The money creep

Lookie there, it's the soul of gaming dying...

1) From the infrequently posted but always full of quality stuff GameStudy.org, comes news that IGE to buy a Korean RMT company.

2) EA offers in-game ads with Massive. via MarketingVox

Now mind you, the Newb is not against RMT or in-game ads. It's just that this feels like the powersuits are getting involved and the Newb hates powersuits. The starch makes my neck itchy.

Do I think IGE will be a force of good in the RMT universe? Probably not. It'll solidify the marketplace in Korea thereby causing all sorts of legal havok and substantially introduce social class structure to the pure "classless" world of gaming (look mom, I made a double entendre!). I'm still waiting for a game with RMT that doesn't make me feel like a second-class citizen to Richy Rich and his dog Dollar.

EA with in-game ads is just horrific news. Power-grubby suit-types are going to jump on this and it's not going to show up in the prices of games, let me tell you. Unless the games are free (cough Acclaim cough), I really don't see how EA could pull off in-game advertising and make it worth while for all involved.