If you’re anything like me, you don’t spend a great deal of time thinking about the large picture of MMO economies. It’s mostly just a selfish “how much money can I make?” and “what can I spend it on?” It’s probably a very good thing that there are devs who have put a good deal of thought and design into economies to keep these games enjoyable.
In a recent Extra Credits video, the crew discusses how MMORPGs used to suffer from hyperinflation due to players being infinite money-printing machines. You might have seen the solution to this but not quite understood what it was or how it works to keep that inflation down. The concept is called “reserve currency” and it has to do with those tokens, diamonds, and gems that are paid for with real-world money and can be traded for in-game gold.
It’s a fascinating watch that will make you appreciate all of the effort and complexities that go into MMO economies. Check it out below!
