What if.....Jagex sold Runescape item for real-life money.

[Str4lif3]

FOUND THIS ON RUNESCAPE COMMUNITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

As all of you know, Runescape is a pretty popular MMORPG, and it is growing pretty fast compared to other games of the same genre.

 

 

 

With over ten million active free accounts and more than one million paid member accounts, RuneScape is rated among the most popular online games in the world. More than six million unique players access their accounts to play RuneScape at least once per month, and the number of accounts is currently growing at around 35% a year.

 

 

 

But I think that Runescape's potential quite possibly has not been reached yet. Other MMO's such as Fiesta, and Gunbound, which have an even higher user base, actually support Real World Item Trading through their websites. Basically, a player is allowed to buy in game items and gold, for real cash, through the game's website. huh.gif

 

 

 

Now some of you are already thinking of ways in which this would ruin Runescape, but I don't think it would cause any damage at all. Think about it...

 

 

 

1) This would immediately stop Runescape Gold sites from operating...why buy gold on your site, when I can buy it from Runescape.com? thumbsup.gif

 

 

 

2) The "sweat shops" Jagex mentioned one time when they first began to combat RWIT would go out of business. Why buy items from other sites if I can get them from Runescape.com? thumbsup.gif

 

 

 

3) Jagex could better adjust prices if Runescape gold officially counted for Euros or Dollars. The prices would most likely stay stable and this would satisfy a lot more people than the GE. thumbsup.gif

 

 

 

Now some of you may be thinking about how bad it would be if some little kid used his parent's credit card to buy all the best items and gold in the game without doing any work for it mad.gif ...that is why I propose that Jagex only sell certain items, like Runes, Logs, fish, w/e, the same items that all these Runescape gold sites sell. tongue.gif

 

 

 

I think this is the solution to bots and autoers. If this system were added, bots and RWIT would disappear in days, and the amount of autoers would decrease significantly. biggrin.gif

 

 

 

Of course this system would have to be implemented in a very careful and secure way. That is why I am asking you...could this system work in Runescape? How would it have to work? unsure.gif Would this system be welcomed with open arms, or rejected before it even hit the table?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss.

[jokemaster]

RS is meant to be a fantasy game: an escape from reality. It has a minimal cost to become a member and can be run on very old computers. If gold could legally be purchased for real world money, given the current economic setup of the game it would allow the richest players in real life to further tear apart the already fragile economic balance that exists between the rich and the poor.

 

 

 

It wouldn't be RS if they did this and to be honest, this just wouldn't happen.

[Fire_Slyzer]

This would ruin Runescape i think...

 

I would quit anyway, i think it's not fair to buy wealth...

 

and you say that only logs and ores and runes should be sold through this online shop, to prevent kids from having the best armor... what if these kids sold those logs in game, for many millions, and... they can buy the best armor they want.

 

 

 

Also this would crash the economy of those items, they would go down a lot.

 

 

 

Well some small ideas i though of just after reading the article... Maybe i'll have more later..

[aznmidget448]

This would ruin Runescape i think...

 

I would quit anyway, i think it's not fair to buy wealth...

 

and you say that only logs and ores and runes should be sold through this online shop, to prevent kids from having the best armor... what if these kids sold those logs in game, for many millions, and... they can buy the best armor they want.

 

 

 

Also this would crash the economy of those items, they would go down a lot.

 

 

 

Well some small ideas i though of just after reading the article... Maybe i'll have more later..

 

 

 

Yeah, he pretty much said everything. It just wouldn't be a good idea and basically noobs would buy their way to phats and other items which would just be unfair. They need to work for their money and items and that's what runescape is based around.

[Ginger_Warrior]

RuneScape, above all else, is a game where people compete against one another. Surely, with the classist system in which we live in real life, we have that already when it comes to how much real life money we have?

 

 

 

Doing that would remove the idea that the top players are better simply because they're better at playing the game and making money/training skills. Instead, it would become a contest of whoever has more money in real life and, as that article points out, could lead to cases of fraud which would land Jagex itself in trouble for not placing appropriate safeguards.

 

 

 

In short, this should never happen to any game.

[Fire_Slyzer]

another remark:

 

you said prices would stable: this is not going to happen... prices will lower, and lower, and lower, until it is not worth the real life money to buy these items, which will cause people to go to other illegal sites again...

[aoe325]

They would have to ban themselves for real world trading! :mrgreen: P-Mods will rule over Runescape! :lol:

[icecube]

Runescape would be like Flyff, with "cash-shop" users dominating the game.

[jokemaster]

remark: I think this would just encourage younger and more immature children to start playing the game as it would require hardly any work to go from rags to riches

[Dragonlordjl]

If the price was too low, the economy would crash. If the price was too high, it wouldn't work because RWT sites would undercut Jagex's prices. It is a catch-22.

[Obtaurian]

RuneScape, above all else, is a game where people compete against one another. Surely, with the classist system in which we live in real life, we have that already when it comes to how much real life money we have?

 

 

 

Doing that would remove the idea that the top players are better simply because they're better at playing the game and making money/training skills. Instead, it would become a contest of whoever has more money in real life and, as that article points out, could lead to cases of fraud which would land Jagex itself in trouble for not placing appropriate safeguards.

 

 

 

In short, this should never happen to any game.

 

 

 

I completely agree. While it could possibly cut down the amount of RWT in the game, it would completely destroy what Jagex intended the game to be. They constantly stress that in Runescape, we are all equal, and are offered no advantages over our fellow players. The only advantages we get are what we work for in game.

 

 

 

Bottom line: the bad would far outweigh the good, in my opinion.

[Earth_Poet]

i'll post this quote directly from the runescape news archives dated 9 September 2003. This seems to have been their original stance on the subject.

 

 

 

The reason for this is simple - We want RuneScape to be a game where everyone has the same chance regardless of their wealth in real-life.

 

 

 

This is also the reason we don't sell RuneScape items for cash on our own website. Even though we could make extra money in this way. We don't think it's fair or even fun if players can just buy their way to the top!

 

 

 

 

Now I will post part of an article that has been linked to before from this forum. The link to the original bbc article, dated 13 November 2007, I am quoting from can found here

 

 

 

"We feel it spoils the game for other players," said Mr Iddison. Many people, he said, have literally spent hours adventuring so they gain the skills and cash to kit out their character and display that prowess.

 

 

 

Having someone just buy their way to the top seems like cheating, he said, and many Runescape fans resent those that pay rather than play.

 

 

 

and finally...from the same article

 

 

 

But, said Mr Iddison, Jagex has not set its face totally against games that are part-funded through item sales.

 

 

 

Future titles, he said, may be based around that idea.

 

 

 

"But," he said, "we've no plans to do item sales in Runescape. The game is so deep that it would mean a big re-write."

 

 

 

In a nutshell, Jagex seems to have made an original decision about doing this. It sounds as though they are not entirely against the idea, and they may even implement it in future titles, but it lookos like they are saying it's just too late to attempt that in Runescape. Not only would there be a definite backlash against older, loyal players who have worked hard and done it honestly, but it would mean a "big re-write" in the game itself.

[malo2]

that post made no sense at all, the writer must have been on crack when he wrote it.

 

 

 

Does he really think that the only reason jagex is banning real world trading because they hate the Chinese and people who profit from the game?

 

 

 

total bs.

[Makoto_the_Phoenix]

Wouldn't that go against everything that Jagex has updated for?

[JimmyMcNabb]

They would have to ban themselves for real world trading! :mrgreen: P-Mods will rule over Runescape! :lol:

 

 

 

Oh ye gods no! Not the P-Mods! *dun dun dun dunnnn*

[Thus]

It would have to be like maple story, where you can ONLY buy things you cannot get in the game otherwise. I remember my friend who plays bought some item that doubles xp gain for a period of time. Pretty cool if it can be done.

[SwreeTak]

RuneScape, above all else, is a game where people compete against one another. Surely, with the classist system in which we live in real life, we have that already when it comes to how much real life money we have?

 

 

 

Doing that would remove the idea that the top players are better simply because they're better at playing the game and making money/training skills. Instead, it would become a contest of whoever has more money in real life and, as that article points out, could lead to cases of fraud which would land Jagex itself in trouble for not placing appropriate safeguards.

 

 

 

In short, this should never happen to any game.

 

 

 

I agree totally. The richest people irl would be the one who became the best people in the game, and not the ones who is the best skillers or merchanters. And that's very unfair, or at least I think so. So don't stop fighting against RWT, Jagex!

[Kragg3802]

Big, unfair advantage for some players....

[folmer_veeman]

they could sell masks and such on ebay, and when someone bought it they ban the player, would rid the game of rwt and would give jagex a li'l bit more money

[joepie8899]

they could sell masks and such on ebay, and when someone bought it they ban the player, would rid the game of rwt and would give jagex a li'l bit more money

 

 

 

Great idea, I had that in my head for a while too, but how will they track the characters of the buyers down?

[Mollerz]

another remark:

 

you said prices would stable: this is not going to happen... prices will lower, and lower, and lower, until it is not worth the real life money to buy these items, which will cause people to go to other illegal sites again...

 

 

 

Actually you are wrong there. The prices would rise.

 

More money goes into the economy.

 

Money is worth less.

 

There is more demand than supply.

 

People start buying into rares because of purchased money.

 

Those who cannot afford to buy money quit because prices are now ridiculously high.

 

More money gets bought, items become worth even more, money less.

 

Money keeps flowing into the economy, therefore it is worth less.

 

Prices are ridiculously high now.

[Chippy_PK]

another remark:

 

you said prices would stable: this is not going to happen... prices will lower, and lower, and lower, until it is not worth the real life money to buy these items, which will cause people to go to other illegal sites again...

 

 

 

true indeed

[jondea0]

no what you fail to see is that the only people that buy money at the moment are rule breakers but if you created a white market for it runescape would be come a game where whoever is richest in real life gets furthest ingame and that would make me atleast quit. i dont know it just destroys the whole point of playing imo

[Earth_Poet]

another remark:

 

you said prices would stable: this is not going to happen... prices will lower, and lower, and lower, until it is not worth the real life money to buy these items, which will cause people to go to other illegal sites again...

 

 

 

Actually you are wrong there. The prices would rise.

 

More money goes into the economy.

 

Money is worth less.

 

There is more demand than supply.

 

People start buying into rares because of purchased money.

 

Those who cannot afford to buy money quit because prices are now ridiculously high.

 

More money gets bought, items become worth even more, money less.

 

Money keeps flowing into the economy, therefore it is worth less.

 

Prices are ridiculously high now.

 

 

 

it would depend on how it was done. if they were introducing brand new gp into the game then yes prices would soar because gp would become worthless. if they only introduced items then, unless they are alching materials, no gp was being introduced and those items would bottom out because there would be more items and gp would still be worth the same.

 

 

 

i believe this system would only work and be somewhat accepted if they intoduced a new currency bought with real world money, such as a "rune gem." example you could buy 100 rune gems for 20 us dollars. then if they made certain special items or abilities made available to purchase with rune gems. i've seen other games begin doing things along this line. i still think it would create an unfair advantage for players that have and are willing to spend vs those that can't afford.

 

 

 

but let's be honest though. if you do want a system where you can buy items and cash for real worl money it's because you either don't know how, or are just plain too lazy to work for it yourself and want a shortcut. that would be like starting the Boston Marathon, then hopping in a car and driving across the finish line and saying you won.

[Plugpoint]

A couple people on here have threatened to quit - but would you?

 

 

 

I personally would carry on playing as if the update hadn't existed, and have the honour of earning my money. Actually, I doubt this is possible, like someone said, there would be inflation because the money would become worthless and therefore I'd have a bunch more, but I wouldn't have taken the cheat's way out and bought it. I have more honour, and better things to spend my money on, than that :)

 

 

 

Plugpoint92 :