Gold farming facts for kids

Gold farming is when people play massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) to earn virtual money or items. They then sell these virtual things to other players for real-world money. This practice became a way for some people, especially in countries like China, to earn a living.

What is Gold Farming?

Gold farming means spending a lot of time in a video game to collect virtual currency or valuable items. Imagine playing a game like World of Warcraft or Runescape and gathering tons of gold coins or rare swords. Instead of using these items yourself, you sell them to other players who don't have time to earn them. The important part is that these sales happen for real money, outside of the game's official rules.

Why Do Players Gold Farm?

Players often become gold farmers to earn real money. For some, especially in developing nations, it has been a full-time job. They might work many hours a day, just like a regular job, but their "workplace" is a virtual world. Other players buy this virtual money because they want to skip the long process of earning it themselves. They might have busy lives and prefer to pay to get ahead in the game.

How Does it Work?

Gold farmers usually play games for many hours a day. They focus on tasks that give them a lot of in-game money or valuable items. This could involve:

• Fighting many monsters to get loot.
• Completing quests repeatedly.
• Gathering resources like virtual wood or ore.
• Trading items with other players in the game.

Once they have a lot of virtual wealth, they find ways to sell it. This often happens on special websites or forums outside the game. The buyers then pay real money, and the gold farmer transfers the virtual goods in the game.

The Impact of Gold Farming

Gold farming has changed how many online games work. It has both good and bad sides.

Good Sides of Gold Farming

For some people, gold farming has provided a way to earn money. It can be a source of income in places where jobs are hard to find. It also allows players who don't have much time to enjoy games more fully. They can buy the virtual items they need to experience more content.

Challenges of Gold Farming

Many game companies do not like gold farming. They see it as unfair to other players. It can also make the game's economy unbalanced. When too much virtual money is created by farmers, it can make the money worth less for everyone else. This is similar to how inflation works in the real world.

Also, gold farming can sometimes lead to problems like:

• Bots: Some farmers use computer programs called bots to play the game for them. This means a computer plays automatically, which is against game rules.
• Account security: Buying or selling game accounts or virtual money can sometimes lead to security risks for players.

Game developers often try to stop gold farming. They might ban accounts that are involved in it. They also create new ways for players to earn money legally within the game.

History of Gold Farming

Gold farming became popular in the early 2000s. This was when massively multiplayer online games like EverQuest and World of Warcraft grew very big. These games had large virtual economies where players could trade items. As these games became more popular, so did the idea of selling virtual goods for real money.

It was especially common in countries with lower living costs. People could earn more by gold farming than they could in some local jobs. This made it an attractive option for many.

See also

In Spanish: Granjero (videojuegos) para niños