Ragnarok and Reality

Reminiscing about my days as a gamer of a popular MMORPG or Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game, I'm reminded of how the online gaming environment is very much reflective of the real world, to the point that the line between them is often blurred. This occurs particularly when crime and the economy are involved. In the course of my gaming experience, I've encountered players who steal, swindle and cheat other players of their in-game money and/or valuable items. While doing so within the game will not subject the erring player to prosecution in a court of law, the means by which the alleged crime was committed, i.e. unauthorized access of game accounts, may constitute hacking as punished by Section 33(a) of RA 8792 or the E-commerce Act. As for the economy, whether real life or in-game, both are subject to the laws of supply and demand, demonstrated by changing prices of items depending on their rarity and scarcity. Depending on the game’s popularity, there may even be a way to buy in-game currency with real Philippine pesos, just like foreign exchange. Some players have already made a thriving business out of being in-game money changers, earning real cash for in-game money.

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Submitted by: Sonia Bea Wee
For the week of 21 November 2008