300,000 US-$ for a virtual space station
Have you ever wanted to treat yourself to something nice without worrying about money? Well, Buzz “Erik” Lightyear did just that. He got himself a space station - a virtual one. And, of course, it had to be the most expensive one ever sold.
The Swedish town of Gothenburg is home to the software company Mindark. For fifteen years, the firm has been involved in virtual worlds. In 2004, they launched the MMO “Entropia Universe”, a virtual universe featuring a genuine economic system. That in itself doesn’t seem particularly thrilling, taking into account that many virtual worlds try to establish a working trade system. What makes “Entropia Universe” stand out is the fact that it has existed for six years and the trade system in the game is a real economic system. The game’s currency, the PE-dollar, is linked to the real US dollar at a conversion rate of 1:10. You can buy PE-dollars and sell them to get real money – officially and legitimately. The virtual money is also used for trading inside the game, to purchase property, rent hotel rooms or purchase things for one’s avatar. “Entropia Universe” can be played without money, too. There are no recurring subscription fees and the client is free of charge. Nevertheless, it is estimated that one dollar will be invested per hour of playing the game.
Now let’s get back to Buzz “Erik” Lightyear – the man who doesn’t only possess his own space station, orbiting the main planet of Calypso, but who also holds the record for the most expensive virtual commodity ever sold. Erik purchased the “Crystal Palace Space Station” at an auction for 3.3 million PE-dollars, which translates to a real value of US $330,000 or 230,000 Euro.
After his new acquisition, Erik showed up in the official forum and was apparently very pleased about his new “company”, because the investment can pay for itself quite rapidly: the station features four hunting grounds where players can show their skills hunting animals and monsters. However, there is a fee. Erik’s job now is to make sure that there is something to hunt for. Despite his new work, it is quite likely that he will be making a decent living.
Today, the “Entropia Universe” has approximately 810,000 registered users in 220 countries worldwide. In 2004 and 2008, the MMO was entered into the Guinness Book of Records for the sale of the most expensive virtual goods. Back then, the property and hotel resort changed owners for real US$100,000. The current version of the virtual universe is based on Cryengine 2.
