Irvine, Calif. - A class action suit has been filed by a veteran player of Blizzard Entertainment's "World of Warcraft" (WoW) multiplayer game against a company called IGE, a "gold farmer" that recruits players to accrue virtual gold to sell to WoW players for real-world money, The Escapist reported.

WoW player Antonio Hernandez says in his suit that IGE made a "calculated decision to reap substantial profits by knowingly interfering with and substantially impairing the intended use and enjoyment associated with consumer agreements between Blizzard Entertainment and subscribers to its virtual world called World of Warcraft."

Hernandez is not the first gamer to complain that gold farmers hinder enjoyment of the game for players who choose not to use their services to gain an advantage, and many game operators have prohibited the practice.

IGE also offers gold farming services for other multiplayer titles, including "Anarchy Online," "Dungeons & Dragons Online," "EverQuest" and "Lord of the Rings Online." Earlier this week, WoW developer Blizzard filed suit against a different gold farmer, seeking a halt to the company's spamming of WoW players.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/37mtj2 (Escapist)

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/dcwill/www/IGEComplaint.pdf

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25682501

http://www.ige.com