Have you guys heard about Project Entropia?

My friend has been raving about the possibilities about making real
money through this new videogame. I'm skeptical, because honestly
it sounds like a scam to me. Perhaps it isn't, but I'm not likely
to try until I hear opinions from people I trust...

Here's a BBC article about it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104731.stm

Here's the main site if you're interested: http://www.project-entropia.com/

Here's the wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Entropia

What do you guys think? Have any of you played it?

Honestly... I don't understand how you can actually invest in a
completely digital economy, although I guess it's possible. I
mean... if time = money I guess anything is possible.

Sorry, but that guy's a complete dumbbutt....

All it takes is for the company to go out of business and the game is gone with his $26,000.

I'm not paying for anything like that. I have trouble buying things over STEAM because i dont really get a CD or anything...

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I tried sniffing coke, but the ice cubes kept getting stuck in my nose.
http://www.dimebowl.com

This isn't really all that abstract or unbelieveable... all economies are a matter of psychology. Money is only worth something because we collectively agree that it is. If you can sell something as intangible as a book (pure information), why not a fantastic digital creation? what matters is that there are a large number of other individuals in the world who also agree that the currency and items being exchanged have "value". Granted, digital land has no intrinsic worth in that you cannot feed yourself with it by growing food... but we do not live in a world where that matters. The whole entertainment industry thrives on nothing but the creation and sale of information. This is no different, and assuming the fan base and the online universe remains intact, I think that man will become rich, or at least make a decent amount of money on that investment.

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Some people are like slinkys...

They aren?t really good for anything, but you can't help but laugh when one tumbles down the stairs.

Yeah, the Project Entropia website uses that entertainment industry
argument to explain the concept that fuels their game. But at the
same time the application of that idea in regards to a completely
virtual world is a little hard for me to get my head around.

What I don't understand is if this is a free game, where does the
Project Entropia team get the real money to credit your Visa
with. I mean, if people invest a little bit of real money into
this game universe to get started, and then get richer simply through
virtual means... when they cash out, from where is this money
taken? Real money other players have put in assumably, but what
happens if everyone cashes out at once?

Edit: To
clarify, there are virtual resources in place in the game, such as
creatures that can be hunted or natural minerals that can be
mined. So there are virtual resources that can be translated into
real money. So if for example everyone put in just enough money
to get a basic mining kit, and then played enough of the game (ie mined
enough) to double the cash value of their initial investment and then
cashed out... where would the PE team get the real money to credit the
players with?

This game sounds interesting. I'm tempted to give it a try. RPG
combined with real life money sounds like a dangerously addicting
combination.

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What the Snarkpitters listen to!

Ya'll are missing the backbone of the game.

The game runs like the real world in which you cant create matter with out matter.

Think of the game as a giant gambling tool. You invest money to get started; however, when you do somthing, like mining minerals, that erns you money, there is someone on the other side of the transaction. The money you got was not that of the developer but of another player.

For instance, (this is all made up)

1)Sell minerals at shop for 40$

2)shop sells minerals to player for 50$

thus the developer is insured to have at least 10$ if both players cash out.

just remember, the game is like a real economy, in that there will be hidden fees throughout the game.

By the way, I read in PCGamer a while back about how this guy paid bundles of cash for his own personal island in the game. It was an artical about selling and buy intangible objects from games.-- but they explained that the person could gain an investment if he was to split up the land and rent it out to other layers. Hence the profit at other players expense.

It all makes sennse if you invision Project ntropias money system as its own, kind of like the world, there might even be inflation in the game too.

Hope this is beneficial.

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A transaction fee is charged for converting the currency both ways.

There's proof of one fee.

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You know, I've actually got nothing to say

Yeah, I heard they have a taxation system in place.

As for the selling of "Treasure Island" that you mentioned, I think I linked to the original BBC article.

The US public relations guy apparently bought a planet for 10,000 dollars.

Sounds like advanced gambling to me.. Money and games is not something
I want to mix up except for paying money once to obtain a game.

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Create-ivity - a game development blog

And what if say you were drunk / high on drugs and you accidently spent ?1000 on a chair or something rediculous.

I think what's more likely is you have your little cousin log on and
when you're not looking he destroys your character... and you lose real
money.

And what if say you were drunk / high on drugs and you accidently spent ?1000 on a chair or something rediculous.

hey that happened in real life, a guy on TV bought a hot air baloon off
ebay when he was drunk then wondered why it turned up at his house.

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I need a new sig

Sounds like advanced gambling to me.. Money and games is not something
I want to mix up except for paying money once to obtain a game.

Roger that. Hell I don't even like paying for games before I even try them. P2P ftw :smile:

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o

Baron von Snickers said:
Roger that. Hell I don't even like paying for games before I even try them. P2P ftw :smile:

Demo's, yes... :wink:

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Create-ivity - a game development blog