Apparently in the face of amazing controversy to whether they would do it or not, Square-Enix sanctioned and eliminated accounts of known gil sellers. Damn, I had wished I had been there for that.
With the Dec. update, the idea apparently was to watch who camped what, who's accounts were linked, and who was making real life profit while violating the T&C's of Square-Enix.
This is apparently the first in a current watch protocol that has been insituted to prevent further abuse of the games. Of course, there are for sure ways around this. Many online games have throw various threats out there to stop online trading, from EQ banning item sales on ebay to devauing their own in-game currency.
Nothing shows a better example than the 17 year old girl that set up brothels in The Sims Online and charged Simoleans for cyber sex and then sold the money through various outlets. It shows that a enterprising mind can make something of themselves. While she was eventually banned from the Sims, it leaves to question what other things have gone on in-game.
THe question that leads me to ask is how are these sites that sell Gil still operating. It would make sense to me that they go after the sites that violate the terms and conditions, until I talked to a SE rep about it.
" They (the sites in question) aren't violating the Terms and Conditions of the game. People that are in game are choosing to sell the currency to the sites in exchange for a sum of real money. If a player works hard at it, they can make a great living." the rep informed me.
Of course! They are making a living playing videogames. I would assume that there is some way to prevent the sites from using their copywritten logos and words. Talking to one gil seller that set up shop on Pheonix server, he isn't afraid. " Wow, they band me and a credit card. You think I can't get another?"
So, does this first purge mean anything at all? Sure. It shows that for the first time, Square Enix is taking a stance in what goes on in their MMORPG. Many disgruntled players were only semi-relieved at the gil selling issue. In the weeks since the patch that created new items that were supposed to replace the hard, camped items, came into effect, nothing economically has changed. Even in my own Linkshell on Ramuh there is still grunts and groans of displeasure. I personally believe that the damage has been done. High prices are not only the gil sellers fault. There are people that are more than happy to camp in game just for money in game, that doesn't make them all gil-sellers. Unfortunately, there is no real way around it aside from limiting the availablity of items, which SE isn't prepared to do.
" Now, if they would only make the damn game easier" quoted one of my Linkshell members.