Virtual world will run on real cash
13:00 13 December 02 NewScientist.com news service
A virtual online world in which players can earn and spend real money will
officially launch on 30 January 2003, when the final software download for
the game is released. The games developers say early glitches, like
disappearing money, have now been eliminated.
Project Entropia is a 3D futuristic role-playing game in which players must
colonise an alien planet while overcoming various computer-generated
obstacles, such as natural disasters and nasty monsters.
Unlike other online games, there will be no charge for downloading the
software needed to play Project Entropia. Instead, players must convert
real money into the currency of the game - Project Entropia Dollars - in
order to buy the things they need to survive. These items will degrade with
time, meaning players will need to keep paying to keep playing.
But the Swedish software company behind the game, MindArk, says players
will also be able to convert things they acquire inside the game back into
real money. Treasure chests, paid for through advertising within the game,
will be hidden inside the virtual world.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993180
