes out. But the interesting note was in the statistics tracked for conflicts started by, or at least highly influenced by, these countries. Of all the conflicts revolving around resource and pacification (humanitarian missions, military actions meant to undermine mass-genocide, etc), the United States had played the biggest role.

19.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:39

space captain

i think slippery jim is a neo-nazi




Go forth, and kill!

18.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:36

Hump

From what I've read, this is going to put a lot of Chinese folks out of work.

you'll excuse me if I don't shed too many tears. They've got nearly every manufacturing job on the planet locked up and their economy is only going upward.




---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Both the “left” and the “right” pretend they have the answer, but they are mere flippers on the same thalidomide baby, and the truth is that neither side has a clue." - Jim Goad

17.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:35

Prez

The west (specifically USA) has brought the planet to edge.

OH. MY. GOD. Wall




Prez on Soundclick http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=604888

16.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:31

Donkey_Punch

In further news, China says OK to environmental destruction... Oh, don't be so smug. The west (specifically USA) has brought the planet to edge. China will just be the final amount that pushes us over.

15.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:18

the_culture

In further news, China says OK to environmental destruction...

14.

Re: China Bans Gold Farming

Jun 29, 2009, 17:12

Cram

You take away peoples services to do stuff like this, and alternatives always appear to take their place. China will force a lot of people to hide themselves "underground", and spend a lot of $$ investigating/arresting/fining/jailing/prosecuting these people with no real return. Take out some of the big players in gold farming, and you'll spawn 50x more smaller players hiding behind loopholes and new services. I appreciate what China is trying to do, and know China is pretty good at censoring just about anything they want in the average citizen's lives, but this won't change anything. EDIT: Not to mention the fact that gold farming in the US and Europe is about to go through the roof now that a lot of competition from China is temporarily out of service until they find a new way to sell their gold. This comment was edited on Jun 29, 2009, 17:17.

13.

Re: Yawn

Jun 29, 2009, 17:12

Grounded

What's funny is it took government action to stop something that had become so wide spread because of a video game. GO NERDS!

12.

Re: Yawn

Jun 29, 2009, 17:12

nin

Wouldn't mass public executions help? I'm just wondering...

Exactly. The Chinese government doesn't fuck around.




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

11.

Re: Yawn

Jun 29, 2009, 17:11

shinchan0s

China bans a lot of things =/

30 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
< Newer [ 1 2 ] Older >