EVE General Discussion

Note: The purpose of this post is to discuss the emergence of digital currency (including ISK) as both a proxy for real-world currency and a legitimized trade good. I don't RMT. In fact, I wouldn't even know how to.


CCP has recently taken some firm action against in-game botting and RMT activities. We've also recently seen the company take the groundbreaking step of selling real computer hardware for PLEX, which can be purchased for ISK. Given the timing, its seems at least possible that the two initiatives are related.

One inference is that CCP would want to topple existing RMT empires if they plan on creating more ISK-for-real-goods programs in the future. While we've been conditioned thus far to view RMTing as unethical, the GPU for PLEX program could represent a subtle shift in principles in Iceland, or at the least, a willingness to explore some new territory. Looking around at Bitcoin and others, it seems that we could be approaching a tipping point of legitimization. CCP could enable a vision for our universe wherein a person could play EVE, but could also actually earn real money as a product of their in-game efforts. Talk about a game universe where your actions actually have meaning - I can't think of any higher meaning.

I'm led to the questions.. should ISK have real world value? Arguably, it already does, but only in one direction and its pegged to CCPs pricing. Assuming a market absent of ISK farmers, is it inherently wrong for a player to trade in-game PLEX for real world cash? Would you want to see an EVE where you could not only pour money in via GTC/PLEX conversion, but also pull money out via Goods for PLEX programs, or even a supported competitive real-currency market for game items?

The only people that are allowed to make money from Isk are CCP and they would be stupid to change that.

Typo - principles, as in values

No.

It would break and ruin the game in pretty much every way imaginable, for no good purpose whatsoever.

"well designed system"
"CCP"
"Eve"

Yeah I don't get why people are against it either!

With the understanding that I, personally, have no vested interest either way, my primary objection is that player-side RMT already exists right now - both legitimately and illegitimately. We've all read the stories, seen the bans. On the legal side, players can conceivably run some incursions, earn a few hundred million ISK, then buy real-life GTC. Most recently, they were able to buy a video card. On the illegal side, players farm ISK then sell to someone for real currency at a rate discounted from the equivalent PLEX to ISK conversion rate. Theoretically, someone could have PLEXed a video card then sold it straightaway on Ebay. It happens.

Its worth pointing out that this isn't a novel concept; its been discussed before. Evidently CCP itself saw the merit in examining the idea - hence the Nvidia deal. While I can certainly understand hesitance and aversion to anything which do long-term harm to EVE, I usually try to avoid knee-jerk reactions in any direction until sufficient evidence promotes a clear victor...

Just food for thought. Its hard to deny that if CCP were able to implement this meaningfully and safely, either through monthly redemption limits, limitations on exchanged products, or other constraints, it could open the doors to something even more amazing.

If bitcoins ever became more than just pixels they would cease to be bitcoins and the universe would implode.

"Greed is good"

If you can trade isk for GC's and sell those GC's for real money, where's the difference?

Just wanted to add my .02:

First of all, anyone who doesn't think RMT is gonna happen is a blind fool. For example:

You see all those plex on the market? Someone payed REAL money for that and they are selling it for Isk. With that isk you can buy absolutely anything in this game.

Remember those graphics cards that sold out in literally seconds? They were purchased with plex. Do you think anyone went and bought a bunch of plex for RL money then traded them to ccp for a graphics card? No, they bought them with in game money. And do you think all those graphics cards are inside the computer of the person who bought them? I'd bet some of them went to EBAY and were sold for REAL money.

Any of you buy a ticket to fanfest for plex? Did you buy plex with real money then trade them for a ticket to fanfest? Or did you use in game money to purchase something in real life?

Real money trades for ISK every day in this game. With enough real money, you can buy anything this game has to offer. The best ships, best implants, best modules. Hell, even the one thing that sets this game apart from any other game I have played (the skill system) can be bought with real money. Just because someone has 100mil SP doesn't mean they are loyal subscribers for the last 10 years or whatever. Maybe they just have a lot of money, bought a bunch of plex, sold them on market, bought the character...

Someone above posted a comparison between a person selling organs and someone selling isk. As he said, there really isnt a comparison there. But it goes to show that absolutely anything in this world (digital or not) that one person can acquire and sell WILL be bought and sold. No amount of laws or morals will change that.

And another player made reference to Diablo 3. Yes we will see how it works out there. In 25 years of gaming, Diablo 3 will be the first game I ever bought the day it came out. Not because I like dungeon crawls or hack and slash games, but because to my nowledge it is the first MMO type game with a real world money auction. I want to see how that goes. I'm not quitting EVE, I just want to see how it works and if it is profitable/popular or not. (Hopefully the game is fun too, we'll see).

To finish, I strongly feel that if CCP were to make some way for players to trade isk for money where they (CCP) could earn some profit off it, it would be very popular.

Sure, there will be some hard core members that quit over it, but there will be many more new players that would come give it a try.

Sure there would be some that take it to the extreme sweatshop style, but as with anything involving money, there are gonna be extremists. And hell, there are people that put in way too many hours now, and more people in the game one way or another is better right?

Anything I am saying not true?