Case study: Gold farming documentary

Here we discuss some insights from a three part doco on gold farming by Jin Ge

Part 1:



2:06 medium sized Chinese operation had 100 computers and 200 workers.

Our centre may have only 20 computers and 40 workers.

5:24 "It is really difficult to find a job in China. Really really difficult. As a professional gamer you can have an income. Though not much, it's still a happy thing".

Part 2:



5:50 "I never imagined that one can play games and earn money at the same time".

7:46 "Workshop guidelines: no chatting, downloading or socialising".

How to manage this in our centre? Would be best if workers could regulate themselves.

8:08 Interview with farmer Gan Xin Hong: "I used to work in a zipper factory. This job is more relaxed than that one. This place also offers free food and a bed, while the other job did not. So this is better. The salary is also higher here. I earn 700 - 800 yuan a month. I keep some for expenses but send most of it to my family. I go to work at 8am, there is a lunch break, I get off work at 8pm. That is a typical day."

10:55 "an activity that a lot of players already feel is very tedious and laborious and commodified, and about which they also feel a lot of ambivalence. They have the urge to buy these things, to pay real money, yet they feel a little bit bad about doing it."

Part 3:



7:17 "the problem I think... is we cannot communicate."