For The Win

In Cory Doctorow's fictional novel, For the Win, the author holds the audience's hand as he gives us a look into the underbelly of the gaming world. More specifically, by framing the economics and politics of the gaming world through the perspectives of a few major characters, the author attempts to better illustrate how computer games have brought the world together not only socially, but on every level. Through the use of the Matthew character, we are introduced to a story arc in which (adolescent) gold farmers face harsh work conditions and oppression at the risk of beatings, jail time and possible death. While the story calls for a more humanistic view of foreign gold farmers, it also acts to show the typical living and work conditions that are present across the world today, one in which people literally have no choice but to work ludicrous hours to make ridiculously low wages. Moreover, the story demonstrates the reality of video games and how they are not merely entertainment media, rather, media with powerful implications and the potential to effect lives in unforeseen ways.

Readers are later given a deeper look into video game economics through Connor Prikkel who, while intelligent enough to be attending Standford in pursuit of a PhD, realizes the economic potential of gameworld currencies. The story of Prikkel acts to give credibility to gameworlds as having the potential to be "worlds" in which people find value in their characters, their characters' lives, and the items or possessions within the gameworld. Moreover, the author puts to rest the notion that video games are frivolous and meaningless as he states that the value of currency, whether in virtual worlds or the real world, are imagined and can only exist so long as there is faith in it. With this, we are taken on an unrealistic grind in which Prikkel uses the same energy and addictive properties of video games to buy, trade, and sell his way into real world riches through virtual world goods.

With the creation of the Webblies and the development of the relationships between Mala and Yasmin as well as the activists including Big Sister Nor, Krang, and Justbob, the author successfully illustrates both the strengths and weaknesses of the internet as it affects the physical world or rather, how certain aspects of gaming and virtual worlds can transfer over to the real world while others cannot. Through the struggle to get the Webblies unified and running as well as the clear dissonance in the quality of life between different characters who play the same games, we can better see that while there is great potential in social networking and video games/virtual worlds, the extent of this potential is severely limited by how much value an individual places in these worlds. While it may seem redundant, this brings me to again question: What is it exactly, that makes virtual worlds, virtual relationships, and virtual goods, any less "real" than their "real-life" counterparts? Is putting monetary value in a rare or epic in-game item or even a virtual house any different from putting monetary value into digital music or a movie ticket or a luxury vehicle?