There’s Money in Playing Games
If you’re one of the many parents who are worried about the amount of time that your children spend in front of their computer and online playing games then perhaps it’s time to encourage them to do more.
Yes, that’s right, perhaps you should be encouraging them to actually work at playing the game because there is big money to be made by people who are involved in such games as World of Warcraft, Second Life and others.
While ‘big’ is a very relative term and exact figures are not known there is no doubt that a lot of people are making a very comfortable living from those games. And they aren’t the people who designed, promote or sell the games; undoubtedly they are doing very nicely from those games too. But people who play the games are also making money.
In fact there is a whole hidden economy at work within those games. Forbes.com estimates that, this year alone, as much as $US1.5 billion dollars in real money could be generated by people who play those games. Forbes.com also estimates that figure could climb to as much as $US2.7 billion dollars in 2007.
The money is generated by the manufacturing and selling fantasy tools, implements and even houses within the games. Players are spending real money to buy these items from other players who are producing them within the game.
It has become such big business that some experts are even suggesting that it could redefine the meaning of work.
And if you think that it’s not likely to happen here in Hervey Bay then perhaps you need to think again. That fantasy economy has even reached our city and real money is changing hands amongst those in town who play World of Warcraft. There is one young teenager here in town who can sell you a very charming little potion.
