MMO gold trading akin to prostitution, says RuneScape's Jele

RuneScape content boss Imre Jele has compared the growing problem of illegal real-world trading to prostitution.

Speaking exclusively to our sister site, Eurogamer.net, Jele said that the real problem with prostitution is the organised crime that's built around it.

"And that's the same with illegal real-world trading. The problem comes in when they start doing other illegal activities. One of the biggest is the use of stolen credit cards," he said.

Players can apparently make more in-game gold if they shell out for a monthly subscription - at GBP 3.20. This puts a huge financial burden on developer Jagex and carries significant legal ramifications as well.

RuneScape, a web-based massively-multiplayer online role-playing game that boasts around 6 million active players worldwide, recently took measures to stamp out real-world trading by banning unbalanced trades. The results have been very positive, according to Jele, but he is at a loss as to why more do not follow his example.

"I have friends all over the industry and I know they don't try do anything about this, which to me is shocking," continued Jele. "It seems to me that the bigger half of the MMO industry puts their heads under the sand and pretends like it is not happening."

He feels that even the likes of Blizzard's World of Warcraft will get to a point where it cannot control the amounts of money changing hands illegally.

"To be honest, I think instead of real-world trading, games have to be designed in a way that they provide enough fun while you are getting somewhere; if I am incapable of providing you with enough fun while you collect that 1000 gold for a steed, then the game is not good enough," concluded Jele.