In a new report titled "Online Games Market in Vietnam," internet and technology consulting firm Pearl Research predicts that Vietnam will have over 10 million online gamers by 2011. According to the interviews with Vietnamese gamers in Pearl Research's reports, many spend 60,000 Vietnamese Dongs to 10,000 Vietnamese Dongs (USD 3 to USD 6) per month on virtual item purchases, with gamers at one high-end Internet cafe report spending an average of 500,000 Vietnamese Dongs (USD 31) per month.
The firm also attributes this increase of online gamers to increasing PC and Internet penetration rates -- Vietnam currently has some 21 million internet users and a 23.5 percent internet penetration rate.
There is no doubt that Vietnam is becoming the emerging MMO market. However, vast online gamers, cheaper labour force, all of which seems to herald another emerging gold farming kingdom.
Gold farmer, in other words, he is a person who collects in-game currency in a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) for the purpose of selling it to other players for real world currency. Many people will make mention of China when talking about gold farming. Truly it is. Gold farming for a time has been prevalent in China. However, we haven't taken the comprehensive look towards the gold farming in the world.
Released in the Vietnam's newspaper, there is becoming more people involve in the newly family industry, the gold farming, the same as the farming office in China.
What will the salary be in Vietnam? As one influential survey revealing, the base gold farmer, in other words, the grass roots will get 1.7 million to 2.7 million Vietnamese Dongs, nearly equals to 100 to 160 dollars, which is much lower than that in China.
The business proprietor will no longer work in factories, instead, they will hire a lot young people in their countries, who have been deprived of works and studies, or they have no interests in regulated working and studies. The gaming workers kill monsters and loot treasures for 10-12 hours a day to produce virtual assets that are exported all over the world. The gaming workers can enjoy the game heartily, at the same time; they can earn money for daily costs.
One player in the Ho Chi Minh City said that he had once given up his account since the high expenses of the equipments in the game, though he had great fun in the game itself.
Recently, there are becoming more companies in Ho Chi Minh City and other cities which are all committed themselves to the gold farming. They have launched numerous advertisement and post Info as referring to the gold farming.
Interestingly, in terms of Western titles, World of Warcraft--a massive smash elsewhere in Asia--is not currently available officially in Vietnam. However, Electronic Arts is in the process of launching FIFA Online in Vietnam, and is one of the first U.S. companies to license a game in the market.
