Online game given real-life bank permit

Publishers of the online game Entropia Universe have been granted a real-life banking license by Swedish officials. They plan to open a government-insured virtual bank for the game within a year. The sci-fi universe of Entropia already lets players exchange real money for virtual funds used to but items, business, and trade on …

[Colin Mitchell]

Virtually insane

Do they have virtual repo men? Virtual muggers? virtually impossible to pay back interest rates?

I blame Mario and his obsession with coins for the crash in economy

[Martin Ravell]

Life imitating literature

Seriously, read "Halting State" by Charles Stross.

[Woenk]

First "game" I really liked

Have a lot of MMORPGs behind me the past 10 years, but really got stuck to this one a year ago.

If you are in a hurry, you better hae a big wallet because it can be quite expensive. There is a small minority that actually earns a living by "playing" , mayority does not, but like always, the mayority simply wants to have fun without thinking too much about tomorrow.

Making a real wolrd bank in connection with a virtual economy was a smart move from Mindark, for them Entropia Universe is a "platform" and they seem to have some talks with partners for buisiness planets (like virtual offices and virtual malls). Coming up with the conversion to the Cryengine2 are two planets in MMORPG style though, another one for merchandising movies and one from the chinese government to show "old and new China".

Maybe it's because it feels like being the part of something "bigger" like in the old days, when the first internet pages came up. This could be the start of the 3D interweb...or just another bubble to burst :D

[Frank]

Too Sadville?

Or maybe Sadville II........ On the other hand, recent past experience has shown that the real world bankers were no good for us so maybe this is the way of the future for all forms of non-consumption activity. Why spend lot's of money and effort going to boring sunny Spain (say) for a week when you can hunt monsters on an asteroid for much less outlay?

[Steve]

How long before the first crash?

Are they going to be able to lend as well? What happens when you join the game, take out a loan and then get bored and stop playing? Are you going to be forced to log on and carry out menial tasks until you've paid it back?

[Anonymous Coward]

Do they have virtual repo men?

Yes if you want a loan you must put up colateral, like a house.. point is that its easy to be a repo man its built into the environment no one comes round for a fight...