$100,000 to play a game!!!!!!!

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I don't mind paying to play a game, but I sure as heck aren't going to pay real money for the stuff in the game. Wow. I learn things every day around here about the odd world we live in.

 

Well, part of the gimmick of this game is that it is free to download and free to play. Unlike World of Warcraft, for example, that costs $50 to buy and $15 a month to play. So paying real money for items or access to areas is expected. The game developers have to make money some how. They sell game money directly to people for real money. I also assume that people buy game money from the company at one rate and sell it back at a lower rate so the company makes money. Or maybe they charge a money exchange commission and make their profit that way. It might be possible to work your way through the game earning your game money as you go and never pay any real mony, but I highly doubt it.

Assuming some things, I see it this way: The game developers create this new area to add to the game. If this was Everquest, they would release it as another expansion pack for people to buy. But this game does it different. Instead of all the hastle of marketing an expansion pack to be sold one at a time, they sell the expansion pack to one person all at once. So the guy that bought it now 'owns' this area. Players have to pay an entrance fee using game money to access the area. They can also buy things within the area. The owner pockets all this game money and can then sell it back to the company for real money. I assume the developers also take a commission on every purchase associated with the new area (but just a guess).

The guy that bought the new area said that he did think of buying a real-world rental property instead. But he chose the virtual property. The problem with that is, what if the game popularity suddenly drops? Then the developers just go out of business and turn off the game servers. Poof! Bye Bye virtual property

 

Aye, but it's not THAT much different than real real estate (heh, nice double-entendre there) speculation - if the nightclub he was thinking about setting up was in a poor location, he'd never attract clientelle, and he'd end up with a dead albatross around his neck in the form of an expensive-to-maintain establishment with little revenue...

And tho PE hasn't garnered much limelight (until now), the game's been going on for over two years, so unless something drastic happens (like a horribly unpopular game mechanic gets implemented) to drive off Mindark's client base, it won't fold anytime soon...