Curse

Hockster · Oct 16, 2006, 01:23 PM // 13:23

I'm not sure if this should go here or in Off Topic, but what the hell are these idiots smoking? Could they come up with a better way to completely kill online RPG's?

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...1_%5bFeed%5d-5

Mr_T_bot · Oct 16, 2006, 01:26 PM // 13:26

I'll pay them 10% of my earnings... in in-game currency.

Hockster · Oct 16, 2006, 01:37 PM // 13:37

I'm sure the IRS would accept that.

Tainek · Oct 16, 2006, 01:48 PM // 13:48

haha awesome, but the big problem is that there is no way to accuratly measure the value of In game gold and items, and its especially dangerous as , say with guild wars, anet can inflate and deflate the economy at will, no company in real life can have such a massive impact on the value of money

its a load of crap really

Khift · Oct 16, 2006, 01:52 PM // 13:52

They're wasting their time.

I mean, seriously, if they succeed and manage to tax in-game economies, what are they going to do with the WoW, etc currency? Sell it over eBay?

mrdbeau · Oct 16, 2006, 01:52 PM // 13:52

Not a company, no, but some governments frequently deflate or inflate the values of their currency, although it's technically against "international law."

Regardless, the idea is just moronic, and I highly doubt it has any legs to it.

SpeedyKQ · Oct 16, 2006, 01:59 PM // 13:59

Seems like the way things work now is fine. Pay taxes when you cash out, if you cash out. Until you try to turn in-game loot into real-world loot, it is just numbers in a database.

Gorebrex · Oct 16, 2006, 02:06 PM // 14:06

Sounds like it only applies to the ones that allow you to exchange in-game currency for real world currency. GW wont be affected, nor, afaik, will WoW, or many others, so Im not very concerned. UNLESS theyre not just going to tax people whove "cashed out", but actually apply taxes in-game, that WILL cause problems.

Former Ruling · Oct 16, 2006, 02:12 PM // 14:12

When you consider the millions of real world dollars that these games effect (past their selling price and fees) then it comes into more of a prospective.

Businesses in Asian countries are popping up, Items and Gold and such are being sold for real world money, etc. It was only so long before the Government or someone else wants a slice of the pie.

Hockster · Oct 16, 2006, 02:13 PM // 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khift

They're wasting their time.

I mean, seriously, if they succeed and manage to tax in-game economies, what are they going to do with the WoW, etc currency? Sell it over eBay?

You don't get it. They want to take your real life dollars for stuff you earn in a game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Former Ruling

When you consider the millions of real world dollars that these games effect (past their selling price and fees) then it comes into more of a prospective.

Businesses in Asian countries are popping up, Items and Gold and such are being sold for real world money, etc. It was only so long before the Government or someone else wants a slice of the pie.

Somehow I don't think the IRS will be able to go after a company in Hong Kong that sells ingame currency.

Mr_T_bot · Oct 16, 2006, 02:16 PM // 14:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrdbeau

Regardless, the idea is just moronic, and I highly doubt it has any legs to it.

You underestimate the technological illiteracy and stupidity of people in charge of the government.

Ravi · Oct 16, 2006, 02:19 PM // 14:19

Ok guys seriously dont panic, this kind of things are for games that advertise the player to make money (eg. Second life , Project Entropia), if u dont know about these two look it up, the thing is that these games can get u paid BIG time, so now they wanna tax it

Tark Alkerk · Oct 16, 2006, 02:21 PM // 14:21

immposible to enforce i think

GloryFox · Oct 16, 2006, 02:23 PM // 14:23

The Democrats in U.S. congress tried the same thing with WoTC Magic the Gathering trading card game 8 years ago. Whereas many cards were rare and many players were trafficking very rare cards for real money. WoTC was even accused of printing money because of the value of many cards and decks. This was caused by in game players not WoTC, this is also why WoTC places buy back value of MtG cards at about 2 cents each regardless of the card or deck.

This will have no steam to it. You can't quantify real world money for virtual money even if people are stupid enough to pay real world money for virtual money.

This said....

It is illegal to print money outside of the treasury of sovereign nations. This is why ANET & Blizzard cannot sell virtual gold to customers of the GW & WoW games. You can only earn it through normal means. This is also why WoTC employees cannot sell MtG cards at collector prices.

Second Life is doing the opposite of WoW and GW they are actually printing virtual money for themselves and selling it for real money. Thus printing money for no equitable trade. That is definitely on the borderline of being illegal and may even be considered counterfeiting.

mrdbeau · Oct 16, 2006, 02:36 PM // 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_T_bot

You underestimate the technological illiteracy and stupidity of people in charge of the government.

Oh no, I'm well aware just how bad it can be, particularly in the realm of science policy. But, as far as WoW and GW go, because there is no real world currency effect, there is very little that can be done to "tax" the system. Not to mention that if certain servers are not in America, then American law really does not have any bearing over them. Second life is a bit of a different situation since as another poster said, they are almost creating their own U.S. dollars through what they are doing.

That said, as long as some members of Congress are playing any of these games, I wouldn't worry too much about any action being taken against them.

Voltar · Oct 16, 2006, 03:30 PM // 15:30

well, considering that was discussing the US congress, our general culture/policy is taxation with representation...(see the "boston tea party" for an example of reactionary american whininess)

what are they going to do? create a "server of representatives"? what phat loot drops when you farm the real congressmen? can i get a bush green?

what a load of crap from the people that brought you, "more money for rich people!"

watch out arenanet, saddam hussein was on the cia payroll when bush sr wa cia director...we've seen what extent the bush family will go to in order to end their business transactions.

will scamming in-game become a federal offense?

these crackheads need to go back to what they do best, wasting time at tax-payer expense.

gaile for president in 2008!

Malice Black · Oct 17, 2006, 01:25 AM // 01:25

People playing that game are making some decent money and some make a living from it, taxes are evil but they are needed.

Wouldn't effect normal MMO by the looks of it as you cant trade gold for RL cash legally like you can in Second Life. Fear not geeks your lives are safe!!

Cebe · Oct 17, 2006, 09:14 AM // 09:14

I don't see this as ever being possible to enforce...

If the idea was to tax people who sell gold over ebay for RL cash (etc)...surely then any government who decides to do that is advocating people going against any agreement they accept before playing the game....and if there was anybody in any government prepared to do this, who also played an MMO I would expect nothing less than the games companies to ban their accounts as well.

Malice Black · Oct 18, 2006, 01:21 AM // 01:21

This wouldn't effect us. There is no way in hell they could enforce the tax, this is aimed at Second Life mainly because there are people that are raking in thousands from this game. There was a news article in the paper a while back that claimed one woman earned $35,000 from that game..she paid no tax on that.

Giga Strike · Oct 18, 2006, 05:29 PM // 17:29

online games i suppose could be taxed if you make real world money off of it. but taxing virtual money? thats low...