Documentary Examines Gold Farming Problems

A new documentary is examining the problem of Gold Farming in online RPGs from a different perspective – that of the farmers themselves. For those unaware of the problem, gold farming is a commercial enterprise where a company or people play MMORPGS in order to accumulate virtual items or wealth and then sell it to players of the game for real money. The documentary focuses on the Chinese gold farming industry and describes the reasons behind the phenomena. Who are gold farmers? Why start these companies? Where do they recruit labor from. This film is also looking at the American side of the coin – how the behavior effects legitimate players and how they feel about these acts in their games.

Its interesting to see someone examining this trend and looking not just at its results but at its root causes as well. The trailer can be found on the site here and here on YouTube