World Bank: Gold farming aids poor nations
Sure, it may get old being hassled by semi-English speakers in World of Warcraft selling their virtual gold for real-world cash, but were you aware they were doing their part to bring economic parity to the globe?
It's true! A new report from the World Bank says that gold farmers in China and Vietnam bring money into their economy at an even better rate than farmers of cash crops. The study estimates that 98 cents of every dollar made from gold farming stays in the nation where the work was done, an impressive number compared to the 7 cents made from the coffee industry.
By cutting out middle men, poorer countries are using the $3 billion virtual goods market to funnel cash from the West into their own impoverished nations. Plus, you don't have to spend time combing Winterspring for Thorium Ore. Everybody wins!
