# Prisoner Computer Games China Earns Money by Making Their Inmates Perform Virtual Gold Farming By Peter Vallas | Published 2011-06-03 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gold-farming References: [nextnature.net](http://www.nextnature.net/2011/05/games-become-punishment-gold-farming-in-prison/) Recently, the Chinese government found out it could make money from gold farming on World of Warcraft. The [popular MMORPG](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maplestory-n) is played by people all over the world and it has become a pop culture gaming craze. A lot of people who play the game know that it takes a lot of time to earn money and experience points. This has opened up job opportunities for people to take someone's player and do some otherwise boring gold farming to rank up their savings. The Chinese prisoners involved in labor camps decided to switch physical labor with tedious keyboard and mouse jobs. Now, prisoners are forced hours on end to farm for gold for other [World of Warcraft players](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-war-within). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 15% | Activity: 62% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) > [Bizarre](https://www.trendhunter.com/bizarre) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Virtual Gold Farming:** Opportunity for businesses to provide virtual gold farming services to gamers who want to improve their in-game progress without spending excessive time. - **Outsourcing Gaming Tasks:** Potential for companies to offer outsourcing services for repetitive gaming tasks, allowing players to focus on more enjoyable aspects of the game. - **Monetizing Inmate Labor:** Opportunity to explore how inmate labor can be monetized and utilized in a way that benefits both the inmates and the companies involved. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Gaming Services:** Companies can create platforms or services that connect gamers with professional gamers or virtual assistants who can assist with gaming tasks. - **Outsourcing:** Industries can explore the potential of outsourcing non-traditional tasks, such as gaming, to optimize workforce management and improve productivity. - **Correctional Facilities:** Correctional facilities can explore innovative ways to utilize inmate skills and labor to generate income and improve inmate rehabilitation programs. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Farming Game eSports](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/farming-esports.md) - [Play-To-Earn Restaurant Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/good-fortune-arcade.md) - [Online Multiplayer Game Championships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mythic-dungeon-international.md) - [NFT-Based Video Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ember-sword.md) - [Gamified Gold Rewards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/planet-gold-rush.md) - [Immersive Farming Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/harvestella.md) - [Gamer-Targeted Donor Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/virtual-donors.md) - [Digital Play-to-Earn Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rainmaker-games.md) - [Bloody Promotional Game Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blood-for-a-pc.md)