Chinese Communist MMORPG

**Adrian II** · 03-17-2006, 19:43

Spino started a thread about this that was locked because of its unfortunate title. The subject has interesting angles, so let us try again.

Story

The real news of course is this:

Online gaming has exploded in China in recent years, with an estimated 14.3 million people playing regularly and spending some $240 million on their hobby last year. Annual revenues are expected to hit $1.5 billion by 2008 for a habit that domestic media warn is taking a toll on children's studies.

Already thousands of Chinese 'gold farmers' are active on EQ, WoW and other online gaming servers, collecting ores and credits, building valuable avatars and making in-game fortunes that may be converted into RL fortunes via Ebay and other auction boards. These gold farmers work in sweat shops where they play avatars 14 hours a day, seven days a week, for the equivalent of $150 a month. Meanwhile game companies are outsourcing more and more of their software development and account management to Asian countries. As a consequence, gaming environments will have an Asian 'look and feel' about them in the near future. More elephants and demons, less individual diversity in avatars.

**Crazed Rabbit** · 03-17-2006, 20:28

I guess we were all wondering how a company could make the MMORPG begining any less boring than killing small rats. Now we know: its sewing and mending socks. I don't like mending socks in real life, why would I want to do it such that no real socks of mine get mended?

I wonder how many Chinese still revere Mao, and how many will play this.

These gold farmers work in sweat shops where they play avatars 14 hours a day, seven days a week, for the equivalent of $150 a month.

As in an actual, come to work and play WoW for $150 a month, sweat shops? Dang. I guess that puts perspective in the whole MMORPG grind as work thing.

Crazed Rabbit

**Soulforged** · 03-18-2006, 00:33

Originally Posted by The article

Doing good deeds, volunteering on building sites and obtaining Chairman Mao's autograph are some of the objectives of "Learn from Lei Feng," a new online game starring the Chinese Communist Party's legendary hero.

If this is only about the game, I've only one thing to say, it's the worst game ever.

If this is about propaganda, then I think it's the best way to propagate the message ever. Not only you get to advertise your ideas throughout more than a billion people, also you give it the size of an epic transforming the characters in their equal idealized image as a legendary leader. Please tell me that there's a best way to wash minds...

**Adrian II** · 03-18-2006, 01:52

Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

As in an actual, come to work and play WoW for $150 a month, sweat shops? Dang.

Be amazed

**Lazul** · 03-18-2006, 17:09

blhe... WoW sucks... dont buy it!

**Zalmoxis** · 03-18-2006, 17:49

Originally Posted by AdrianII

Be amazed

That was interesting, but when you think about it these people are paid alot in their own currency.

**Adrian II** · 03-18-2006, 21:15

Originally Posted by Zalmoxis

That was interesting, but when you think about it these people are paid alot in their own currency.

Ge Jin, theD student from the University of California San Diego who made that video, had this to say about the general atmosphere in the workshops:

When I entered a gold farm for the first time (tietou's gaming workshop in the preview), I was shocked by the positive spirit there, the farmers are passionate about what they do, and there is indeed a comraderie between them ... I do see suffering and exploitation too, but in that place suffering is mixed with play and exploitation is embodied in a gang-like brotherhood and hierarchy. When I talked with the farmers, they rarely complained about their working condition, they only complained about their life in the game world.

Although they have to work/play for 12 hours a day, they take pride in what they achieve and they seem eager to escape into a virtual reality richer, brighter, and more exciting than their impoverished real world lives.

**Crazed Rabbit** · 03-19-2006, 04:04

AdrainII, you sir, are a regular fount of information!

I have't watched the video, but I can't say I'm surprised that the 'workers' aren't real sad. After all, making a living playing computer games half the day is't that bad of a job in China.

It will be interesting to see the affect of increased outsourcing of games, and whether the content production becomes huma factory based or more procedural.

Crazed Rabbit