Earlier in May, Neowiz clarified that the western version of Bless Online, like Black Desert, would eschew player-to-player trading, sticking instead to just an auction hall. It brought up all the old arguments over whether or not this is a good thing for online worlds.
Those in favor of kicking personal trading to the curb claim that it helps the studio crack down on goldsellers and spammers. Those opposed say it definitely doesn’t and that even if it did, the place of those goldsellers will just be taken up by the studio’s own cash shop anyway, such that the net effect on the economy is negligible.
My own line in the sand is clear: I side with those who say even if it does cut down on goldselling and spam, it’s never worth the loss to the fidelity of the game world and player community. MMORPGs have already been stripped of so much of what made them unique; I hate to see even more paved over just for the convenience of the customer service team employed to clean up chat, and I reserve a special set of side-eyes for all the studios “saving” us from goldsellers just so they themselves can corner that market.
Where do you stand? How important is person-to-person trading in an MMORPG to you?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
