And you thought YOU had a problem?

[voodoolily]

A virtual space resort being built in the online role-playing game, Project Entropia, has been snapped up for $100,000 (£56,200).

Catass ftw indeed.

[Pococurante]

I'm not the least surprised.  This sort of thing will be mainstream normal within the decade.  I expect in that same timeframe it will be decided buying IGE stock made more sense than IGN.

[Mesozoic]

Good lord. The article describes the $100k zone as a "Pleasure Paradise."  Looking at screenies on the PE site, half the character models are in bikini bottoms.  The rest wear armor of questionable fashion and purpose:



Shit, if I wanted this kind of interaction I would just strip naked at Goldshire with a Level 1 female NE alt and /shout RU male IRL.

[tazelbain]

Guess they making a killing in the "more money than sense" market.

[Evangolis]

I wonder if this isn't perhaps a plant to hype the game.

Voodoo, I like the avatar, but then I'm not marrying you.

[HaemishM]

Guess they making a killing in the "more money than sense" market.

MMOG's have consistently shown that is a huge motherfucking market.

[Pococurante]

Second Life should be commended for their community service, taking the weirdos off the streets and into dark houses visited only by pizza guys and unsuspecting young missionaries.

[voodoolily]

Voodoo, I like the avatar, but then I'm not marrying you.

Tee hee! Thanks. That's the image for the wedding invitations that I was talking about. They're gonna be so awesome.

[Nija]

Second Life should be commended for their community service, taking the weirdos off the streets and into dark houses visited only by pizza guys and unsuspecting young missionaries.

Yeah, good old Second Life...

[Venkman]

I'm not surprised, except to hear that people are still playing PE. I wonder on this, like I did back in September, how much of this is real player actions versus some sort of relationship between the company and the player for the advertising benefit. There's certainly not enough of this happening to form a conspiracy, but isn't it odd these both have happened around the Holiday shopping season?

[HaemishM]

No, the real odd part is that there is someone out there (apparently many someones) who truly believe they can make money "investing" in this scam. But it's already lasted longer than I thought a walking simulator with real-life vending machines could last on the premise that catassing will make you real money, so what do I know?

[tazelbain]

They are only around today because they transfered the game assets to a new company and left the old company colapse with debt.  I am not sure why Sweden allowed this to happen but I have heard this happening in the States also.

Free players are limited to the following actions:

    * using the game as a chat room.
    * an in-game process called "sweat farming" where you spend time using your in-game mind force concentration abilities on a trapped creature in exchange for bottles of sweat from the creature, which can sold to other players for (very low) PED value.[1]
    * gather "dung" and "fruits" which also can be sold to other players.
    * perform numerous "jobs" where you can: act as trader, selling other players stuff for provision; act as a "runner", helping other players to hunt. (Note: the Version Update 6.1 introduced a new AI system, making "runners" ineffective...)

LOL, sweat farming!

[HaemishM]

LOL, sweat farming!

CATASSES WILL CORNER THE MARKET!

[tazelbain]

Crap now I am going have to get a copy of Sweat Farmer eXtreme.

[Mesozoic]

Nerf sweat or my whole dung guild is outta here.

[Llava]

If that's not a Monty Python bit waiting to happen...

"Bottles of sweat and dung for sale! 13 pence!"

[Margalis]

I don't understand how they can avoid all sorts of legal problems.

In a normal MMORPG you can say that players don't own their in-game property. One day you can make all Swords of the Whale half as effective and it's ok. But in a game where you pay real dollars specifically for that one item it does seem like the players own the items in question. Now that you paid $100 just for the Sword of the Whale it doesn't seem like the devs can go implement rusting of equipment to balance things out without pissing off tons of people and perhaps breaking some laws.

[Samwise]

It probably helps that it's not an EQ-style game centered around combat - makes nerfs much less necessary.  If all the money in the system comes from the players, and all transactions between players are consensual (i.e. you can't mug someone and take his hat) things pretty much take care of themselves.

I'm sure the EULA also has some fairly strict language regarding what they are and aren't liable for.

[Cheddar]

Actually I would love a post from someone who is currently playing this or has played it in the past.  Seriously... start anew or start here, tell us why. 

Why are we reserving judgement???

[Merusk]

Actually I would love a post from someone who is currently playing this or has played it in the past.  Seriously... start anew or start here, tell us why. 

Why are we reserving judgement???

Haemish 'played' it some time ago, if I remember right.  Of course it wasn't played from the 'fan' standpoint, which I think is what you're looking for.  From what I recall anything other than walking around or talking in certain channels (I don't even remember if all the channels were open to you if you didn't pay) cost money.  Want to throw a punch? Give 'em a nickel.

   The level  of stupidity it takes to throw money at this astounds me.  Sure, some uber catasses might make money (which is how I Mr. Uber is buying the space station) but anyone like those of us here (Including our shining catasses *wave*) would just send themselves to the poorhouse.  I can't believe they got over 200k suckers.. I mean customers.

I'm

[HaemishM]

I "played" it for free. Which was essentially a walking simulator, with the worst, most angular characters graphics ever. Just awful looking. The land was barren. The teleporter dropped me about 8 gazillion miles from the nearest city. I had to walk to the city, which in most MMOG's would be suicide, but in this one meant nothing because in 30 minutes I didn't see another person or monster until I tried to attack the monster that killed me. And it was BARREN land, devoid of almost anything of interest.

You COULD make money without spending it. But it would be a large, hard road to do so. See, you can mine with these little bombs: think dynamiting gold in the wild west. Only you have no idea where the minerals you want are. You just randomly select a piece of ground and drop a bomb. Each SINGLE bomb costs money, and is one-use.

Combat costs money. They don't even give you a starter gun. You literally have fists and I don't think you can even use those without some kind of training or equipment that you pay for. Buying a gun is great. Not only does the gun cost money, degrade over time costing money to repair, but the AMMO costs money. PER BULLET. So even fighting would cost you money, and monster drops that sell for money are apparently rare.

The game is shit. I'd rather play Lineage 2.

[AOFanboi]

I'd rather play Lineage 2.

Which is the same as awarding a -1/10 score or something?

300 000 players one article claimed. "There's a sucker born every minute" indeed.

[voodoolily]

  Sure, some uber catasses might make money (which is how I Mr. Uber is buying the space station) but anyone like those of us here (Including our shining catasses *wave*) would just send themselves to the poorhouse. 

It prolly doesn't hurt to be living rent-free in your mom's basement.

[UD_Delt]

This actually just made the front page of CNN.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/biztech/11/10/virtual.real.estate.ap/index.html

I think it's too much time spent reading these forums that caused me to read:

Jacobs will take a cut of the virtual resources that the carcasses yield, like hides.

As

Jacobs will take a cut of the virtual resources that the catasses yield, like hides.

[HaemishM]

Same thing.

[Sky]

Buying a gun is great. Not only does the gun cost money, degrade over time costing money to repair, but the AMMO costs money. PER BULLET.

I like Chris Rock's bit about making bullets cost $5k each.

Anything with Jacobs makes me think of good ol' Bricktop. I'll cut off your jacobs!

[tazelbain]

Who are these 300,000 people?  You'd think that 1 or 2 would be posters here if there was really that many people "playing" PE.

[Hoax]

Even if they were posters (     ) here do you think they would tell us? 

[Yegolev]

Someone willing to be nickel-and-dimed to death on ammunition would probably have no trouble buying multiple accounts... but that still doesn't explain 300k.

[HaemishM]

Keep in mind the software is free to install and play, and in order to play, you have to register an account. I logged in once and I'm probably still listed as an account holder. That doesn't mean I've paid them a dime. It's almost the same reason Guild Wars has 1 million accounts.

[Trippy]

I'm not surprised, except to hear that people are still playing PE. I wonder on this, like I did back in September, how much of this is real player actions versus some sort of relationship between the company and the player for the advertising benefit. There's certainly not enough of this happening to form a conspiracy, but isn't it odd these both have happened around the Holiday shopping season?

And here's the follow up to that article (the guy who bought the above virtual property has made his money back).

[Evangolis]

I'm afraid that I can't spare the time to play PE, since running my successful Amway business takes up all my time.

[HaemishM]

I'm not surprised, except to hear that people are still playing PE. I wonder on this, like I did back in September, how much of this is real player actions versus some sort of relationship between the company and the player for the advertising benefit. There's certainly not enough of this happening to form a conspiracy, but isn't it odd these both have happened around the Holiday shopping season?

And here's the follow up to that article (the guy who bought the above virtual property has made his money back).

I have an aneurysm building behind my right eyeball.

[cevik]

I have an aneurysm building behind my right eyeball.

Finally I have perfected the technology that will enable me to stab people in the eye via the internet!  My Project Entropia experiement is COMPLETE! MuahahaHaHAHaHAHAHAHAAHahaHahahaHaHAhahaha.aha.ha.hahah.aha.ha!!1!one!