Sparter Opens Player-driven MMO Currency Exchange Hub

A new service allows gamers to quickly trade currencies from a wide variety of popular MMO games. The marketplace--dubbed Gamer2Gamer--is the work of company Sparter, which bills the service as a way to protect both gamers and developers by supporting safe trade and recognizing intellectual property. Although the site strictly supports direct sales of currency rather than auctions, Gamer2Gamer resembles a video game-themed Ebay. Reliability ratings accompany each seller's listing, notifying buyers of potentially dishonest dealers. Purchases can be made using credit cards or Paypal, with Gamer2Gamer providing an escrow service to guarantee a safe transaction for the buyer. After in-game delivery is confirmed by the buyer, the site releases the transacted funds to the seller, completing the sale. The service is supported across games such as Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft, Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online, Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest 2, and CCP's EVE Online. Many argue that MMOs are simply too time-intensive for gamers with full-time jobs to compete in, and that money spent on in-game currency merely levels the field for those who spend their time working, rather than playing. Sparter seems to agree. "Whether it's a job, a partner or kids, we find that we have fewer hours to devote to our game. Sparter provides a means by which the time-challenged among us can keep gaming," reads the company's website. "Our platform makes it possible for gamers to trade directly with each other, saving money in the process and lowering the cost of buying and playing games," said Sparter CEO Dan Kelley. The company requires users to recognize the intellectual property rights of the developers and publishers before making a transaction. "It is imperative that we protect the rights of content originators," stated Sparter chief technology officer Boris Putanec. Competitive pricing on Gamer2Gamer has already lead to the deflation of most currencies. One player-listed World of Warcraft lot consisting of 1,000 gold was priced at $62, with the same amount on the same server running players $96 through gold-seller IGE's website. The launching of Gamer2Gamer comes on a wave of industry discussion over MMO property exchange. Some feel that the very nature of the practice ruins the gaming experience for players who choose not to participate. In clear support of that sentiment, a Florida class action lawsuit was recently filed against IGE. Among the complaints, the lawsuit alleges that the exchange of property devalues in-game currency and puts "honest gamers" at a competitive disadvantage. Others believe that the trade of currency is inevitable, and look to cash in on the trend. "If I can find a way for every type of person in my game to play the way they want to without adversely affecting anyone else, then that's win, win, win. And that's what we'll try to figure out," remarked Turbine executive producer Jeffrey Steefel in a Eurogamer interview last month. "We all know that something will happen in the next two to five years to business models in general, so we're paying attention to what's going on." Despite lawsuits and steady public outcry, gold sellers everywhere are continuing to cash in. For its part, Sparter justifies the process as best it can: "Making gaming pay raises consumer awareness and decreases the cost of playing games supported by Sparter. We believe this will attract new consumers to online games. Granted, many will be newbs, but give them a chance."