MMO BinA Geek's Look at Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Over on MMOQuests, there is a great post asking what you value your MMO character at. Some people will probably find the personal figures that people place on their characters a little ridiculous, but they don’t truly understand the time and effort it takes to build up a character, and sometimes even a whole identity and personality for your toon.

For example, EverQuest II. My characters (I have a lot) don’t have the greatest of gear. They don’t have raid gear, they don’t have mythicals. They have a LOT of hours dedicated to them though, and I put a lot of time and care into each one, especially the ones over level 80. Of course I’d never sell them for real, but if I were to associate a price with the account in general, it would probably be somewhere around the $10,000 mark. Keep in mind this is an emotional price tag. Do I honestly think my account is worth that much and would I really sell it for such an outrageous price? No, of course not. It’s simply what the account is worth to me.

One interesting thing worth noting is that each game has its own values when it comes to characters. I have seen many EvE Online characters on Ebay, especially back when it was “allowed” to sell such items on there, and they went for around $20 USD per every one million skill points. Add in some assets on an older character, and quite easily the characters could fetch upwards of $500 to $1000 real dollars. Compare this to other games, that are easier to gain an upper hand in or they are less popular, and you will find that there are characters that, no matter how powerful, will never sell for over $200.

Why would someone buy a character, something that has been customized for the original user? The person purchasing the character instantly has a leg up on the game, and can ignore the tedium that is the early levels in all games.

Looking at my own characters, I’ve never placed much value on them. For me, my characters are just a representation of an ideal, and part of a game. It would be odd to me to get hundreds of dollars for a character in a game. I paid my subscription, I was entertained, and so the true value is in the entertainment. I understand that those buying characters should pay a convenience fee based on the level or game value of a character, but some people get quite attached to their characters and ask for a fee equivalent to a high end digital camera, mid-range computer or used car.

The idea that a character is worth the subscription fee per month, multiplied by the characters age, really only works in games like EvE online where the character can continue to train, despite the user not being logged in.

The real sale and trade of characters is an interesting world, and while the game creators and players may not like it, there is definitely a market for characters as people, just like in the rest of their life, look for shortcuts past the boring parts.

In the end, other than an ultra-expensive amount, there is no way I would sell my character currently and this is because I am still enjoying the game, and value the entertainment that it provides. Once I am bored with the game, then that will change, and I would be willing to pass it on to the next person at a fee that lets me buy into the next game that I want to play.

Head on over to MMOQuests, and let them know what you value your character at.

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