[MUD-Dev] BIZ: Ban selling of in-game items for real cash?

[Brandon J. Van Every]

<EdNote: Significant trimming done, brunt not changed.>

vlad cole wrote:
> "Matt Mihaly" <matt at ironrealms.com> wrote:

>> It's about setting expectations. We rarely get complaints from
>> people about not being able to transfer their real-money items
>> because that was the expectation when they bought them. If
>> players ask why, I'm happy to be honest and tell them it's
>> because I believe if we allowed that practice to proliferate
>> there'd eventually be a floating supply of real-money items in
>> the game (due to player turnover, and players selling their items
>> before leaving the game permanently) and the way we pay for the
>> operation of the business would be too damaged to continue.

> So the assumption here is that the growth of a strong secondary
> market for items will reduce demand for primary-market offerings.

> Is that a valid assumption?

Why don't you test it?  It's a business decision, about a business
model.  The assumption is validated by whether it makes a profit or
not.  You won't know until you try.

What are you really after, as a game developer?  Maximum profits?
Some kind of gaming aesthetic goal?  If you're really after profits,
I'd suggest you stop theorizing, roll up your sleeves, and start
money grubbing as hard as you possibly can.

Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA

"The pioneer is the one with the arrows in his back."
                          - anonymous entrepreneur
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