It seems that the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar is facing a bigger problem related to Real Money Trading (RMT), the trading with real money.
From the very beginning, it was said that trading with real money is allowed in Shroud of the Avatar. This represented an important reason for many players to buy lots, houses, and player towns for a lot of money. Lots are limited in the game world, and some hoped to make a profit by selling coveted land at a higher price than they purchased it for.
RMT in SotA – An Investment for Players
Recently, a player offered a “levelling” service for money. He wanted to help others level up faster and would be paid in real money for it. He obtained permission from the developers for this. However, the service was controversially discussed in the official forum a few days ago as there was suspicion that it could be a Pay2Win element. The new community manager from the publisher Travian Games intervened, closed the thread, and stated that inquiries would be made regarding this matter.
Then the regular community manager appeared and explained that this “levelling” service was indeed not allowed. Now a heated discussion is taking place in the official forum on this topic, as RMT, Real Money Trading, is a crucial pillar of Shroud of the Avatar, and many players have invested a lot of money in the hope of making a profit.
Trading with Real Money – A Real Issue
RMT represents a problem in online games in general, which is why many developers and publishers hesitate to officially implement such practices. Besides the possibility of money laundering, RMT opens the option for tax evasion. Because even the sale of virtual goods must be taxed in some countries. Several problems arise:
- Who checks whether taxes are paid?
- Who bears the responsibility here?
- Who actually owns the item? The person who bought it or the person who programmed it?
- Are you just buying the use of the item, just like you buy the use of games?
Real Money Trading in games is a complex field and very complicated to implement. In the official forum of Shroud of the Avatar, it is now being said that trading with real money could pose a problem for publisher Travian Games. According to a forum member who allegedly has contact with the publisher, discussions are currently taking place regarding this issue. It could even lead to RMT being completely banned. This, however, would have catastrophic effects on the player-driven economy of the online game and on the support of those hoping to make a profit from SotA.
It will be interesting to see how this develops. The official release of Shroud of the Avatar is set for March 27 (the online game is currently still in early access phase), and by then a clarification should ideally be made on whether RMT is allowed and how it will be handled.
