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Remember those women in South Korea who get paid money to film themselves eating large meals to provide company for any lonely diners out there? It appears that a similar trend is growing in popularity in China, only this time with male online gamers who pay an hourly wage for online female escorts to play with them. 

Chinese online gamers who are sick of the isolation that goes along with a wired lifestyle now have more options than ever to engage in actual social interaction with pretty women–for a fee, of course. Escort brokerage firms (yes, those exist!) are seizing this current boom to pair online female gaming escorts with such men, also earning themselves a 5-10 percent commission in the process.

According to Shanghaiist, the going rate for the women, who are often college students or office ladies looking to supplement their income, isn’t too shabby, either. In fact, women with significant experience can even work as gamecasters, holding live face-to-face chat sessions with their clients to add a healthy monthly increase to their income:

“The normal rate is around 20-100 RMB (US$3-15) per hour, while girls with sweeter sounding voices or those offering real-life companionship attract a higher premium. The top escorts, who also specialise in tutoring gamers, can make up to 8,000 RMB ($1,300) per month.”

However, the growing trend doesn’t come without its caveats. One of the biggest concerns surrounding the business is that a lack of consistent regulation has already led to fraud, veiled prostitution, and other disputes.

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While it’s probably a good thing that many men are making an effort to have a bit more social interaction, might we suggest some other approaches, such as a good old-fashioned, unplugged chat over coffee with coworkers?

Would you pay to have a cute girl play games online with you? Let us know your thoughts about this unusual service in the comments section below.

Sources/Images: Shanghaiist, Want China Times