Entropia Universe is in the news again, and yes, it's because of a huge real-money transaction initiated by one of the game's players. MindArk says that a single investor bought $2.5 million US worth of land lot deeds on Calypso, which is one of the game's oldest planetary zones. Entropia's citizenship system originally launched last December with almost 60,000 land deeds up for grabs. The mechanic allows for revenue sharing among citizens; the annual return on investments is hovering around 27%.
In a nutshell, the system allows players to amass weekly profits directly from the game after an initial investment of $100 for a single land deed. Investment opportunities are open to anyone with an Entropia avatar, and MinkArk also reports that the game features over one million registered accounts and over $400 million in annual user-to-user transactions.
[Source: MinkArk press release]
Reader Comments (48)
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 10:33AM Lenn said
And people complain about cash shops.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 12:10PM smartstep said
@silver001
Brainwashed? used to?
I played cash shop games like 8 years ago , so...
Simialr to sub games.
Both of those models exist for REALLY long time , even if many players were not aware of it.
I have my preferences and I find it silly that you call me 'brainwashed' , experienced mutltple cash shop and sub games in my life aleady and I really have preety good knowegedle about them. (also from non-gamer point of view as I am interested in various business models also from sciency / business point of view and it partially correspond with my field of study I've taken).
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Brainwashed? used to?
I played cash shop games like 8 years ago , so...
Simialr to sub games.
Both of those models exist for REALLY long time , even if many players were not aware of it.
I have my preferences and I find it silly that you call me 'brainwashed' , experienced mutltple cash shop and sub games in my life aleady and I really have preety good knowegedle about them. (also from non-gamer point of view as I am interested in various business models also from sciency / business point of view and it partially correspond with my field of study I've taken).
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 2:27PM silver001 said
@smartstep "Something hugely awful does not make something lesser in awfulness scale right automatically." Those are your words. Which seem to indicate that you believe cash shops are well... bad. And I am saying that, I think the people who automatically think like that aka ppl like are brainwashed into believing sub based games are the only way.
Yes, SOME cash shop games tend to abused their cash shop, but guess what EVERY sub base game does it in a more insidiousness manner to the point where ppl like you have accept it as OK.
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Yes, SOME cash shop games tend to abused their cash shop, but guess what EVERY sub base game does it in a more insidiousness manner to the point where ppl like you have accept it as OK.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 4:26PM smartstep said
@silver001
Ehh man cool off and get out of high horse.
I wanted to have an longer more meaningful reply but well I don't feel like it.
I just want to point that you seem to assume alot of things about me and about all people playing sub based games - good job :/
Of course you assume wrong but whatever.
@Lenn
Hehe guess I will need to ! ;p
Reply
Ehh man cool off and get out of high horse.
I wanted to have an longer more meaningful reply but well I don't feel like it.
I just want to point that you seem to assume alot of things about me and about all people playing sub based games - good job :/
Of course you assume wrong but whatever.
@Lenn
Hehe guess I will need to ! ;p
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 10:43AM Dunraven said
Trying to wrap my head around having that kind of cash to piss away.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 10:44AM Grumms said
Uh..what?
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 10:46AM Alluvian EstEndrati said
It is news items just like this one that (thankfully) kept me from ever giving the game a try. Very nice to provide advance warning of this sort IMNSHO.
Personally if I had that kind of disposable income, I would be funding some Kickstarter projects or something. To each their own.
Personally if I had that kind of disposable income, I would be funding some Kickstarter projects or something. To each their own.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 10:47AM akubura said
I played this game for a bit, never put any money into it but its a real unique model for a game. Just a little to rich for my taste lol. If I had that much money i'd put it into real life investments. But who am I to talk that guys a millionaire, hes the smart one.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 10:49AM Resurge said
what are you guys talking about? you miss the 27% return on investment part? That's not pissing anything away, that's profit. Not that I necessarily believe all the bs this company puts out, but if true then its a business decision, not some rich nerd in a basement buying million dollar sparkle ponies. Personally i think they make this crap up for publicity.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 11:15AM Trololol said
@Resurge
Yup publicity, noone thats smart enough to make that much money would buy a piece of virtual land, better make a real investment. And if you really made 27% profit noone would be working again.
Unless that rich basement nerd won the lottery and doesnt know what to do with his cahs.
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Yup publicity, noone thats smart enough to make that much money would buy a piece of virtual land, better make a real investment. And if you really made 27% profit noone would be working again.
Unless that rich basement nerd won the lottery and doesnt know what to do with his cahs.
Posted: Apr 4th 2012 11:20AM silver001 said
@Trololol "Real investment" huh, I guess you don't know know much about investment. Real or not, given the currrent state of the market that is probably a good thing, the only bad thing that could happen is if the game all of a sudden shuts down, but that isn't that far less than when a billionaire lost 300 million dollars in a single day.
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