Is it moral to buy gold for MMOs? by William Kamar
Many people around the world play Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, known colloquially as MMORPGS or just MMOs. Many of these games require hours upon hours of grinding to achieve anything, and getting the the level cap is often just the start. It’s no wonder, then, that people want alternatives to grinding, and when people want something there is always a market waiting to supply them.
In this case, it is the Mmo gold market. Jokes are frequently made about “Chinese Gold Farmers”, but in reality these businesses exist all around the world, providing game currency and more for anyone willing to buy it. These businesses operate in conflict with the Terms of Service for nearly every MMO, but people continue to buy from them, making currency sales a major side industry.
So, is it moral to do so, to purchase from these people? The default answer is no; almost anyone you ask will deny that buying is acceptable in any way, shape, or form, accusing those of doing so of cheating or even harming other players by their actions. This plug-your-ears, shut-your-eyes, and shout-them-down approach has little actual reasoning behind it, though, and I will explain why.
The first question is whether or not it is cheating. Well, like most questions related to gold buying, the issue is a complex one. Does bypassing hours of grinding by buying gold cheapen the experience as a whole, or give a player an unfair advantage over others? I’m going to have to say no. Most MMOs reserve the best items, gear, and achievements for those willing to work for them; none of the best gear in World of Warcraft, for example, is purchaseable with gold. The best you will get is some nifty starting gear, which will quickly be replaced with even casual raiding or Arena. And even then, you can argue that one job is much like another, and whether you do the work in wow to get the gold or in a real job to get the money to buy gold, the effort is the same either way.
The second thing to consider then is whether or not doing so harms others. The simplest argument is that gold sellers exist, gold sellers have always existed, and gold sellers will always exist; so whatever effect they are having has been coped with all along. I cannot believe that gold sellers wreck game economies; the vast majority of gold buyers spend the gold on sinks such as training and mounts, taking the gold out of circulation as soon as it enters. Some immoral companies do use disruptive methods of advertising, however; these should be avoided like the plague, as they really do interrupt other players, in addition to being less likely to be safe than a site that avoids such actions altogether.
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