World of Warcraft - the future of prison industries?

[the_tyrant]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/25/china-prisoners-internet-gaming-scam

As a prisoner at the Jixi labour camp, Liu Dali would slog through tough days breaking rocks and digging trenches in the open cast coalmines of north-east China (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/china). By night, he would slay demons, battle goblins and cast spells.
Liu says he was one of scores of prisoners forced to play online games (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games) to build up credits that prison guards would then trade for real money. The 54-year-old, a former prison guard who was jailed for three years in 2004 for "illegally petitioning" the central government about corruption in his hometown, reckons the operation was even more lucrative than the physical labour that prisoners were also forced to do.


what do you guys think?

oh, and top WOW accounts (max levels, top of the line items) can fetch thousands of usd in China

but if you think about it, if your paying someone else to play the game for you, aren't you missing the whole point?

but prison abuse like this is just insane, this is just another example of problems inside China's prison system

[Castout]

I thought of selling my World of Tanks account when I get to tier 8 or 9 tank . . . . maybe not. Any offer? :haha:

[Feuer Frei!]

I wonder what Bliz thinks about that.

[antikristuseke]

but if you think about it, if your paying someone else to play the game for you, aren't you missing the whole point?

To them it is a business, not a game.

[Feuer Frei!]

To them it is a business, not a game.
To Blizzard?

[kranz]

To Blizzard?

19 Euros for a 60 day pre-paid= 9 per month x smth like 10-12 million of players (12 as for October 2010).

Edit:Sheer business for blizzard but if you have in mind "business for the ppl who forced prisoners to play" it's not the problem of Blizz but of society, people etc. It could happen in any country and to any other game which in-game profits could be transfered into RL.

[Molon Labe]

but if you think about it, if your paying someone else to play the game for you, aren't you missing the whole point?


Not really. Most of WoW content is for "top level" characters. The grind to that top level to get access to the content is more of a hazing ritual than a gaming experience. Being able to skip it will save you hundreds of hours of, well, "work."

[Castout]

it's business to the prisoners guard.


Selling off WoW account/charzcter is relying on gamers obsession with the game.