RMT

[nates1984]

If any of you have played other online games, such as EQ, FFXI, or WoW, you'll know what RMT is right off the bat, and understand why it's a subject that's in the front of my mind when it comes to online games. FFXI has voke-bots, and I'm guessing auto-buyers are the Neopets equivalent.

I managed to make a good bit of money in FFXI by watching the RMT websites, waiting for a severe price drop, then buying up various items and reselling them during the major inflation it leads to. Every bit of money I made off of it was a personal victory to me, I was exploiting both the buyers and sellers in a practice that's asinine.

I made a good chunk during XMas of 2005 in particular. It's amazing how people who buy online game currency will buy an item for three times what it was worth a month earlier.

Gogo Unicorn Leggings from minimal effort!

Anyways, the economy in Neopets operates slightly differently, and the RMT problem isn't as large, so I can't make my fortune this way (unfortunately). However, I was kind of curious as to how widespread RMT is on Neo. It's not like other online games where you can just see them walking around, and subsequently go out of your way to make their life a living hell.

All you have to type in is "buy gil" on Yahoo! and you'll get 20 trillion results. Seems as though the practice isn't carried over as much on Neopets though. I bet most of you didn't even know this was happening. =P

It does though, just google "buy neopoints" and see for yourself. =X

Yes, it's 4 AM, I've been crunching on a project for work, as well as a personal project, and need an intellectual break. I think I spent a good 30 minutes staring at my feet.

[__kit]

Hmmm.... I wasn't aware of this. Uhhh, the first link I clicked seems to be the only legit. one and even then I still might not be, not that it matters as I would never buy NP anyway, although it is cheaper than I'd assumed...

[Kaniget]

hmm, that's interesting. i'm guessing that the reason why it isn't as big is due to the age of the average neopian

i wonder if these people are taking the same approach as other gamers "we aren't selling neopets property, just the time and effort we put into the game" or something along those lines..

[Benladesh]

Ahh yes I was aware of this. i remember a while back i think ebay stopped neopoint selling. Another reason why i think its not popular is that you probably get frozen right away after you've recieved the NP.

I'd suggest everyone stay off those websites though. They can contain cookie grabbers and other such stuff.

[nates1984]

Quote:i wonder if these people are taking the same approach as other gamers "we aren't selling neopets property, just the time and effort we put into the game" or something along those lines..

Haha, I always got a good chuckle every time I heard that one. I always thought currency sellers should be politicians, they're excellent in the ways of language maneuvering.

Ebay stops all online game currency selling it seems, outside of the companies doing it. It's big business, the RMT companies themselves make bank, and the game's publisher also makes a nice fat stack from the significant amount of monthly fees they get to collect from said companies.

It's a great opportunity for poorer countries, the employees are treated nicely and everyone gets to enjoy nice American currency. I read an article from some guy who visited China (how cliche, Chinese RMT) and took a tour of a company. Apparently, it was a very nice facility, and the employees were paid extremely well in comparison to the average income in the region. It may be a really big stretch, but I almost want to say if these guys weren't doing it they might be working for an American company that out-sourced, or have those kind of operations fled China for even poorer countries now? I don't keep up with that stuff like I should.

The concept is much more acceptable then out-sourcing in my opinion, but dealing with the RMT players themselves and both the direct and indirect consequences of the practice make me hate it to no end, it creates a level of contempt in my blood I didn't know I had. That level of competition is expected in today's job market, but why do they have to mess with my hobbies.

Alas, I'm rambling again. Thank god for forums when I can't find an open ear nearby.

PS: Work project still incomplete.... /sigh
It'd probably be done if I didn't restock while I worked. The fact I'm on a 13 day work stretch doesn't help either. >_>;;