Some WoW players are sometimes tempted to purchase gold from one of the many WoW gold dealers online. If he has the money, this may seem like a good idea at first, as it will save him time, but what he’s really doing is helping to sustain an industry that is nothing short of a pixel sweatshop.
A 2006 study conducted by the University of California by Ge Jin titled Chinese Gold Farmers in the Game World. What this study found was quite interesting and exposed to some degree the amount of exploitation in the exploding virtual goods market. Ge went to Si Chuan Province, Fu Jian Province, and Dong Bei area for his research internship. He found hundreds of gold farms.
It’s a pretty complete industry now, having been around since at least 2001 (for other online games) and continuing to grow.
The typical large scale gold farm provides meals and lodging, the farmers live there and work 12 hour shifts with very short breaks. It is also typical for farms to have 2 farmers per computer so they are farming for 24 hours. Farmers are typically paid between $40 and $200 per month. Ge also found farmers who are willing to work for free as long as they are provided with food and shelter. That was quite a disturbing finding.
Given that China is the world’s leading source of cheap labor, it came as no surprise to discover how poorly farmers are treated and paid. While I am hopeful that this will eventually change and farmers will be paid equal to their labor, unless China opens up its markets, that will be difficult to measure.
I hope this article enlightens you a bit and stops you the next time you consider buying some pixels to enhance your gaming experience. As always, it’s best to take the high road and get a guide or tour to help you get what you rightfully want. There are also plenty of resources online that will greatly enhance your WoW gaming experience, including reputable gold guides. Happy gaming!