MMOGs create their own real-world economy

If you play a massively multiplayer online game like Everquest, or City of Heroes, you know how tough it is to gather resources or special items. That's part of the fun of the game. A few years ago, a trend started where people would sell their characters or items to other players on ebay for real money. The trend got so hot that companies started taking notice, and now do their best to monitor this kind of activity. But now the trend has transformed into a blossoming industry, "currency farming". Firms around the world are hiring workers to play MMOGs and gather resources, which are then sold to gamers who can afford this kind of thing. The dynamic seems to be that people in poor countries are playing online for people in rich countries, who want short-cuts to success. Nice.