Not long ago we reported on the record-shattering $330,000 purchase of the Crystal Palace property in First Planet Company's Planet Calypso. Today, we bring news of the sale of yet another high-ticket item, this time, a unique virtual egg, which has sold for $69,000.

Jon "NEVERDIE" Jacobs (the former record holder for the largest virtual property purchase) put the egg up for public auction, and ended up selling it to David "Deathifier" Storey for the low price of only $69,000! Mr. Jacobs acquired the egg in 2006 for $10,000, which has apparently turned out to be quite the worthwhile investment!

What is truly maddening about this story is the fact that no one knows what is inside this egg, and its contents could turn out to be completely worthless or something truly amazing. Quite the price for such a gamble!

The original announcement can be viewed here.

People amaze me what they will spend money on.  The silly thing is that there is always someone dumber than they are to make them look good.  Perceived value is always so tenuous.

I have no problems with spending insane amounts of money on things. What I do have an issue with is, what's the point in laying out $10,000 and not opening the egg to see whats in it?

 Nobody will open it due to the fact that once whatever is inside is revealed it's value will change. It's worth more unopened. Then again if the buyer has money to burn on an pixelated egg then be damned and open it.

You can absolutely guarantee that whatever comes out of the egg will be something of tremendous in-game value.

Why on earth would a company hype the release and sale of this item, only to later prove that these unique in-game items lose their value? The company is in complete control of what this egg becomes, and it would work against the company's business interests for the transaction to have been a waste.

You can rest assured that whenever this thing hatches, or whatever, it will be another press-release-worthy event. The company wants this virtual bubble to forever expand, and never burst. A loss of value from the egg would undermine the basic premise of the game and increase the likelihood of some form of in-game economic "burst" and loss of popularity of the game.

This item is clearly part of a marketing effort. However, this is all still a Ponzi scheme, as there is no real value to any of these in-game items.

Theres probably not  a set item in that egg, my guess is that when that thing will be open devs will decide what to put in it so the price paid will not look stupidly high.

It's funny to see the same handful of names, over and over. I can't sell my stuff off fast enough to get away from this money pit.

Originally posted by Goparu

Theres probably not  a set item in that egg, my guess is that when that thing will be open devs will decide what to put in it so the price paid will not look stupidly high.

This is exactly what will happen. Whatever is in this "egg" has to justify the economic system to keep players convinced that chasing these items is a good use of their time and money, as well as convince more new players to keep joining. Ponzi schemes require and exponentially increasing number of new "investors" to keep going, or else the whole thing falls apart.

So these stories of real life payouts on virtual investments are designed to attract new player and new money, lest their "system" collapse.

I think it'll start getting intersting when it's more than just the same 3 or 4 guys handing large checks back and forth.

This game's actually quite interesting to play. 

Oh in case you all wanted to know why the egg has traded hands between Neverdie and Deathifier.....

.... Entropia Universe is about to start opening new themed planets.  These will play like separate MMO's, but you'll be able to freely move your character between each world, and operate within the familiar framework of the Entropia model.  Neverdie has been instrumental in the publication of 2 of these new worlds, slated for release early in the first half of 2010.

The Egg's sale now is not a coincidence.  Its a marketing maneuver.  Its meant to get the web talking about Entropia again, so that while the buzz is fresh the latest releases can be unveiled.

Do you ever wonder with all the money flying around through this game if it's used for money laundering?

Originally posted by Kaelaan21

Do you ever wonder with all the money flying around through this game if it's used for money laundering?

Sure.... because youve gotta leave a paper trail for every transaction handled in Entropia.  So money laundering is entirely possible.  Just like the moon is made out of Grape Kool Aid, and once in their lives every mouse heads down to Florida to see the Mouse Circus in Mouseville!

Thanks for the rumor mongering.  Fact is the company behind Entropia Universe has a Legal bank charter through Sweden, and that bank has to account for all assets incoming and outgoing.

Far too easy to trace.  Youre better off dealing drugs.

lol..

Honestly this blows my mind.  Not the idea that someone else could afford it, or be motivated to do it, but it just amazes me.

My mother had a house fire couple years ago and lost everything (she was fine, wasn't home att), and I have spent every extra available penny on helping her to rebuild.  As well as doing all the labor myself, with the help of my brother, as to save as much money as we can.  I am retired at 43, and have a decent nest egg, (no pun intended), but can only budget just so much.  MMO's being really my only affordable entertainment.. :)  .  We build as we can afford, and at the current rate wont be finished for another 3 years.. LOL. 

For the original cost of the "egg", our project would be habitable.  For what it was bought for currently, habital and moms sent on a long vacation hahahhaha. 

not trying to project the "sob" story here.  But my god, must be nice  :)   Many, MANY people have it much worse and for some reason can't help but think, that virtual property could go a long ways to help the "real" community..

meh.. just my thoughts on it.  I realize, money is nothing to some folks.  I mean,  LOL... can this stuff even be insured?

d 

a fool and his money are soon parted....

Is this MMO for the rich? just goes to show that just because you are rich doesn't mean you are not dumb. Spending crazy money just to play some MMO? if I had that kind of money I wouldn't even bother playing computer games heh :)

Originally posted by mrw0lf

I have no problems with spending insane amounts of money on things. What I do have an issue with is, what's the point in laying out $10,000 and not opening the egg to see whats in it?

Making a $60,000 profit down the road, apparently! LOL.

Seems like a couple of friends making the deals just to make headlines.

Originally posted by Cristina1

Is this MMO for the rich? just goes to show that just because you are rich doesn't mean you are not dumb. Spending crazy money just to play some MMO? if I had that kind of money I wouldn't even bother playing computer games heh :)

well not really, what happens is all the ingame currency has a RL value too (in USD).  So this site says he earnt $60,000 from the sale but he hasn't actually converted that into RL $$, who knows he might blow it all ingame.

Originally posted by Death1942

Originally posted by Cristina1

Is this MMO for the rich? just goes to show that just because you are rich doesn't mean you are not dumb. Spending crazy money just to play some MMO? if I had that kind of money I wouldn't even bother playing computer games heh :)

 

well not really, what happens is all the ingame currency has a RL value too (in USD).  So this site says he earnt $60,000 from the sale but he hasn't actually converted that into RL $$, who knows he might blow it all ingame.

He doesn't have to blow it overnight. He may get hacked or some glitches wipe out everything he has.

Don't count your chickens before your virtual eggs hatch.

Originally posted by Kaelaan21

Do you ever wonder with all the money flying around through this game if it's used for money laundering?

Acyually there was some people or organisation many years ago that sort of used it as a money laundering service sort of, but mindark found out banned their accounts and it was reported to the police. Atleast that's what i heard from the ppl i know.