Ever Heard of EverQuest?

EverQuest is a massively multi-person online role playing game or MMORPG. In this game, players create a character, earn money, buy property, magic wands, etc and generally try improve their position in the ‘world’. The game has become so popular that players sell their accomplishment (swords, potions, land,…) on eBay. Some companies in China actually hire kids to play the game and then sell the make-believe items the kids acquire. Another company, a maker of a different game, turned this model around by auctioning off key pieces of property themselves. One island went for $30,000. And the player who bought – for real cash – has already turned a profit by selling or leasing mineral rights, hunting rights, etc. People – who are way more addicted to the internet than I am – ‘live’ in this synthetic online world. Many people spend over 40 hours a week playing these games and another large group plays every chance they can get.

I’m learning about all this in a new book I’m reading called Synthetic Worlds: the Economics of Online Gaming. It came in my Amazon package with The Whores.

AMQ – we can exchange Graham Greene novels if you like! I agree, Reading Lolita in Tehran is excellent.