Archive for 'Currency Traders and Gold Farmers'

Unconscionable!

CmdrSlack has a post on Grimwell Online, entitled “There’s Gold in Them Thar Pixels!: an examination of virtual chattels and property rights.” Of particular interest to denizens of SL, is the discussion of Linden Lab’s schizophrenic policy of simultaneously (i) saying they are not responsible for loss of property and (ii) advertising on their web [...]

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IGE in licensing agreements with MMOs?

It is being reported on UO Powergamers.com (and of course discussed on Terra Nova) that uber-virtual-currency-trader IGE has negotiated licensing agreements with at least five different MMOs. These agreements would presumably allow them to conduct their currency trading etc for a payment to the game companies. Which shows you that for once history is on [...]

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Off the Grid with Walker Spaight: Making the Virtual Market

Fed chairman Alan Greenspan ponders the Linden-dollar exchange rate With Linden Lab still considering hiring a virtual Alan Greenspan to manage Second Life‘s economy (as Philip mentioned in a Town hall meeting some time ago), we got to thinking: If game companies hate the trade in virtual items and currency so much, instead of trying [...]

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Prok’s Candid Conversations with the Core: Cristiano Midnight, Part Two

Is Prokofy “inner core”? After the enthusiastic reception that greeted Part One of Prokofy Neva’s Candid Conversation with Cristiano Midnight (well, contentious reception, anyway), the Herald’s crack fact-checking team has double- and triple-checked Part Two for contextual errors and asset-server screw-ups. We’re sure our readers will point out any that slipped through, but to do [...]

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Op-Ed: Greenspanning the Grid

by Walker Spaight Hamlet Linden had the first of a two-part interview (or, more than one part, anyway) with Philip Linden yesterday on the recent economic changes in Second Life that’s certainly worth reading — though we find there’s not much new there that hasn’t already appeared on the forums and in meetings with Robin [...]

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Op/Ed: Business Girl vs. Griefer Kin

by A Concerned Reader Like her or dislike her, Anshe Chung is one of the richest and most famous (or infamous) people in Second Life. So when she posted in the SL forums complaining about the actions of her W-Hat neighbors in Baku where she had just bought land, there were some predictable jeers, but [...]

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GOM’s Zeppi Schlegel: This bodes well for the future

GOM strike price for Linden Dollars While residents of Second Life are generally opposed to the Linden’s new restrictive monetary policy, Gaming Open Market’s Zeppi Schlegel (aka Jamie Hale) thinks it is a good idea in principle, and he thinks that their execution of the policy is not that bad either. (Club owners will survive [...]

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A False Economy? Lindens Fight for Economic Stability

by Matthias Zander Bonus decreases. Ratings price hikes. Event support disappearances. These three things that could be seen as catastrophies are the Lindens’ latest solution to the less-than-beautiful economy of Second Life. Robin Linden took the time to speak to a crowd of around 100 SL residents onthe afternoon of January 11.

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Avatar of the Year, 2nd Place: Sir/Father Callahan

This choice might surprise some, but not after you hear the facts. Over the past year, Sir/FatherC/Ian has been all over tso, and SL, and usually in the middle of some dramma or other. Beginning the year as a small time simolean dealer, he made a name (and drammatically changed gameplay) by acquiring zillions of [...]

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100 million? 880 million? More?

Ok, the market in Simoleans, Linden Dollars, Hammers of Kick Ass, and whatnot are big — we knew that — but just how big. Just a couple days ago The New Scientist ran an article quoting Ted Castronova as putting the world wide sales of game currency etc. at 100 million (and also quoting some [...]

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