Stuff=Money, Money=Power

The software creator InnoGames is responsible for my online network Grepolis. Like many small game developers, what begins as nothing more than a hobby, soon turns into a full time business venture. In the digital age, all that is needed is a pc, internet connection, and a desire to create.  The Economist (2012) explains, "legions of entrepreneurs and tinkerers swap designs online, turn them into products at home and market them globally from a garage" (p .4).   

While Grepolis is free to play, if you want, you can buy "stuff" for real money, known in the game as gold. Gold allows a player to buy added benefits, such as reducing unit construction time, increasing resource production, and allowing a 20% increase in fighting strength. While not vital to gameplay, power within the game is greatly influenced with the inclusion of real money. Just like the real world, players are separated into the haves, and have nots - resulting in an unfair advantage within the network.   

There is no doubt that "[t]echnology is a fundamental enabling force in the globalizing of economic activities" (Dicken, 2007, p. 438). Technology has opened doors to people who would have otherwise lacked the capital required to see their ideas be turned into reality. Kuttainen (2013) points out, "50% of exports in Australia comprise from iron and zink". An interesting question to ponder would be, what if 50% of exports in Australia were online, digital based technologies?  As the world becomes more connected through the digital network known as the internet, so too do the opportunities increase for people to connect on a social and economic basis.

References:

Dicken, P. (2007). Global shift: mapping the changing contours of the world economy (5. ed.). London: Sage.

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017


Image credits:

Jones, S. (2013). Orbitz to Power JTG online Presence. Retrieved from http://www.travelweekly.com.au/news/orbitz-to-power-jtg-online-presence