Khuutra said:
Mafoo, I'm telling you, this analogy does not work. The problem here is that you're putting down Gold as the primary measure of success in WoW. The problem this creates is two-fold:
1. While it is very much possible to obtain Gold by oneself in WoW, ventures made together tend to be much more lucrative, and the Gold-per-person-per-hour rate rises even if every person takes a smaller cut. Financially speaking, it makes the best sense to earn gold with your buddies and let the impartial system dole out the filthy lucre.
2. Gold isn't the primary measure of success in WoW. Loot - or equipment - is. People only partially go raiding for the experience of it, or to kill the boss or advance some kind of plot that no one really cares about. Far more often, people are in it for the loot. And that loot is necessary for high level play - PvE or PvP, your equipment makes you who you are, and your ability to obtain this equipment makes you more efficient at anything and everything. Now, unlike Gold, the best and most prestigious equipment is not necessarily obtainable in solo play, but it remains necessary in order to play at a high level in any portion of the game. From this, it can be assumed that the socialistic participation in high-level raids is necessary in order to be really and truly successful.
Now, strictly speaking, you do not need this fancy, almost-impossible-to-obtain-by-yourself equipment, but you don't need Gold either! This is another facet in which the analogy falls on its face: in a perfect capitalist society you need money, but Gold isn't used in order to obtain sustenance or shelter in WoW. You could limit yourself to functioning without Gold and still manage to get thirty thousand hours out of the game, which is not something that is especially possible in a capitalist society.
Keep in mind I'm not saying anything about socialism vs. capitalism, just that if you're looking for a game that exemplifies how capitalism should work, WoW isn't it. Nor is any MMO, when you get down to it.
Edit: Hell, wanna bet that I can make a better argument that WoW is actually a model for a Marxist utopia?
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All but 1% of the loot in WoW can be purchased with money. People spend real money to get WoW money, so it must have some importance in the game. And like in the real world, money is nothing more than a metric to calculate effort. When you spend money in WoW, you are transferring some amount of time you had to play the game for something of equal or greater effort (that’s the goal anyway).
In a lot of MMO’s, the top gear is crafted, so you can solo the entire game. WoW is one of those that require you to spend your effort acquiring the item, not transfer your efforts from doing other things into that item. For WoW, this is just so you play the game longer, and they generate more monthly fees, it has no impact on the comparison to a political and economic system. In the end, it’s still an effort/reward system, just with Blizzard requiring more specific effort.
Oh, and the “working together thing” is just like a company that makes a product not doing everything on their own. Car companies don’t make tires, Car companies and tire companies work together to generate a better collective product. This in no way is socialistic, and grouping with friends so each one can get ahead is in no way a measure of socialism either.
And yes, please show me how WoW is a form of Marxism. :)
