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MindArk giving away Entropia Universe land deeds

Jef Reahard — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Business models, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Promotions

MindArk has given new meaning to the term phat lewt with its latest update for Entropia Universe. Players may now acquire one of a thousand Planet Calypso land deeds simply by hunting, mining, or crafting while in game.

Each land deed carries a real-world value of $100 (and deeds are often sold for much more on the open market), according to a MindArk press release. The deeds also provide revenue sharing through the game's citizenship program. Deeds began dropping yesterday, and MindArk says that they will continue to do so throughout 2012.

Planet Calypso is the oldest planetary playfield in Entropia Universe. The game boasts more than one million registered accounts and over $400 million in annual user-to-user transactions.

[Source: MindArk press release]

MindArk giving away Entropia Universe land deeds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entropia Universe brings recruiting app to Facebook

Jef Reahard — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Entropia Universe has always skirted the line between game and advertising scheme, and the latest evidence of this is a new social media program developed by MindArk and Socialtype that aims to reward existing players for recruiting new ones.

MMO recruitment drives are nothing new, but the kicker here is that the potential recruits can experience a slice of Entropia via their Facebook accounts. MindArk is using a software app called Bamboo to connect the MMO and Facebook portions of Entropia. Bamboo "turns your players into a highly-motivated marketing army," according to the app's website. "Bamboo users become ambassadors. They earn points for promoting your game through their social network. Every action is incentivized."

MindArk says that the Entropia atmosphere has been ported to the Facebook app via its UI, graphics, and lore. New users can also add to said lore via their own unique plots.

[Source: MindArk press release]

Entropia Universe brings recruiting app to Facebook originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entropia Universe player drops $2.5 million on virtual land deeds

Jef Reahard — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

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]

Entropia Universe player drops $2.5 million on virtual land deeds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planet Calypso's new content takes players on a wild ride

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Entropia Universe, Events, in-game, Hands-on, Virtual worlds, Planet Calypso

Planet Calypso is one of the more unusual games that we cover here at Massively, mostly thanks to its real cash economy. Massively's Beau Hindman spent some time in the game recently for Rise and Shiny, giving his experience as a new player.

Our newest peek at the game is a bit more advanced and a lot of fun. Planet Calypso is in the middle of the Harbinger event, an ongoing new challenge that introduces players to new areas, new enemies, and some formidable new foes. The Planet Calypso team was kind enough to invite me on a tour of the event, so follow along after the jump for a closer look!

Continue reading Planet Calypso's new content takes players on a wild ride

Planet Calypso's new content takes players on a wild ride originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entropia's Club NEVERDIE sets new record for most expensive virtual item sale

Jef Reahard — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Culture, MMO industry, News items

If you're a frequenter of Entropia Universe, chances are you've heard of Club NEVERDIE, the virtual night spot purchased by John "NeverDie" Jacobs in 2005 for the tidy sum of US $100,000. The club, located on a giant asteroid orbiting the planet Calypso, was history's most expensive virtual item for a number of years until it was surpassed by the purchase of the Crystal Palace Space Station in 2009 (a US $330,000 sale).

Now, an Entropia Universe fansite is reporting that the remaining portions of Club NEVERDIE have been sold to a gamer named John Foma Kalun in a transaction valued at US $335,000. Jacobs had previously sold zones of the asteroid, known as Biodomes in game terms, for US $300,000. Read all about it at EntropiaPlanets.com.

[Thanks to Peter for the tip.]

Entropia's Club NEVERDIE sets new record for most expensive virtual item sale originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entropia Universe expands with treasure hunting on Planet Arkadia

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Business models, News items, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds

Planet Calypso is one of the more interesting concepts in the free-to-play arena, as it's a game in which you can theoretically make real money from playing the game. It looks like the concept is expanding a bit with the announcement of Planet Arkadia, an environment for virtual treasure hunters. Part of the same overarching concept and universe as Planet Calypso, the game will be a chance for players to enjoy the thrill of treasure hunting without the actual logistical issues of stealing things and then selling them.

The game is going to bear another similarity to its predecessor, however, in that the treasures being unearthed will potentially be worth real-world currency. That should provide players of the game with a little added incentive, along with concept art by Feng Zhu and the promise of an immersive virtual world. Tentatively set for release in early 2011, Planet Arkadia already boasts a site with preview images and more information on the game environment. So if you've always wanted a chance for your virtual treasure to translate into real money, your dream might be closer to fruition than you think.

Entropia Universe expands with treasure hunting on Planet Arkadia originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: Planet Calypso

Beau Hindman — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Sci-fi, Business models, Economy, Events, in-game, Previews, PvE, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Roleplaying, Virtual worlds, MMOFPS, Planet Calypso, Rise and Shiny

Planet Calypso is another one of those titles that has a perplexing reputation. Granted, in the past I have actually slammed the game -- and I mean slammed it -- but for different reasons. Normally -- and I have seen this over the last week as I told people about the game -- people bring up that they have "heard" that the game is nothing but a gambler's paradise, filled with thieves, liars, and the addicted.

Back then, I had an issue with the revamping of the game. I tried it on the day after release, bugs and all, and it was so unplayable that I couldn't move. Taking my own advice of looking back on games that we might have tossed aside, I can now say not only that the game has proved to be one of the most beautiful games I have played, but that the stereotype of the Planet Calypso player seems completely baseless. I looked, trust me, but all I found were nice people.

Of course, I did only play it over six days or so.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Planet Calypso

Rise and Shiny recap: Planet Calypso originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The robots are rising on Planet Calypso

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Virtual worlds, Planet Calypso

It's not one of the largest games out there, so most people might not know what you're talking about if you mention Planet Calypso. Those who do might well only think of the highly publicized auctions and trades, in which players have spent large amounts of real-world money to purchase land and facilities (which bring in plenty of real-world money themselves, for the record). But beyond that there is an actual game world, complete with an ongoing storyline. As spotlighted in the newest game newsletter, that storyline is being turned up by a new event -- an ominous approach by robots.

The last major assault by the robots left the previous capital city a smoking ruin, and not coincidentally coincided with the game's graphical update to CryEngine 2. This time, the colonists have begun decoding messages sent by the robots, and defenses are gathering to ensure that a repeat of the last event doesn't take place -- even as the robots field a new technology known as "Hydra." Several helpful links for information may be found within the newsletter, which promises plenty of enjoyment for the players in Planet Calypso.

The robots are rising on Planet Calypso originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planet Calypso 2010|2 update adds 80 missions

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, Planet Calypso

It may be a MMO about planet colonization, but we dare you to look at the title of Planet Calypso and not imagine a neverending Jamaican party resort. In any case, the Planet Calypso team is pleased as punch to announce its 2010|2 update, which includes a whopping 80 new missions. You may recall that the 2010|1 update introduced the mission system back in February of this year.

20 of these new missions are dedicated to the mysterious Cyclops volcano (which also appeared with the 2010|1 update), with the remaining 60 devoted to the "Iron Challenge" of finding and exterminating the local critters. The latter is done, to quote the patch notes, "in order to raise awareness of firearms issues."

The 2010|2 update comes with a few other additions, as well as a trunk full of bug fixes. You can read the full patch notes over at the Planet Calypso site.

Planet Calypso 2010|2 update adds 80 missions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The second golden age now occuring in Planet Calypso

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Events, in-game, Patches, Free-to-play

CryEngine 2 is pretty. Really pretty. So pretty, in fact, that we added a rainbow to the above picture, just to amplify the already intense pretty with more pretty. Ronnie James Dio would be proud of us today.

But, if you haven't guessed, Planet Calypso is back online and is proudly sporting their new graphics engine with glee. Did you know that this is the first time the night ever passed over Calypso, as they never had a day/night cycle before? Now you know.

Also, as promised, today marks the opening of The Second Golden Age of Calypso event along with the upload of version 10.5. During this event, special rare items will be dropped throughout the world. These items will only be available for this event, so if you're an avid player of Planet Calypso or were looking to give the free-to-play game a try, now would be a pretty good time to do it.

However, you don't have to rush if you don't want to. The Second Golden Age will continue all the way until Christmas, so that gives you a good four months of event time to rack up all of those special goodies.

[Thanks, Dargon!]

The second golden age now occuring in Planet Calypso originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the Curtain: Playing in the sandbox

Craig Withers — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Second Life, Behind the Curtain, Virtual worlds

I was feeling lost for a little while there. My mojo wasn't working, the Force was not strong with me, etc. I'm back in the swing of things now, however. I tried to break my habit, and move on to pastures new with Lord of the Rings Online, but it seems that I'm a one-game kind of guy, and I ended up back at World of Warcraft.

Before I settled back in to routine however, I did do some exploring and thinking. Listening to my colleague's advice, I spent some time with MMOs that I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with. I even dipped my toes into the waters of Second Life.

I've tooled around in Second Life more than once, trying to get a good handle on it. Try as I might though, it never seems to gel with me, never seems to click. That's probably more down to me than any identifiable fault with the game. That said, any game which, if I recall correctly, used to offer a furry as an option at character creation automatically scores low in my book.

That was a joke, hold off on the flames please.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Playing in the sandbox

Behind the Curtain: Playing in the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entropia Universe to operate real-world bank with virtual world presence

James Egan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Economy, New titles, Virtual worlds

Most of our virtual world coverage at Massively is focused on Second Life, but we're still keeping an eye on what's happening beyond the walls of Linden Lab. One significant development revealed this past week is that Entropia Universe will be the first virtual world to have a bank that's actually backed and regulated by a real-world government, called Mind Bank AB.

We received word on this from MindArk's PR: "The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) has granted a license to conduct banking activities to virtual universe developer MindArk PE AB's wholly owned subsidiary Mind Bank AB. The unique step of integrating MindArk's virtual universe Entropia Universe with the real world will allow Mind Bank AB to function as a central bank for all virtual worlds within the Entropia Universe."

Continue reading Entropia Universe to operate real-world bank with virtual world presence

Entropia Universe to operate real-world bank with virtual world presence originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behind the Curtain: Just when I thought I was out

Craig Withers — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Entropia Universe, Lord of the Rings Online, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Behind the Curtain

It's funny the things that can suck you right back in, just when you thought you were out.

I've been feeling pretty burned out with World of Warcraft over the last couple of weeks, and I wasn't enjoying the feeling at all. There was a brief interlude where the Argent Tournament piqued my curiosity, so I grabbed the PTR downloader to give that a try. That lasted all of about an hour, when I realised just how long it would take me to download the files. I'm not sure if I should blame BT for my frequently crappy connection speed, or Blizzard because they can't seem to create a decent downloader. It doesn't matter really, as I can QQ about both equally.

Then it hit me - burn out didn't need to be a bad thing. In a shocking turn of events, I decided to actually listen to our readers' advice, and spend some time with other MMO, and maybe try a change of pace.

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Just when I thought I was out

Behind the Curtain: Just when I thought I was out originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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