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The emergence of MMORPGs has led to an unexpected convergence between virtual and real life. MMORPG developers have to acknowledge that there is a dynamic social Cabal Alz and economic change in their virtual worlds, which they have only partly under control.
DRM mechanisms will play an increasingly important role for MMORPG developers to define and enforce claimed rights to virtual items. But in-game trading is already common practice and broadly perceived by the players as their personal right. Therefore, to balance the interests between developers and players it is crucial to adapt the increasing dynamics of MMORPGs.
The crucial dispute between players and developers is the question of copyright ownership of created items. Many players regard items, which they have earned or built through countless hours of game-play, as their own intellectual property with a measurable value outside the game.
A survey by the Korea Game Development & Promotion Institute (KGDI) among 1.247 players of the worldwide biggest MMORPG Lineage shows that 78 % claim to own the items.
Only 3 % accepted ownership of the developers (MacInnes et al. 2004, p. 9). Developers have to acknowledge the massive interest of players in monetizing their items.