The following is taken from the Blizzard End User License Agreement, which applies to all of Blizzard’s online games. See the bolded text:
Prohibited Commercial Uses: Exploit, in its entirety or individual components, the Platform for any purpose not expressly authorized by Blizzard, including, without limitation (i) playing the Game(s) at commercial establishments (subject to Section 1.B.v.3.); (ii) gathering in-game currency, items, or resources for sale outside of the Platform or the Game(s); (iii) performing in-game services including, without limitation, account boosting or power-leveling, in exchange for payment; (iv) communicating or facilitating (by text, live audio communications, or otherwise) any commercial advertisement, solicitation or offer through or within the Platform; or (v) organizing, promoting, facilitating, or participating in any event involving wagering on the outcome, or any other aspect of, Blizzard’s Games, whether or not such conduct constitutes gambling under the laws of any applicable jurisdiction, without authorization.
Full EULA here: https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/legal/fba4d00f-c7e4-4883-b8b9-1b4500a402ea/blizzard-end-user-license-agreement
I get stuck at the word “payment”. Does payment specifically and only refer to real world currency, or does payment via in-game currency also apply? They specify these details in the previous item pertaining to gold trading using very specific terminology, but not for this item. They don’t have a provisions or definitions section to clarify what payment means.
The reason I bring this up is because this behavior does seem exploitative, and it has been severely affecting the in-game economy of many servers (the rich get richer, and high value item costs are very inflated). Does anyone have any insight into this?
It would be generally accepted that ‘payment’ would refer to real-world money. If it did not, then anyone selling Arcanite transmutes or Mooncloth cooldowns for 5g would be guilty of performing an in-game service for payment. As would anyone who charged someone to craft a Lionheart Helm, or got paid for enchanting a staff with Spell power, or got tipped for handing out mage water.
Yeah that makes sense. People sell “services” in-game all the time for in-game payment. Thanks for that. It still feels wrong though, because those services you use as examples were intended parts of the game economy. Boosting on the other hand is basically using potentially unintended game mechanics to get around part of the game. But I guess people have been doing that for ages in every game.
It may feel wrong, emotionally, but that is how it is. That is also why the EULA has ‘without limitation’ in there, so that if they find someone doing something that isn’t explicitly account boosting or power-leveling for real-world money, they can stomp on them.
Furthermore, it would also apply to any number of things not explicitly or implicitly intended in the game, such as certain facets of the economy, especially on RP servers, where people sell services, such as virtual companionship, for in-game gold.
As someone that works a job that involves reading convoluted legal documents, the part you missed was the beginning of the paragraph. Legal-ese loves to start with a topic then constantly amend what follows, usually in a jumbled manner as they add the countless rules they came up with over time. These things are never written with a coherent language structure in mind. So the heading of “Prohibited Commercial Uses” is what is important here, and “Commercial Uses” clearly does not refer to the in-game economy.
For now, it is the real world currency part that is against the rules. That entire section of the EULA is about real world money. This came up today in the CS forums.
The player was asking about advertising in-game services for gold. Blues confirmed in-game services for gold are allowed (although unsupported).
What they action for is paying real money to have someone level your char, farm rep, gain PvP rankings, etc.
I think they have to “wring their hands in glee” to do that. I’m not sure about the “wicked chuckle” – that might be optional. But in all the 1920s silent movies I’ve watched, the wicked villain wrings his hands in glee while invoking some legal document and saying “You must pay the rent!” To which the pretty young woman cries “I can’t pay the rent!”
Is that what you’re thinking of, when talking about Blizzard doing this?
Random thought. What if someone did legitimate services in real life, for in game gold? I.e: (fake example) If I paid someone gold to wash my car, instead of cash.
Technically it violates the spirit of the EULA in that you would be trading something of real world value for in-game gold. The way the EULA is written, it includes anything of value in an economy which could be services, seashells, beads, trade items - whatever has value in that society for an economy.
Now, would you get caught if you gave your little bro (for example) gold and made him wash your car? Pretty sure Blizz is not coming to your house to check up and make sure the person you gave gold to is not doing chores for you.