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- |Changes [Feb 26, 2009]
The camera
He declared to my father. I vaguely remember him telling my brother and me something like that in the internet café when both of us were watching him kill a high level monster. But who would have thought he was serious; serious enough to tell my father, his brother, when my father tried to talk him into finding a job.
Over the years, my father has tried very hard to help my uncle- some worked but many ways didn’t. For marriage, he introduced many women and ultimately it worked out with an understanding Filipino lady- now my aunt who works everyday to support the family. Everyday, she always comes home smiling and ready to cook dinner. There has to be no better wife than her. For employment, my father introduced him to many jobs but none of them worked out. Despite the numerous times my father tried, he kept trying, always remembering the vow he made the day my grandfather died.
But when my uncle started Lineage, things were different. He would always say he was busy instead of even listening to my father. And now, he was telling my dad that Lineage is the challenge of his life, that he will succeed and make a living out of it. Just wait and see was all my uncle wanted to say but those same words were what my father least wanted to hear.
Mr. Castronova studied the GNP per capita and concluded that Norrath’s GNP per capita surpassed both China and India. Surprisingly enough, not only can people make a living in China from online gaming, the same can be done in the United States. Mr. Castronova calculated that the average avatar can make 319 PP, currency in Norrath, per hour. With the market exchange rate of 0.1072 PP per US dollar, this becomes US$3.42 per hour. This seems significantly below minimum wages in the United States and thus, makes one wonder how anyone can make a living out of it. Mr. Castronova argues the following:
“Many users spend upwards of 80 hours per week in Norrath, hours of time input that are not unheard of in Earth professions… generates Norrathian cash and goods worth $273.60 (per week). In a month, that would be over $1,000, in a year over $12,000.” (Source 5)
With over $12,000 of income a year and the poverty line for a single unmarried person in the United States being $8,794, there is little reason to question whether it is feasible to purely depend on Norrath for income. Thus, to live and work in Norrath may not be a ridiculous fantasy at all and for those who claim to do so, may be really doing so.
This is the reason Mr. Castronova draws attention into virtual worlds and virtual economies. He mentions that tens of thousands of adults devote more time into their virtual worlds than to their paid employment. The scary thing is numbers are growing and will continue to grow.
But is financial stability all my uncle wants from Lineage? Will he sell the account when it reaches NT$100,000? Or will he want to play even more, attain a higher status? These are all unanswerable questions that can only be tested by time- but when the time comes, it may be to too late. Maybe after he gets rich, he wants to become a guild leader or even make his own guild- his own community. Mr. Castronova says:
“It is more possible, now, for every person to have at least a few moments of feeling truly accomplished, befriended, and loved. Maybe they are the only place in which many users can find a community to belong to…” (Source 8)
Perhaps these words from Mr. Castronova exactly describes my uncle. Making a living from MMORPGs is difficult but not challenging- just be a gold farmer. But finding a community and creating a character that is highly respected- such as becoming a guild leader- is challenging. How to make people trust and follow you into the dungeons when they could be torn into pieces losing their most precious items is a true challenge. Maybe my uncle has this dream buried somewhere in him- the dream of conquering an enemy’s castle with his most trusted followers, buddies and friends. Perhaps when that day comes I will ask him- do you want the same challenge for your son?
