Which is true, except it’s already here. You can buy Blizzard games and game services with farmed WoW gold, making you essentially be paid to play WoW. If I would bother to go through the horrible market system of Steam, I could sell my crates for $100, which isn’t bad considering I paid $30 for the game. Also, many “players” are involved in RMT in many games, gaining money for “playing” the games.
I’ve concluded long ago that players are paying to win, not to play, they value the game access to zero or even negative. From that position, Raph’s revelation is rather inevitable than revolutionary.
This is common in real life “games”. The rafter “player” pays the rafting guide or the hobby diver for the dive instructor. Those people are also on the raft/diving, to an uninitiated they look the same “dudes in the boat”. In reality they are “good players” who are paid by “n00bs” to carry them through the “dungeon”.
This will inevitably happen in video games. RMT (illicit or dev-supported P2W) can bring you stats, not experience. The future is buying a “team” who will play with you instead of just handing you game gold that you can use to be powerful while solo.
I don’t think game companies should try to stop this or monetize it, just like the scuba gear shop doesn’t try to stop you from hiring a diving instructor. Why? Both you and the instructor need gear and gas. While RMT hurts the game, paid “friends who play with you” do not. Game companies should rather create a safe marketplace for these deals, with easy way of payments and writing reviews.
This is actually an idea i can fully get behind.
Game companies in general could stand to do more to help players organize around the hobby and use it as a springboard for socialisation – paid-for or otherwise.
LikeLike
It happens already in traditional games. Bridge for instance, so its not really a novelty idea.
LikeLike
Game magazines were essentially the first with that bussiness model even before internet was a thing.
That aside
“he future is buying a “team” who will play with you instead of just handing you game gold that you can use to be powerful while solo.”
Carries were already sold in classic for $. I wouldn’t call wow token devs paying the player since you can’t get shit from it outside more virtual work. The games that paid out as part of the design were second life & planet calypso. One being essentially an interface for 3d designers to sell their stuff to people inside a game and the other a lottery with a game interface.
LikeLike
Well, the important issue is what is meant by “games”. Football is also a game, as are most sports. Many sports games are played professionally, even “darts” which used to be a fun pub activity… Now, we have professional card game players, professional snooker/pool players.
We have for some time now sponsored e-sports teams, where the players are being paid so that they can spend their time practising skills and tactics.
All of this is not new and I am sure that Gevlon is aware of all this.
Now, when it comes to “bread and butter” video games, like “Rocket League”, “LoL” or “CoD”, getting money from the publicher is a new thing. So far, I have not heard of one title that would work that way, but I doubt that this will be a thing soon, before efficient anti abuse mechanisms are implemented. (think of the 200+ accounts EVE multiboxer)…
LikeLike
@Smite: it’s not new at all: https://www.entropiauniverse.com/
LikeLike