Virtual property market booming

[danrok]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4421496.stm

A gamer who spent £13,700 on an island that only exists in a computer game has recouped his investment, according to the game developers.

That's about $20,000 US.

The game can be downloaded here:
http://www.project-entropia.com/Index.ajp

No fees, but I suspect cash will be involved at some point! LOL

[fantomfreq]

I took a look at their website when I heard about the guy who recently bought a space station in the game for ~$100,000. I didn't get too deep into the details, but I understand that $1 = 3 of their game dollars. I'd imagine that they give you a small amount of game money to start out with and explore the game and then after that you get to pay in order to get game money. It's an interesting and nontraditional model and reminds me of the Everquest-based game Sony is developing where weapons and skill will all have to be bought with cash rather than impose a monthly fee. I personally wouldn't like paying cash for game money straight away, I'd much rather have a flat monthly fee instead of something that might wildly vary to the point that it would likely average out to more than the cost of a monthly fee.

[Chaz]

I've never liked the idea of MMO's, they seem ridiculous, but after watching the promotional video for Project Entropia I'm actually going to go ahead and download it, since it's free.

I promise the people of the AOA and myself that I wont spend a penny buying worthless virtual stuff.

[robbie]

Originally Posted by Chaz

I've never liked the idea of MMO's, they seem ridiculous, but after watching the promotional video for Project Entropia I'm actually going to go ahead and download it, since it's free.

I promise the people of the AOA and myself that I wont spend a penny buying worthless virtual stuff.

Cuz if you did.... I'd hit you up for some subscription money!!

[NarkotikBuzz]

I actually played this game for a while in the past, and its free to start, and they didnt give you any game money to start with, but you could earn some by mining, which is very time consuming. When i realized that if you wanted to really advance to the point where it would be fun, you had to fork over some cash, i quit playing.

[noob]

I have been playing this game for a while.

There are only 2 sure ways of having money in game.
Depositing or trading.
But no monthly sub as most games have.

The makers are looking at making money - of course, so a percentage of money deposited gets 'looted'. The only way of making money in the game is either buying some virtual land and having hunters and miners use it for your taxes, or trading. In both cases there are people who are going to lose out.

They are looking at creating an ingame paid advertising system, which should make it easier for the gamers to make money in the future.

BTW the conversion is 10PED (project entropian dollars) to $1 US

Mind Ark's Project Entropia was designed, and implimented well before the Sony's Everquest, and is a much more mature game.

For some this game can be money making, as the person who 'owns' that piece of land 'taxes' a small percentage of all money and items that are mined or hunted from that area.

The money comes from people who have deposited, so yes he could potentialy end up making a reasonable amount of money, from this 'investment'

Mind you, one person bought a virtual piece of land for $100,000US (1Million PED), and looks at it as an investment.

[danrok]

So how many PED's could I trade this vibrant sweat for?

[Daniel ~]

Let me get this straight, not only am I poor, I'm now to poor to live even in a virtual world! LOL

[danrok]

This what he has paid $100K for.

Boasting a 1000 Apartment complex, Commercial Space Ship Docking, Themed Shopping Mall, Mega Stadium for championship sporting events, Nightclub with multiple Dance floors, Live Amphitheater, lounges, and 10 Hunting Biodomes with individual land management facilities which will enable the creative owner to create Rare, Unique and Exotic creatures. Mining and PVP areas are available. In addition the Resort will feature Owner Operated PA System for Streaming Music and Video to biodomes and screens/billboards strategically placed throughout the space resort and for a fee even a Planet side Video Billboard Network located in all major towns and cities can be accessed for marketing.

No teleporter available at the resort, travel to and from the resort only by Space ships.

No central storage available at Space Resort.

Ownership rights will include all:

Space Station Naming Rights.
Apartment Deeds 1000 Pcs.
Mall Shopping Booth and market stall Owner deeds 100 Pcs.
All Hunting taxation rights.
All Mining taxation rights.
Land management system.
Operating control and revenues from Event areas, by use of the upcoming event system.
Billboard marketing management system, by use of the upcoming billboard management and marketing system.

Spawning point for newcomers to Project Entropia through a tagged PE client. This will enable the owner to market his Space station Resort outside Project Entropia so that the newcomers will arrive directly at the resort instead of in Port Atlantis.

I can see that he could easily multiply his original investment. If he sold the 1000 apartments for $150 each, then he would have made $50K profit on that alone.

[noob]

Originally Posted by danrok

So how many PED's could I trade this vibrant sweat for?

lol, for that would be 34pec or project entropian cents! @ 2 pec per bottle which is about the going price.

I have had to sell about 5,000 of those bottles to get anywhere, and now I trade. I havn't deposited, and wont.


And yes Neverdie who bought the space station complex, could gain a healthy income from that.

Daniel, not to poor, but if you don't put money in, you would have to be very patient. Most online games cost a certain amount of money to play, either per month, or one off, this one people have actually played for years without putting in a cent. But patience is the key.

[Toro]

I believe the gent that bought the island made his money and then made it back and then some back by selling "plots of land" to other idiots