quote:
Nearly 500,000 people in developing nations earn a wage making virtual goods in online games to sell to players, a study has found.Research by Manchester University shows that the practice, known as gold-farming, is growing rapidly.
The industry, about 80% based in China, employs about 400,000 people who earn £77 per month on average.
The practice is flourishing despite efforts by games companies to crack down on the trade in virtual goods.