Prof. Dr. W. Broll
Gutachten zum Einfluss von Bots auf Spielspaß und Ökonomie in MMORPGS
29
9. Final statementThe aim of this expert opinion was to investigate the influences of tools on the economy and gaming enjoyment in MMORPGS (specifically World of Warcraft), paying particular consideration to the differences between the real and the gaming economy and the possible influence of bots on them. The results of this analysis are summarised below.
• WoW’S virtual economy is based on real economies but has serious weaknesses (above all an unlimited money supply
which leads to mudflation, a special variant of (hyper-) inflation).
• Fundamental deficits in WoW’S economy have not been rectified by Blizzard.
This particularly applies to the missing limitation of money supply growth and the resulting (hyper-) inflation.
• Rapid game progress motivates WoW players and encourages game use for a longer period of time.
• Using a bot can permit game progress to the same realistic degree as other players who play more intensively can have. Here the necessary expenditure of time is, however, substituted with a financial contribution.
• Bots can rectify deficits in game design, especially
in the area of flow control, which improve gaming enjoyment and the gaming experience for the player.
• Prohibiting the rectification of game deficits by the use of external software tools in the EULA or terms and conditions appears to be a unilateral exploitation of the contract.
• Blizzard itself offers no such tools but attempts to isolate its own game infrastructure from other software providers through the creation of market entry barriers and by judicial means. This appears to directly contradict relevant legal regulations (e.g. the European Computer Programs Directive).
• Bots are typically used exclusively to the same extent as human players could be.
Extremely deviant use patterns are not to be expected.
• The attachment to an advanced game avatar is stronger than to a weaker one.
• A strong attachment to the avatar increases gaming motivation and the entertainment experienced in the game. This leads to longer periods of use.
• The use of external tools can have a positive influence on gaming motivation, the gaming experience and WoW players’ use intensity.
Prof. Dr. W. Broll
Gutachten zum Einfluss von Bots auf Spielspaß und Ökonomie in MMORPGS
30
• Players who use bots experience more pronounced gaming pleasure and play WoW longer.
• Bots as external tools have no appreciable negative influence on the virtual economy in WoW.
• Gold farming in MMORPGs is a main cause of the devaluation of the virtual currency against real currency.
This aspect is, however, of no relevance for players who neither want to buy or sell virtual currency. Blizzard takes no technical measures against gold farming although this appears possible.
• A general inflation of the game currency due to bot activities cannot be assumed.
Whilst an increased money supply does indeed encourage inflation, the larger supply of virtual goods counteracts it so that in some MMORPGs deflation can be observed.
Other aspects mainly come into consideration as the cause of so-called mudflation, specifically the unregulated increase in virtual currency and goods in itself.
• The assumptions made in Edward Castranova’s expert opinion cannot be confirmed or can even be disproved to some extent by the current data situation. The conclusions drawn there are therefore to be regarded as questionable. Even the alleged direct financial loss could be completely rectified by Blizzard with a modest adjustment of the invoicing model.
• Blizzard Entertainment suffers no directly or indirectly quantifiable loss through the use of bots.
After deeper analysis of the
MMORPG game type in general, of World of Warcraft in particular, of the economy, gaming motivation and gaming experience and also their mutual
influences on each other, it remains to note that no direct negative influence on the economy of World of Warcraft attributable to bots can be proven; on the contrary, a positive influence on long-term gaming motivation and thus longer periods of use of the game itself is to be expected.
Prof. Dr. W. Broll
Gutachten zum Einfluss von Bots auf Spielspaß und Ökonomie in MMORPGS
31
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