Entropia Universe = College Scholarship?

With the dramatic increase of U.S. university tuition fees, it is no wonder that students are finding every way to make ends meet. A great example is a 17-year-old from Durango, Colorado who was able to accumulate over $35,000 by playing in the rapidly growing virtual world of Entropia Universe. This online virtual universe designed by Swedish software company MindArk, has a unique “Real Cash Economy” (RCE), in which Entropia Universe currency (PED or Project Entropia Dollar) can be redeemed back into real world funds through a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar, where 10 PED = $1 USD.

Mike, a.k.a Ogulak Da Basher is a captain in the Entropian hunting society “ck Coat Killers” who cultivated his mining and hunting skills, obtaining precious minerals and materials that are then sold at a premium price. He has also mastered the crafting of weapon/mining attachments. From his virtual possessions, he was able to rake in $35,000, $12,000 of which will be used to pay for his siblings’ college fees.

The Entropia Universe is a direct continuation of Project Entropia, which had a 2005 turnover of 1.6 Billion PED ($160 Million USD), and has over 400 000 registered participants from over 220 countries in its online community. In 2004, the Entropia Universe entered the Guiness World Book of Record for he most expensive virtual item ever sold.

Many players are attracted to the game by the prospect of making money, by which MindArk itself has encouraged this belief by stating that the game “must offer unlimited income opportunities to the player”. Marco Behrmann, CIO of MindArk stated that, “While many claim that online and console games have a negative impact on a teenager’s mental and physical development, our observations are different. In Entropia we are seeing a positive outcome from our online gaming community. Members not only building social skills through global interaction, but are even learning the business tools to succeed in the real world.”

Via MMORPG.com

With the dramatic increase of U.S. university tuition fees, it is no wonder that students are finding every way to make ends meet. A great example is a 17-year-old from Durango, Colorado who was able to accumulate over $35,000 by playing in the rapidly growing virtual world of Entropia Universe. This online virtual universe designed by Swedish software company MindArk, has a unique “Real Cash Economy” (RCE), in which Entropia Universe currency (PED or Project Entropia Dollar) can be redeemed back into real world funds through a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar, where 10 PED = $1 USD.

Mike, a.k.a Ogulak Da Basher is a captain in the Entropian hunting society “ck Coat Killers” who cultivated his mining and hunting skills, obtaining precious minerals and materials that are then sold at a premium price. He has also mastered the crafting of weapon/mining attachments. From his virtual possessions, he was able to rake in $35,000, $12,000 of which will be used to pay for his siblings’ college fees.

The Entropia Universe is a direct continuation of Project Entropia, which had a 2005 turnover of 1.6 Billion PED ($160 Million USD), and has over 400 000 registered participants from over 220 countries in its online community. In 2004, the Entropia Universe entered the Guiness World Book of Record for he most expensive virtual item ever sold.

Many players are attracted to the game by the prospect of making money, by which MindArk itself has encouraged this belief by stating that the game “must offer unlimited income opportunities to the player”. Marco Behrmann, CIO of MindArk stated that, “While many claim that online and console games have a negative impact on a teenager’s mental and physical development, our observations are different. In Entropia we are seeing a positive outcome from our online gaming community. Members not only building social skills through global interaction, but are even learning the business tools to succeed in the real world.”

Via MMORPG.com