Gamer Currency
Players of some massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) spend real money on virtual currency to purchase swords, houses and magic wands for their in-game avatars. In Restaurant City, a game by Playfish, 18 million active users manage their own café, while 62 million users cultivate a farm and purchase game dollars towards additions to their farm in Zynga’s FarmVille.
Virtual currency systems such as Hub Culture's Ven are used beyond gaming to enable trade and purchase of real world items, inventory and knowledge. Ven is the first virtual currency to have been used in commodity and carbon credit trades. In others, such as Empire Avenue, the virtual currency can only be used to invest in other registered members or purchase in-game ads and services while allowing the purchase of virtual currency via PayPal US dollars.
For users who pay US dollars in exchange for virtual dollars, sites will offer PayPal, a credit card payment option, or virtual currency platforms.
Read more about this topic: Virtual Currency
Famous quotes containing the word currency:
“Money is the worst currency that ever grew among mankind. This sacks cities, this drives men from their homes, this teaches and corrupts the worthiest minds to turn base deeds.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)