Augustus
Urschel Page | 20 simply bored of grinding, or find that the system of
achievement in the game is dull. RMT is therefore not the failure of the
virtual game economy, but the failure of game developers to make enjoyable in‐game content. Conclusion:
Combat RMT by Improving Game Content While it may seem obvious to the point of
idiocy, games are supposed to be fun. While MMORPG’s are an FIFA 18 coins incredible
evolutionary leap in video game design and technology, video game developers
must still follow the same basic rules as jigsaw designers. The prevalence of
RMT in today’s major MMORPG titles reveals that players are dedicated to
remaining within virtual worlds, but they are not satisfied with the means of
earning a virtual living. This causes players to outsource grinding and instead
use real world money to progress in the game. Some players will continue to
play a MMORPG out of addiction, habit, or social reasons alone, regardless of
how entertaining gameplay mechanics are, but most players finding themselves
struggling to enjoy the basic mechanics of acquiring virtual wealth will be
inclined to consider other options. MMORPG developers seem to be focusing on
preventing RMTs by force, rather than solving the root cause of the problem.
Threatening players with sanctions or bans may deter some players from
preforming a RMT, but it will not fix the underlying problems of the MMORPG.
Players seek RMTs when they are unhappy or unsatisfied with in‐game ways to generate wealth. The simplest solution to the problem of
RMTs is to make virtual wealth generation more fun. If wealth generation is a
secondary thought to enjoying playing the game, RMTs will simply cease being an
issue. The root of why RMTs occur is that MMORPG developers too
often rely on grinding mechanics to progress through the game. Grinding
mechanics are almost cop‐outs
in terms of game design; they are often used as buffer zones between actual
content to lengthen the playable time a developer can squeeze out of its
designed content. They are essentially
time‐sinks, utilized because the most Understanding
RMT Trading in MMORPGs Augustus Urschel Page | 21 MMORPGs operate
on time‐based subscription models. While grinding
towards how to buy fifa 18 coinsa particular goal (new content, better items, etc.) will lengthen the amount
of time a player invests in a game (and therefore developer profits), it will
not necessarily contribute to a player’s overall enjoyment of the game. If game
content is stretched too thin and the player constantly feels like he needs to
“work” in the game to progress anywhere, RMTs will inevitably arise.
Eliminating RMTs entirely might be an impossible FIFA 18 coins task, but curtailing their
iron grip on popular MMORPGs is not. While some players will inevitably sell virtual
items from time to time for reasons unrelated to wealth generation mechanics,
(quitting altogether, virtual good surplus, etc.) this is a small portion of
the RMT market and would have little or no impact on the macroeconomic in‐game economy or game’s immersion.
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