Outsourcing work to cheaper locations and companies has been a cost-savings tactic of larger corporations for several years now, especially in the IT industry.  Why have an American support call center when you can get one for a fraction of the cost in India?  In a world of time and cost-conscious consumers, a lot of work seems to be outsourced to others.  Now, however, we're crossing into a new realm; Outsource video game playing.

If you've played games like EverQuest or World of Warcraft, you're familiar with the long grind from level 1 to the cap, or highest level in the game.  Hours spent slaying vicious knids, vorpal bunnies, and various forms of dragon and demon, all to reach the highest point in the game, to be the most powerful.  In the past, it's been common for people to purchase gold or in-game items on sites like eBay to make leveling easier, but recently that avenue has been closed to players as eBay has decided to ban all online game asset sales.

So what are you to do if you want that level 70 undead warlock with the epic netherdrake mount and tier-5 epic loot?  Why, you pay someone else to play your character!

CNet News has a piece looking into services that, in defiance of every rule game developers place on MMOs, will level up a character for you... for a fee.  For example, it would cost you $556 to level a character in World of Warcraft from Level 1 to Level 70.

Read more at CNet.