Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land

mewso

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

A new low in gaming sadness.

Andrew Fotzpatr

thats the saddest thing ive ever seen..

Mr E

That is mind boggling..... wow.
What a space cadet.

bizmark

Hey you never know he might be on to a winner seeming he can tax people for useing the island and sell plots of his land for real money with something like 200,000 people playing that game he could well make a profit.

mewso

Well hes relying on the fact that there people sad enough to pay taxes online.....hang on a minute could be a great earner.

I'll give you a fiver for DM3 in Quakeworld.

FX Meister

What a sucker ass fool!!!

Retr0gamer

This is a historic moment in gaming history, and this sale only goes to prove that massive multi-player online gaming has reached a new plateau

Yep, a new plateau of loner losers.

Capt'n Midnight

The Entopia economy lets gamers exchange real currency into PED (Project Entropia Dollars) and back again into real money.

me wonders can you launder money this way ..

monkeyfudge

"This type of investment will definitely become a trend in online gaming," said Deathifier.

haha... Deathifier...

I don't want to be late with my rent, or my land lord, Deathifier, will get angry...

Hobbes

There is money to be made. If I recall correctly some guy set up a banking business for online games and at its height he made close to US$1 million. Think he got nabbed by the IRS though.

Wertz

Of course the real pwnage for deathifier would be if Project Entropia (plc) declared bankruptcy before the guy got to make back his $$$

monument

Never realy got into MMORPGs - time is one factor - but what size is this 'island'?

Steven

There is money to be made. If I recall correctly some guy set up a banking business for online games and at its height he made close to US$1 million. Think he got nabbed by the IRS though.

There's a fair bit of money in it alright, but it creates huge gameplay problems like dozens of people camping out in front of the spawning points of monsters that carry valuable stuff 24/7 so they can sell it to these companies making it all but impossible for your average gamer to collect any kind of l337 itemage. It also means that rich gamers have much more success than skilled ones. Go to any MMORPG forum and you'll find a thread bitching about corporate whores clogging up the good spots all day every day. The whole point of games is escapism from this kind of crap.
*dies a little inside*

[edit] Also, "Deathifier"? Why is it only the idiots get in the news. Hmm, answer's in the question there.[/edit]

[edit2] While I was on the bbc site I found this story. That guy's argument is hugely flawed. The reason that male characters cost more is simple supply and demand. More males = (considerably) more demand for male characters. I wouldn't buy a female character if an equivalent male was available but then I wouldn't buy a character. Down with this sort of thing.[/edit 2]

segadreamcast

"It also means that rich gamers have much more success than skilled ones."

Keep the phrase, but replace 'gamers' with 'people' and you probably have a universal philosophy for life.

Ave

musician wrote:

Well hes relying on the fact that there people sad enough to pay taxes online.....hang on a minute could be a great earner.

I'll give you a fiver for DM3 in Quakeworld.

Should actually do some research, before posting idiotic replies like that.

Project Entropia has been running for years, solely on a real cash economy.

That person will without a doubt make his money back, and then some, within months.

rabbitinlights

monument wrote:

but what size is this 'island'?

About 4GB.......................

Kazujo

How did a 22 year old get $26,500

Karl Hungus

Kazujo wrote:

How did a 22 year old get $26,500

He might've made it from the game itself.

Christ, imagine being able to make a proper living off the game?? :eek:

Kazujo

And the virtual estate agent is born

Wertz

Karl Hungus wrote:

He might've made it from the game itself.

Christ, imagine being able to make a proper living off the game?? :eek:

Guy I know from another games forum has his own Diablo2 shop selling all the legendary/uber crap. He makes so much off it he has to pay taxes and be VAT registered...

http://www.d2lodshop.com/

Was telling me that PE has more money sinks than an Irish politicians pocket.
In order to grind/level up to a point where you can actually kill (let alone camp) the high paying mobs you need to spend an outrageous amount of RL cash. All your ammo costs a fortune and all the items you need to keep yourself from getting killed. He said even dieing is expensive.
So yeah there's cash to be made but only if you're willing to invest heavily and get good at the game. That appeals to certain types of players but not me...

weemcd

new form of gambling methinks, im sure las v. has nothing to worry about tho

Swifty

My god, thats ****ing crazy.

Can people break into the place? If so I'd think about registering to this game and just sabotaging this losers land if it's possible. Poo on his grass etc.

mewso

Ave wrote:

Should actually do some research, before posting idiotic replies like that.

Project Entropia has been running for years, solely on a real cash economy.

That person will without a doubt make his money back, and then some, within months.

Should actually take the time to lighten up before posting arrogant replies like that.

Ave

musician wrote:

Should actually take the time to lighten up before posting arrogant replies like that.

How is it arrogant?

I actually know something about mmorpg's, specifically PE, which you quite clearly dont, by your downright retarded posts about it so far.

"OMGLOLO!L!O111 SMEONE SPENT REEL LIFE MONEY ON A GAEM SAD LOOSERSX!"


I know several people, in eve-online alone, who have made £10,000+ with an initial outlay of nothing but a monthly fee.

Here's a hint: dont judge what you dont understand, it just makes you look petty.

Karl Hungus

Wertz wrote:

Guy I know from another games forum has his own Diablo2 shop selling all the legendary/uber crap. He makes so much off it he has to pay taxes and be VAT registered...

http://www.d2lodshop.com/

...

Oh ****. If only I had kept D2 installed, I could've sold off so much of my unique stuff! I had so much high lvl armor and everything it was ****ing unreal! I could've made loads!

I used to have this fellow, and this here, and my shield was this. My armour. My helm.

Moriarty

People have been selling property in Ultima Online for years and years and making an actual (decent) living off it. This is just the next step up.

LegacyUser

The guy who actually bought it seems to have a plan. He doesn't seem like the uber nerd to me who does not have a clue what he is doing. Next Bill Gates anyone?...

There are people retarded *cough* i mean unique enough to buy bit of land to build virtual houses on it. Jesus that sounds so stupid. Anyway, Ye i can see him making a packet out of this in long run.

Steven

Moriarty wrote:

People have been selling property in Ultima Online for years and years and making an actual (decent) living off it. This is just the next step up.

That certainly doesn't make it a good thing. It's bad enough that we have to pay for the PC, the game, the subscription and the net connection without having to pay for equipment aswell, because that's the way it's headed.

Saruman

hmm.. on one hand im thinking he is a muppet but on the other im thinking its pretty cool.. a LOT of money but fair play to him.. hope he makes his money back! Its more fun than ebay!!

Ave

Steven wrote:

That certainly doesn't make it a good thing. It's bad enough that we have to pay for the PC, the game, the subscription and the net connection without having to pay for equipment aswell, because that's the way it's headed.

Most of the large buyers of online game content I have talked to, are older, succesful business types, who dont have the time to spend 8 hours a day levelling, acquiring money and items.

They are buying time, the sellers time.

Moriarty

Steven wrote:

That certainly doesn't make it a good thing. It's bad enough that we have to pay for the PC, the game, the subscription and the net connection without having to pay for equipment aswell, because that's the way it's headed.

I never said it was a good thing. As long as there are sought-after items in MMOs that can be traded this will continue though, there's no way around it.