The WoW Gold Buying Argument

Buying gold in World of Warcraft has been condemmed by most people since it first started. However the fact that it remains a booming multi-million pound business suggests that not everyone is arguing against it.

Buying gold for real life cash is a subject that is of great annoyance to those who spend huge amounts of time grinding cash so they can get the best ingame objects. Why, when they go to so much effort, can someone else just jump in and buy things with no actual effort.

The people who have admitted to buying gold tend to form around the reasoning that since they spend a large portion of their time working, why shouldn't they use some of their cash to progress themselves in the game, since they could not at work.

Others say that time shouldn't be the only resource brought into question, on both sides of the argument.

Skill is a massive factor of the argument and it is used by both sides.

Those against gold buying say that buying gold boosts a player through the game and prevents them gaining any skill.

The two main counters to this are

a) Have you never sent gold to an alt to help it level up?

b) If you dont have much free time it is hard to raid and farm for gold for mates and repair bills. buying gold allows people to continue raiding and definately does not suggest the player is any less skillful.

All these arguments have run back and forth across the forums of WoW. In my personal opinion I think gold buying is wrong. It goes against the game mechanics and is unfair on those who have worked hard to progress. I do however see why people do buy gold, so I do not condemn it.

Do you think gold buying in WoW is right or wrong?