As reported on Virtual Worlds News, for the first time in MMOG history, CCP Games, developer of EVE Online, has hired a dedicated economist to deal with the game’s economy. The person hired boosts 15 years of academic economic experience and research. This is very refreshing news. As MMOGs get more and more complicated, we need to recognize these virtual worlds are no longer simple playground that designers can willy-nilly change things around and “hope” that it works. Serious statistical models should be built, and with simulators to simulate any major change to the economy.

I don’t have serious mathematical background, but the guessing games that many designers do on spreadsheets can’t be right. EVE Online has always fascinated me as a virtual world, and this just adds to it.

As reported by GamePolitics.com, the American Medical Assosication has backed away from a previous initiative to classify video game addiction as a medical condition similar to sustance abuse, citing:

There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn’t get to have the word addiction attached to it.

I am no expert myself, and I don’t know if it should be classified as a medical disorder. Pathological Gambling is currently classified as a mental illness. Is video gaming different? I certainly believe that some people need help, when their video gaming habbits turn their lives upside down. Though interestingly, Pathological Gambling actually has biological bases (lack of norepinephrine). Is it the same with playing too much video games? Only time can tell, and AMA is doing the right thing by saying they need more time to investigate the matter before it gets blown out of proportion.

After period of rumors and leaks, it’s official. Wowhead’s been sold for over 1 million. It doesn’t say so in the announcement, but other reports that were leaked (see Tech Soapbox) before do state that. Since the announcement confirms the sale, no reason to doubt the figure. More interestingly, it’s bought by Affinity Media, the parent company of many fan sites, as well as IGE.

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There have been much interesting lately. I still follow my usual dough of blogs and news sites every day about MMOGs and Software and haven’t found much to link to. I am also spending a lot of time at Game-BluePrints.com, contributing my designs. It’s really fun!

Last night’s The Sims Online dev chat, first in a few years, was rather lackluster. I do know better and I know what to expect in these chats. Then again, I am always hopeful.

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What a refreshing idea! Folks over at EA and Maxis that are trying to revive The Sims Online is going to start a design wiki that’s free for all to contribute. It’s a brilliant way to get the most involved of your community to contribute and a much better and structured way to gather feedback. It will essentially turn itself into an ever evolving design discussions. I fully expect very detailed designs to come out of this wiki and be implemented. I will be sure to contribute some myself

UPDATE: The site is launched and is at http://www.game-blueprints.com/. Enjoy! My user name there is “IssacHinderson”.

MMOGData.com, hoping to continue the work of the now defunct MMOGChart.com, has released the first version of their chart. Check it out.

Note: There’s no data for LOTRO yet.

Besides Blizzard’s lawsuit against Peons4Hire, the players have taken matters into their own hands by filing a class action lawsuit against IGE, citing:

IGE’s gold farming activities not only substantially diminish the enjoyment and satisfaction consumers obtain by earning, through the expenditure of vast amounts of time and energy, virtual assets within World of Warcraft®, they also violate the express terms of agreements Subscribers enter into to participate in World of Warcraft®.

The full complaint can be found in this press release by the attorney. The Escapist interviewed Richard Newsome, the attorney. I will be following this closing.

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