NationStates Jolt Archive

Gamer buys virtual space station
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4374610.stm
A virtual space resort being built in the online role-playing game, Project Entropia, has been snapped up for $100,000 (£56,200).

Now am I missing something here, or is this one of the most pointless wastes of money you've ever heard of?

It's like the auctioning of items and gold in World of Warcraft. Speaking of which I read in the paper recently that it's become big in China, where they pay poor rural ppl sod-all (like 1000RMB/$125US p/mth) to spend 12 hours a day, 7 days a week mindlessly clicking to get items to sell. The guys paying them then sell the gold generated on-line to ppl overseas.

Would you ever get so involved in a game as to start spending money on buying things to use in it?
Some ppl have far too much time and money on their hands. As well a sorry lack of perspective.

I wonder how long it is until some economist tries to factor online RPG currency into the national GDP.

It's like the auctioning of items and gold in World of Warcraft. Speaking of which I read in the paper recently that it's become big in China, where they pay poor rural ppl sod-all (like 1000RMB/$125US p/mth) to spend 12 hours a day, 7 days a week mindlessly clicking to get items to sell. The guys paying them then sell the gold generated on-line to ppl overseas.

Mindlessly clicking? You sir have obviously not tried...GUILD WARS!

Now am I missing something here, or is this one of the most pointless wastes of money you've ever heard of?
Why? People spend money for collections of bits all the time - this is what software is. People thought Bill Gates was mad to try to sell operating systems, but look how that turned out - and that's despite the fact that you can get better products for free.

It's like the auctioning of items and gold in World of Warcraft. Speaking of which I read in the paper recently that it's become big in China, where they pay poor rural ppl sod-all (like 1000RMB/$125US p/mth) to spend 12 hours a day, 7 days a week mindlessly clicking to get items to sell. The guys paying them then sell the gold generated on-line to ppl overseas.
Not really: Project Entropia trumps and dwarfs any sale of in-game items for real cash. There are sales of virtual real estate for thousands and thousands of real dollars.

I wonder how I can get in on this "selling stuff that doesn't actually exist without being locked up for it" scam?

I wonder how I can get in on this "selling stuff that doesn't actually exist without being locked up for it" scam?
Look up on Project Entropia.

I wonder how I can get in on this "selling stuff that doesn't actually exist without being locked up for it" scam?
As I said in a post above, it worked for Bill Gates. For thirty years 'a collection of bits' has been a sellable product.

I wonder how I can get in on this "selling stuff that doesn't actually exist without being locked up for it" scam?

You could put tap water plus a few chemicals (for flavour) in a bottle and try to market that. It seems to be a growth industry. That's almost selling something that doesn't exist anyway.

No, I think I'll stick to my Homeopathic Urine Therapy mail order business.

In homeopathic urine therapy, drops of urine are diluted in quantities of distilled water. Drops of the dilution are placed under the tongue hourly until a noticeable improvement in illness or the temporary worsening of the condition occurs. Then drops are applied at lengthening intervals for three days.

http://encyclopedias.families.com/urine-therapy-2069-2071-gea2

I wonder how long it is until some economist tries to factor online RPG currency into the national GDP.

Some economists studied the EQ economy and concluded it had a higher GDP than most third world countries, or something.

Wouldn't this consist of "sale of time"?

Ie: if I contract out my services to roof someone's house, providing that the homeowner must BUY the roofing supplies, then technically I'm selling nothing (except time and expertise) for something (cash).

How long does this space station take to aquire? How much game-time would have to be invested to recieve it?


At any rate, people will only pay what they're willing to lose for something to gain - ie: the person who bought the thing must HAVE the money, and be willing to SPEND the money, to get what he wanted.

Is it that big of a deal?

I see a massive advertising campaign in the works. All this guy has to do is now sell the rights to display products in this "space station". The same game that the movies/television play w/ "product placement".

Some economists studied the EQ economy and concluded it had a higher GDP than most third world countries, or something.

That's not fair. Why do I come up with ideas that have already been done by someone else? See, if I changed into an economics degree, that would have made a kickass thesis. Sitting there playing games. But noooooooooo, some bastard had to do it first. :mad:

:p

yes as he spent 56000£ on a virtual station, if it where real i would not argue but it is not real!!!

At some point I remember hearing that there was some deal where a thief in the game (that is, a player that had a character who was classified as a thief) stole something from another player (in the context of the game) and that person (the player who had a thief character) was sued for taking something that had a real world value.

Does anyone:
A) Know if this really did in fact happen? (I don't remember the source, but I'm pretty sure it was word of mouth, the worst kind)

B) If it really did, what was the outcome?

I guess it´s not unlike those people paying top dollars for some color-streaked linnen. Never understood those guys, too. ;)

At some point I remember hearing that there was some deal where a thief in the game (that is, a player that had a character who was classified as a thief) stole something from another player (in the context of the game) and that person (the player who had a thief character) was sued for taking something that had a real world value.

Does anyone:
A) Know if this really did in fact happen? (I don't remember the source, but I'm pretty sure it was word of mouth, the worst kind)

B) If it really did, what was the outcome?

Hmmm, that's interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_crime


The term virtual mugging was coined when some players of Lineage II used bots to defeat other player's characters and take their items. The Japanese Kagawa Prefectural Police arrested a Chinese foreign exchange student on 16 August 2005 following the reports of virtual mugging and the online sale of the stolen items.

Maybe?