Computer gamer spends $26,500 on a virtual island

[george]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4104731.stm

what the hell?

[alfie]

Sounds like a publicity stunt to me! Checked ebay and cannot find the sale, unless of course it's some other auction site.

[GBGames]

From the article:


Entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, while fans of other titles often use auction site eBay to sell their virtual wares.


So apparently the auction might have been a builtin part of the game.

[Nutter2000]

This is the guy apparently. In case anybody is interested.

http://www.twarriors.com/

[Sirrus]

I wondering about the publicity stunt theory as well...
Thats quite a chunk of change to put into a game. A little 'I love bees' method perhaps?

[Tom Cain]

It is an interesting idea. I believe it is more of an investment than an outright purchase. The game allows for exploitation of resources and the development of the virtual property, similar to the types of things that can be done with real property. These things can then be sold to other players for a profit if done correctly. I think there is a risk-inducing time element here, though, since unlike real property, virtual property will lose value as popularity of the game decreases, and will cease to exist once the game is shut down.