Sony Finally Realizes That People Want To Sell And Buy EverQuest Characters

from the only-took-five-years dept

For years and years, people have been talking about selling virtual goods and characters in the online game EverQuest. While other online multiplayer games have learned to embrace online sales of characters and equipment (and, indeed, to encourage it in some cases), Sony has always resisted. In fact, they've forced eBay and other auction sites to shut down and block such auctions. Apparently, after approximately five years of protests from users, Sony has finally gotten the message and will create its own site for selling EverQuest stuff. While Sony will take a service charge on each transaction, it sounds like one of the bigger motivators is the ability to monitor these transactions to avoid fraud and other problems. EverQuest support staff was probably getting overwhelmed by people claiming to have been defrauded in auctions. By controlling the auctions themselves, Sony can force the seller to comply.
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  • identicon
    greg, 20 Apr 2005 @ 11:08am

    Virtual property - Real and with Value?

    One other thing that's been argued over time is the value of virtual property. If someone steals a virtual item, or if a company looses data that results in a loss, people have tried to go after them legally (and unsuccessfully, from what I've seen). Usually the reason they haven't been able to succeed at this is the item isn't "real" and has no "real" value.

    I wonder if, by actively allowing and encourage this, if Sony is going to end up setting a precedent that these items are in fact "Real" with real world value...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    JazzCrazed, 20 Apr 2005 @ 12:36pm

    What about WoW?

    Is not "gold farming," and other trades of weaponry and goods for actual cash, in World of Warcraft illegal by Blizzard's rules?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Binsky, 18 May 2005 @ 4:32am

      Re: What about WoW?

      It is indeed illegal in wow...They even cracked down on hundreds oif folks that were usuing characters for the same "gold farming", so their main characters could get richer...But those accounts have been deleted.

      I personally find it strange that people would spend real money on virtual items, but then again, with me being the type of gamer that gets insanely rich in any rpg I've played...I might even make some money from my hobby, so I'm not against it! :p

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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