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Know any good writing that introduces the game item market to outsiders? I am curious about the thought process of people who spend money in this way, and thei
by blevin 8y ago
Know any good writing that introduces the game item market to outsiders? I am curious about the thought process of people who spend money in this way, and their perception of value.
I imagine a taxonomy of motivations, like the one Larry Harris has in _Trading & Exchanges_. Presumably some people get entertainment value (because surely there is a kick in seeing a game's world modified beyond its normal rules of state mutation); some speculate on price trends (hence the price graph on opskins.com; what are time series graphs for if not to spark idle dreams of avarice), and others getting some sort of utility (i.e., money laundering).
- eeeuo 8y agoSkinning is probably a slight misnomer. The skins are applied to the player's weapons and can be seen by all other players as well as spectators. They are, in effect, a status symbol. This feeds into the supply and demand component quite heavily, as you can imagine. All secondary effects follow this initial relationship.
- exolymph 8y agoPlay Money by Julian Dibbell! It's on the dated side now but dives into MMO economies from a practioner's perspective — incredible read.