Hmm, I'm not sure that the decisions by a Chinese court will have much weight over here in the U.S. However, it could still be argued that he sued them not for the monetary value of the items, but for unfairly depriving him of the time that he spent acquiring them.

As an analogy, consider winning a sporting competition and receiving a medal as a prize. If that medal is unfairly taken from you, you can sue for financial damages even if the dollar value of the medal is worthless. You would be suing for the emotional distress of having the prize taken from you, not the value of the item.

In a way, all online gaming items are prizes for in-game accomplishments. That's what gives them value, the ability to display them to other players and say proudly, "I earned it."