Perhaps what these people are paying for is an escape for their shitty real lives. They couldn't be bothered to fix--or don't know how to fix--the problems that make their lives painful to live in, so they just throw money at a fantasty world in which they can immerse themselves for hours and hours at a time being a character that posses all of the strengths these people desire and none of their weaknesses.

^So are you advocating this form of escapism or decrying it?

I made no indication of advocation or denouncement; that wasn't the purpose of my post. I was simpy offering a possible explanation for this behaviour and an answer to the (implied) question:

I personally think that its a completely sane venture to sell items from MMORPGS. Your essentially doing the same thing when you purchase the game. Your spending money on something that will offer you a gaming experience. Then you spend more money to add to that experience.

Sure some people go overboard, but that happens with everything now days.

I've done it. In FFXI I am the thing that everyone hates. Except that I don't make it known that I have bought gil. I don't remember how much it was, but I did pay real cash for 8 million gil. 5 months later I'm down to 5 mil. The average gil buyer will buy anything at cost simply cause they have unlimited amounts of gil. If something that is worth 4000 but someone is selling the last one for 10000, they will buy it. Well..not me - my spending habits didn't change. Reason I did it because this is my 7th time going through the game from quitting - after deleting my level 70 character -.-. With not nearly as much as time as I had previously, I just wanted to get back to where I was as quick as possible. Farming takes ages. I fought the urge to buy gil for 2 years.

I wont ever do that anymore though and with PSU coming out I will surely be quitting FFXI for good and that 5 mil will be removed from circulation. In a way I am happy it is ruined because I got screwed over by people so much in that game. It is wrong for me to rag on my "bretheren" RMTers.. but 400$ for a character..that kind of money I will never spend online unless it's for a new computer.

Just a note that my life is anything but shitty. I must admit I feel a bit better confessing that. When I made the tranaction I felt as if I was betraying myself as a veteran player.

MMORPGs are successful because they combine two popular activities of the Internet and computing world, gaming and socializing. You see all sorts of wild stories everyday about the wild things that happen in gaming with kids playing themselves to death and socializing turning into e-stalking on MySpace. Is it any surprise that MMORPGs, which integrate both, would also have these problems?

Not slamming MMORPGs. I love WoW myself. But the vices that the OP is complaining about regarding MMORPGs can be found in just about any activity. For me personally, the amount of violence that occurs in countries over World Cup losses is more disturbing than what the OP is so outraged about.

Yeah is a problem with some people...but I don't see why other make such a big deal about it though. I seen people spend money on plenty of other worthless things. Is spent for entertainment of some sorts....

I'm a FFXI player myself...though I might not have purchased any GIL myself I can see why some people would.

WinterStorm
Your not on Cerberus server are you? Your name seems very familiar...

I played on the cerberus server for 3 years. There was a thread in the multiplayer forum with an FFXI server directory - you probably saw my posts there. I updated it 2-3 times before stopping. Keep in mind I didn't do the "Sin of RMT" on cerb; I have another character on ragnarok.

Meh...don't worry about me. I care less about this whole buying gil issue people have. I personaly think is both good and bad in some ways but telling on people that buy/sell gil is more of a complete waste of time.

Well if you're ever back ok Cerberus send me a /tell or whatever, the ingame name is "Kittana" or "Desnia"....we'll go PT or some shit :D

I have to admit I purchased virtual items before. Mainly because the little amount of time I have to play would be trying to farm for the items instead of enjoying the game. I don't think I would do it anymore but the way I saw it was I was paying real money to play in a virtual world so why not pay real money for a virtual item?

Damn...... some of those REALLY ARE depressing to read. Throwing away your life like that..... I wish I could be making 80k a year.

People say they buy items because they don't have the time to build up their character. What's the point of even playing the game though? That's why MMORPGs are fun. You build up your character. To me it's like buying a game and using a code to start right at the end boss of a game with perfect stats and beating the entire game in a minute.

If someone doesn't have time to build up stats and train your character, then what is the point in even playing an MMORPG in the first place? That whole reason sounds a little odd to me. I'm not buying that the older ones are the ones buying these because they don't have time. I think it's strictly addictions of kids wanting things NOW, rather than training for them. I don't think it had anything to do with older people with jobs taking a shortcut to dominance, because they don't have the time to play it.

Again, if that were the case, there would be no real reason to even play the game. It's like buying a book and skipping to the last chapter right away because you don't have time to read the whole thing.

Yeah, if there was a way to prove that those stories are actually real, and not just tales written poking fun at WoW players.

MMO's are online pissing contests, where groups of thirtysome players suffer from some clubhouse/ "greater internet !@#$wad" mentality, while pretentious 25-30 year olds troll over the importance of the "INGAME ECONOMY", when they'dprobablymakebtterstfllersforatalkshoworsomes htlolz

"GetafreakinlifeAGHAHHGAJJZZH1!1"

everyone has their own obsessions.. and I agree with the whole 'a fool and his money are quick to part ways' thing because the reality is, most of us have the common sense to NOT to do this and other responsibilities that our paychecks go to in order to keep that common sense in check.

I play Guild Wars, a game where real life money is traded for virtual money and items too, but at least trading in this game is nowhere near as problematic as World of warcraft.

In World of Warcraft, good items are hard to find by just raiding, this is why so many people turn to buying equipment from other players using real life money. In Guild Wars, it is easier to get the items you want, so real life money purchases are a lot rarer in GW than in WoW.