[MUD-Dev] Meta-gaming: (real <--> game) transfers

[David Kennerly]

(see "Ebay bans character selling")
Dave Rickey:

> However, I'm not sure what legal theory can allow the transfer of
> in-game items for in-game recompense (or none at all), but forbid
> the same transfer when the payment comes in the form of a real-world
> transfer of funds.

This point exposes a serious community/game design problem, which is
similar to what many games define as "meta-gaming".

To be fair, though, I can imagine many games where (real <--> game)
asset transfers would detriment the game's popularity.  For example:
professional sports, or professional chess.  Imagine if a
coach/manager sells the right to lose a game for real world money.  He
could propose it as: I will sell you {x} number of game points (or
chess piece sacrifices) for {y} number of dollars.

The point Rickey made is very similar to meta-gaming (of which (real
<--> game) asset transfers are a subset of), but not quite the same.
In most games that forbid meta-gaming there is an adequate staff of
referees.  So the meta-gaming ban is enforceable a significant
percentage of the time.  Here, though, how often can any MMOG
cost-effectively enforce meta-gaming?  (see "Are eBay sales more than
just a fad?")  As MUD-devver's posted (see "Criminalize Community
Volunteers?", and the ironically titled conversation "paying
volunteers"), a lot of the referees are, or almost, unilaterally
(therefore unbound; i.e. volunteers) agreed players.  These referees
enforce have little inclination to enforce meta-gaming, and are
completely ill-equipped to detect at least this form of meta-gaming,
real <--> game asset transfers.

Meta-gaming itself is not a problem.  It all depends on the game
design.  Matt has posted on Achaea's business model, which succeeds
because of (real <--> game) asset transfers.  In this since, it's not
really "meta" gaming any more.  The real life survival credits (money)
become game life credits of some sort.

Another very good example of successfully-incorporated meta-gaming is
Magic: The Gathering.  Real-world dollars equals game world lottery
tickets.  That is, each pack bought is another chance to get the
game-mechanically superior asset, the kick-ass card.

And finally, another is every time-based MMOG.  In these, of which EQ
is currently the second most played, players' real-world time asset is
directly transferred into game-world points.  The game requires very
little skill and very much time.  By little skill, compare EQ or
another whack-the-monster/sell-the-item game to tennis or chess.
Those with the most real-world assets of time, win.

Obviously every game requires some amount of real-world time, but
there is a vast difference between, say, chess and EQ.  In chess,
skill will win a game.  That game skill was developed through real
time investment (real time --> game skill), but the skill is
independent of the game.  You don't have to play ChessMaster for 100s
of hours to be good at ChessMaster.  You have to play just chess.  You
_do_ have to play EQ for 100s of hours to have a high standing in EQ.
Playing a similar MUD won't only informs you of the strategy you ought
to take, which is time-intensive, per individual, copyrighted game.

At first it could be thought that time-based MMOG's are not designed
to reward (real <--> game) time advantages; therefore, they are not
designed for (real <--> game) transfers.  But that was well over 20
years ago.  Today, if a MUD designer incorporates this, he wants to
reward (real <--> game) transfer of time converted into game points,
which makes business sense to the pay-per-hour model, and (through
more advanced chain of reasoning) to pay-per-month model.  It also
makes sense to the free MUD.  You want people to play your game?
Reward them for playing your game.

Personally, I prefer skill-based elements of a game.  Then the (real
<--> game) transfer works to my real-world advantage.  My game
investment becomes a real reward.  Solving puzzle games helps the
player to solve some real puzzle-like problems.  Playing a social RP
MUD, in a certain manner, helps the player to create spontaneous prose
in real-life.  Playing a good resource management game
(e.g. Civilization, SimCity) helps the player to manage real-life
resources.

By "real-life", one could just about substitute "other-game".  Any
introductory textbook on cultural anthropology expounds on this much
better than I could here or now.

Dave Kennerly    |    Game Director    |    www.us.eSaga.com


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