Everquest is 77th most wealthy "country" in the world...

[Aitch Eye]

...sort of:

"Edward Castronova, of the economics department at California State University at Fullerton, studied thousands of EverQuest transactions performed through eBay to determine the real-world economic value generated by the inhabitants of Norrath.

"Castronova discovered that Norrath's gross national product per-capita is $2,266. If Norrath was a country, it would be the 77th most wealthy in the world, just behind Russia."

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991847

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Oh, God. This is beautiful! It will take a week to pry the smile off my face.

 

[Darkness]

 

[MJEggertson]

That is...wow...amazing. $3.42/hr for playing games. Heh, where was EQ when I was in grade school?

 

[Wolfspirit]

Heh, if that was accurate, I'd have over $8,200. Umm, did I just let slip that I have played a game WAY too much?

 

[graydoom]

Wow. That's funny!

I guess all those ebay transactions do add up.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Wolfspirit,

Remember, this is measured by people earning money illegally on e-bay. If you sold your character (illegally) you could probably get over a thousand because by your own estimates you've put in 100 24 hour days so that means at least one character of 55th level -- unless you are doing a LOT of role-play. Now, if you were to go out and kill Hill Giants to raise platiunum full time and sell the plat on e-bay (illegally) do you think you could earn $4/hour?

But if it were me, I'd just get a job waiting tables in a bar. I'd make better money and I'd meet people face to face.

 

[Wolfspirit]

by your own estimates you've put in 100 24 hour days so that means at least one character of 55th level -- unless you are doing a LOT of role-play.

*cough* my highest character is level 37. Over 2400 hours played. I know, I'm sad

(Though yeah, I know that I'd have to illegally sell my character to make money, I was just kidding )

 

[Altalazar]

They don't call it 'EverCrack' for nothing...

 

[kenjib]

They should give out the game and gaming hours for free, legitimize item/character sales and incorporate it into the UI, and take 10% of all transactions. They would increase their playerbase by an order of magnitude and make enough money to buy an island in the Pacific and declare it an independant nation. Then they could REALLY be the 77th wealthiest nation in the world. Ah well, maybe another MMORPG company will figure out the potential soon and let us (the smart ones at least) play for free.