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{{Multiple issues|
{{overly detailed|date=November 2021}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2021}}
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{{Infobox video game
{{Infobox video game
| title = Entropia Universe
| title = Entropia Universe
|image = [[File:Entropia Universe logo.png|250px]]
|image = [[File:Entropia Universe logo.png|250px]]
|caption = Former logo
|developer = [[MindArk]]
|developer = [[MindArk]]
|publisher = [[MindArk]]
|publisher = MindArk
|designer = Multiple
|designer = Multiple
|engine = [[CryEngine 2]]
|engine = [[CryEngine 2]]
|version = 12.10.1
|released = January 30, 2003
|released = January 30, 2003
|genre = [[MMORPG]]/[[Real Cash Economy|RCE]]/[[first-person shooter|FPS]]
|genre = [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game]], [[first-person shooter]]
|modes = [[MMORPG]]
|modes = [[Multiplayer online game|Online multiplayer]]
|ratings =
|platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]]
|platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]]
|media = [[Download]] (Free)
|requirements = '''Microsoft Windows''' (XP & Vista; Windows 7)
* Windows XP, Vista, 7
* 2 GB [[Random access memory|RAM]]
* 2.8 [[Hertz|GHz]] Intel P4/AMD Athlon 64 or better [[Central processing unit|CPU]]
* nVidia [[GeForce]] 7800 series/ATI [[Radeon]] 1900 series or higher
* 10.3 GB [[hard disk drive]] space; ~10.2 GB for client part files
* [[DirectX]] 9.0c compatible [[sound card]]
* Broadband internet connection (ADSL or better)
|input = [[Computer keyboard|Keyboard]] and [[Computer mouse|mouse]]
|
}}
}}
__NOTOC__


'''''Entropia Universe''''' is a massively multiplayer online [[virtual world|virtual universe]] designed by the [[Sweden|Swedish]] software company [[MindArk]], based in [[Gothenburg]]. ''Entropia'' uses a [[micropayment]] business model, in which players may buy in-game currency (PED - Project Entropia Dollars) with real money that can be redeemed back into real world funds at a fixed exchange rate of 10:1. This means that virtual items acquired within Entropia Universe have a real cash value, and a participant may, at any time, initiate a withdrawal of their accumulated PEDs back into real world currencies according to the fixed exchange rate, minus transaction fees; the minimum amount for a withdrawal is 1000 PED. The Entropia Universe is a direct continuation of Project Entropia.
'''''Entropia Universe''''' is a [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|massively multiplayer online]] (MMORPG) [[virtual world|virtual universe]] designed by the [[Sweden|Swedish]] software company [[MindArk]], based in [[Gothenburg]].


''Entropia'' uses a [[micropayment]] business model, in which players may buy in-game currency (PED - Project Entropia Dollars) with real money that can be redeemed back into [[United States dollar|U.S. dollars]] at a fixed exchange rate of 10:1. This means that virtual items acquired within ''Entropia Universe'' have a real cash value, and a participant may, at any time, initiate a withdrawal of their accumulated PED back into U.S. dollars according to the fixed exchange rate, minus transaction fees. The Entropia Universe is a direct continuation of Project Entropia.
The Entropia Universe entered the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Records Book]] in both 2004 and 2008 for the most expensive virtual world objects ever sold, and in 2009, a virtual space station, a popular destination, sold for $330,000.<ref name="crystal-palace-sale">{{cite web |url= http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/man-buys-virtual-space-station-for-330k-real-dollars/ |title= Man buys virtual space station for 330k real dollars |accessdate=2010-06-23}}</ref> This was then eclipsed in November 2010 when [[Jon Jacobs (actor)|Jon Jacobs]] sold a virtual resort on Planet Calypso for $635,000; this property was sold in chunks, with the largest sold for $335,000.<ref name="Club-NeverDie-Sale">{{cite web |url= http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/planet-calypso-player-sells-virtual-resort-for-63500000-usd-107426428.html |title= Planet Calypso Player Sells Virtual Resort for $635,000.00 USD|accessdate=2010-11-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.entropiaplanets.com/forums/entropia-news/3739-asteroid-goes.html?highlight=NEVERDIE | title= And the asteroid goes to|accessdate=2010-11-20}}</ref>


''Entropia Universe'' entered the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Records Book]] in both 2004 and 2008 for the most expensive virtual world objects ever sold. In 2009, a virtual space station, a popular destination, sold for {{val|p=$|330000|fmt=commas}}.<ref name="crystal-palace-sale">{{cite web |url= http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/man-buys-virtual-space-station-for-330k-real-dollars/ |title= Man buys virtual space station for 330k real dollars |access-date=2010-06-23}}</ref> This was then eclipsed in November 2010 when [[Jon Jacobs (actor)|Jon Jacobs]] sold a club named "Club Neverdie" for {{val|p=$|635000|fmt=commas}}; this property was sold in chunks, with the largest sold for {{val|p=$|335000|fmt=commas}}.<ref name="Club-NeverDie-Sale">{{cite press release |url= http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/planet-calypso-player-sells-virtual-resort-for-63500000-usd-107426428.html |title= Planet Calypso Player Sells Virtual Resort for {{val|p=$|635000.00|fmt=commas}} USD|access-date=2010-11-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.entropiaplanets.com/forums/entropia-news/3739-asteroid-goes.html?highlight=NEVERDIE |title=And the asteroid goes to |access-date=2010-11-20 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The game has been described as dedicated to [[capitalism]] rather than quality of gameplay, and connecting the in-game labor with real world profits, in which sense it can be seen as a spiritual precursor to the [[Blockchain#Games|play to earn]] model.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ong|first=Alexis|date=2021-11-06|title=Before blockchain and NFTs, there was the real-cash MMO Entropia Universe|language=en|work=PC Gamer|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/before-blockchain-and-nfts-there-was-the-real-cash-mmo-entropia-universe/|access-date=2021-11-13}}</ref>
== Development (x) ==
Development of Entropia Universe (formerly Project Entropia) was started in [[Sweden]] in 1995 by Jan Welter Timkrans and a group of colleagues. They started of with just one planet called [[Entropia Universe Planet Calypso|Calypso]] with, as far as we know, at that point no intention to develop that one planet into a universe with multiple planets.
In 2001 the game used the [[NetImmerse]] 4 game engine, which to today's standards does not look so nice, but for 2001 it was state of the art. On May 20th 2002 they started the Commercial Open Trial and the game was opened for the big public. Some of the more interesting editions to the game are:


== Gameplay ==


The game can be played for free, but spending money on the in-game currency allows significant additional options like purchasing items, skills, deeds/shares, and services from other players. Nearly all of the main in-game activities require expendable resources which must be purchased. Items can also be crafted for use or for sale to other players.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}
{|
|-
|style="width: 75px;"|4.2||style="width: 150px;"|28 January 2003||style="width: 400px;"|Personal storage system
|-
|5.3||24 November 2003||Housing system, space travel
|-
|5.6||5 April 2004||Mentor & Disciple system
|-
|5.7||1 June 2004||Crystal Palace Space Station
|-
|6.0||10 August 2004||New graphics engine ([[GameBryo]])
|-
|6.1||6 October 2004||Amethera continent, Landgrabs
|-
|7.3||4 May 2005||Land Area Management, Auction Procurement Orders
|-
|7.5||1 July 2005||New avatar creation process, Beauty Professions
|-
|7.8||23 November 2005||Animal Taming
|-
|8.0||19 December 2005||Asteroid Space Resort
|-
|8.8||18 December 2006||Shopping Malls
|}


== Development ==
In 1995, development of ''Entropia Universe'' (formerly ''Project Entropia'') was started by two different groups - one in [[Sweden]] headed by Jan Welter Timkrans and one in [[Switzerland]], headed by Benny Iggland. Initially taking place on the fictional Planet Calypso, the 2001 version used the [[NetImmerse]] 4 game engine. On May 20, 2002, the Commercial Open Trial began,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mindark.com/default.asp?page=42 |title=MindArk AB - We expand your universe! |website=www.mindark.com |access-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030218102213/http://www.mindark.com/default.asp?page=42 |archive-date=18 February 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the game was available to the public. With Version Update 4.2 on 28 January 2003, the game was considered "[[Software release life cycle#Release to manufacturing (RTM)|Gold]]".


In 2022, the developers of ''Entropia Universe'' began development work on the migration to Unreal Engine 5. The migration to Unreal Engine 5 will include the "evolution of core systems, such as hunting, mining and crafting" and the "migration of items and value currently present in Entropia Universe" ensuring that the game's economic and item-based systems are preserved and integrated into the updated game client.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.entropiauniverse.com/bulletin/development-blog-unreal-engine-5/blogposts/2022/05/10/what-is-entropia-universe-unreal/index.xml |title=What is Entropia Universe’s Unreal Engine Migration? |website=www.entropiauniverse.com |access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref>
The next interesting development in the history of Entropia Universe came on 17 August 2009 which is the implementation of the long awaited [[CryEngine]] 2 from [[CryTek]]. This again gave the game the cutting edge of game engines and made the game look very good. The one problem with this engine is that it is not made for MMO's and therefor needed a lot of work from both MindArk and CryTek to get it to work. Because of this new engine almost everything in the game had to change including the landmasses on the, then only, planet Calypso, which they packed into an even with a nice story of attacking robots and a big space ship crashing into the planet changing the land. After a few days where the game was offline it restarted with the new engine and everybody had to go and explore the new planet again. There were also some systems that were disabled right after the implementation of the CryEngine, of which some got back after a few weeks and some took months or even years. There are still systems that were in place before CryEngine that have not yet returned at the end of 2012.


== Significant events and virtual property sales ==
{{Prose|date=November 2021|section}}
*December 14, 2004 – Game creators MindArk announced the conclusion of the first "Treasure Island Sale", a virtual island put up for auction. The winning bidder paid 265,000 PED ({{US$|26500|link=yes}}) for the island, the highest price ever paid for a virtual item.
*October 24, 2005 – A virtual "asteroid space resort" was bought by [[Jon Jacobs (online personality)|Jon "Neverdie" Jacobs]] for a sum of 1,000,000 PED ({{US$|100000}}), surpassing the sale of Treasure Island.
*May 2, 2006 – MindArk announced the introduction of an ATM card enabling players to withdraw the real-world currency equivalent of their PED funds directly from any [[Versatel]] [[Automated Teller Machine|ATM]]. It was stated that $165 million had "passed through the game" in 2005 and that this figure was expected to double in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4953620.stm|work=BBC News|title=Cash card taps virtual game funds | date=2 May 2006 | access-date=3 January 2010}}</ref>
*October 17, 2006 – MindArk announced that Entropia Universe had reached 500,000 registered users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=14132|title=500k Users Press Release|work=Gamedaily.com}}</ref>
*May 8, 2007 – MindArk announced the results of a "virtual [[banking license]] auction". These two-year exclusive licenses aimed to integrate real world banking systems into Entropia Universe, working similarly to real-world banks or [[pawn shop]]s.<ref name = "virtualPawnShop">{{cite web |url= http://www.virtualmindhive.com/component/content/article/7-features/8-neverdie-bank-interview.pdf |title= NEVERDIE Bank Interview |date= 2007-05-04 |access-date= 2010-05-21 |quote= Some may say they are like pawn shops, but in Entropia they are banks. There is no other way to get money forwarded or loaned securely. |archive-date= 2011-07-17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717213535/http://www.virtualmindhive.com/component/content/article/7-features/8-neverdie-bank-interview.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> Initially, they would be provided with secure systems enabling them to lend money and collect interest, design and name their own virtual bank building(s), and make their own personnel available through avatars. Each winner would be required to add a further {{US$|100000}} as [[working capital]].<ref name = "Albanesius">{{cite news |url= https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2127853,00.asp |title= Tycoons Buy In to New Virtual Banks |author= Chloe Albanesius |date= 2007-05-09 |access-date=2010-05-21 |work=PC Magazine}}</ref> After months of bidding, the six licenses sold for a total of {{US$|404000}}.<ref name = "EPRLicense">{{cite news |url= https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2127853,00.asp |title= VIRTUAL WORLD ENTROPIA UNIVERSE ISSUE FIRST EVER VIRTUAL BANKING LICENSES FOR $446,000 MindArk Announces the Five Winners of the World's First Virtual Banking Licenses; Real World Banks and Celebrities Among the Buyers |date= 2007-05-08 |access-date=2010-05-21 |work=PC Magazine}}</ref>

== Media ==


=== Entropia Universe - Fan magazine ===
{|
{| class="wikitable"
|+The Gate
|-
|-
!2002
|style="width: 75px;"|11.0.0||style="width: 150px;"|6 April 2010||style="width: 400px;"|New Planet (RockTropia)
|The Gate #1, October 2002
|The Gate #2, November 2002
|The Gate #3, December 2002
|
|-
|-
!2003
|11.2.0||21 June 2010||Vehicles
|The Gate#4, February 2003
|-
|The Gate #5, March 2003
|11.3.0||28 September 2010||Voice chat system
|The Gate #6, April 2003
|-
|The Gate #7, May 2003
|11.5.1 ||8 December 2010||New Planet ([[Entropia Universe Next Island|Next Island]])
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|11.10.2 ||25 May 2011||New Planet ([[Entropia Universe Planet Arkadia|Arkadia]])
|+The Calypso Independence
|-
!2005
|12.0 ||21 June 2011||Space
|The Calypso Independence 1, September 2005
|The Calypso Independence 2, November 2005
|The Calypso Independence 3, December 2005
|-
|-
!2006
|12.6.0||1 May 2012|| New Planet ([[Entropia Universe Planet Cyrene|Cyrene]])
|The Calypso Independence 4, January 2006
|The Calypso May 5, September 2006
|The Calypso August 6, September 2006
|}
|}

== Gameplay ==

== Cost to participate (x)==

The game and all its planets can be downloaded and played for free, following an account registration procedure. When a player arrives at his/her planet of choice you start you virtual life with just a few basic items. These items are a damaged orange jumpsuit (shirt and pants) a pair of damaged grey shoes and a tool to extract vibrant sweat from creatures.
<br/><br/>
From this point a player has to make a decision, "Do I want to play for free" or "Do I want to put in some real money". With both choices it is perfectly possible to play the game, but both will need a very different style of playing.


'''Playing for free:'''

There are people in the game that have been playing for free for years and have done very well. Some have even build up a nice sum of money so they can do most of the things paying players do as well (maybe at a lower level). There are a few things people can do in game for free:


* Using the service as a 3-D virtual chat room or exploring the virtual universe.
* Using an in-game process called "Sweating" or "Sweat Gathering" to extract bottles of "Vibrant Sweat," which is used to make Mind Essence, so it can be sold to other players for PED or changed to other items. The 2010.06.03 VU release introduced 2 new types of ME, one of which can be made with sweat, coming from loot; second can be found in trade terminals as ready to use solution.
* Collecting "fruit", "dung", and 6 sorts of precious rare stones of different value, which can be sold to other players to raise funds.
* Performing numerous "jobs" for other players - for example, acting as a [[merchant|trader]], or buying pre-defined amount of crafting materials at specified rate for crafters.
* Performing missions ([[Quest (gaming)|quests]]), that can be completed without any in-game equipment or money.
* Trickery: [[Cheating in online games|cheating]], and stealing.
* Finding abandoned items or PED lying on the ground.
* [[Begging]], which is largely frowned upon.
* Take part in newbies missions in order to receive free tools and ammunition.


Except the top most option all the other options have the possibility to make the player some money, but most of them will make the player just a little money.
<br/><br/>
The most common activity for new players or free players is sweating and either making Mind Essence with it to sell or sell strait away. Prices on sweat vary a lot and while it use to be 13 PED for 1000 sweat (around 2004) it is now about 2-4 PED for 1000 sweat (2013). It is up to the player to negotiate a good price in the current market and with the current competition in mind.
<br/><br/>
Possible the best way to make some money for free is by doing jobs for other players, but this usually involves a large amount of trust between the employer and the employee, which would be a problem for most new players, because there is usually nothing to base that trust upon and since you are playing with real money you would have to urn that trust first. Also there are usually not that many players that offer jobs, so finding one would take some time and effort.


'''Playing with real money:'''

If a player decides to play with real money, he/she has another choice to make and that is the amount of money they are willing to 'invest' in the game. Because there is no subscription of any kind it is all up to the player what he/she is willing to pay to play the game. A player can invest anything from 10 to 1.000.000 dollar into the game it is all up to the player.
<br/><br/>
The advantage of investing real money into the game is that you usually can skip the, widely regarded as boring, free activities, like sweating, and get to the 'fun' part right away.
<br/><br/>
With as little as 15 dollar (150 PED) a player can buy himself a very nice collection of starting gear, containing, for example, a simple rifle, some basic armor and a healing device (about 25 PED all together) and spend the rest of the money to buy ammo for the rifle and go and hunt some creatures.
<br/><br/>
If you have a limited budget, playing smart is the key, so finding out what the best setup in gear is for what creature is very important. For smaller creatures it is in most cases smarter to play without armor (players call that naked, even though you are not really naked) then with armor because of the decay the armor will have from getting hit. This way you will get killed more often, but using your heal tool will at least give you some skills next to the decay it has from using it where armor just gives you decay.
<br/><br/>
The general idea is that there is a 90% return rate in Trade Terminal (TT) value from any of the 3 main activities in the game. This number is however based on a long period of time with, in the case of hunting, 1000's of creatures killed and of course playing smart is very important. The other 10% needed to break even will have to come from the other players when you sell your loot to them. It therefore is important to know the market and know what people are willing to pay for your loot.
<br/><br/>
Probably the only sure way of making money in the game is by trading, BUT, to make money you need money, or you have to start very slow and work your way to the top. To make money trading you have to be smart and be willing to crunch the numbers all the time and play the marked in order to get the best possible deal. This might mean that you have to keep a certain stack of item in your inventory for weeks or months and wait till prices go up again. This then of course is 'dead' money, you cannot use, so having enough money as a buffer is highly advised.
<br/><br/>
How much does it cost to play:
Well, it all depends on you and how much money you have in real life and on how much (if any) of that money you want to spend on a game and how smart you are. One thing you have to do is look at it over a longer period of time, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but overall it should balance out to around that 90% return.

== Character creation (x) ==
Before beginning the game a player has to choose a name for his [[Avatar_(computing)|avatar]], which must be a first name, a last name and a nickname of which all 3 names will be visible to all the players in game. The name can not have any profanities in and can never be changed, unless [[MindArk]] thinks the name is inappropriate. Next the new player will need to create his or her [[Avatar_(computing)|avatar]] and can choose to adjust about everything, from sex to height to eye, hair and skin color.

During the process of creating your [[Avatar_(computing)|avatar]] there will be some personal info asked which will not show up for anyone in-game. This info is used by [[MindArk]] to verify that you are real when you wanna withdraw money out of the game. Giving them false information, could end you up not being able to withdraw any money.

After initial creation further physical modifications can only be achieved through the services of other users acting as hairdressers or plastic surgeons, for example.

Contrary to most other MMO's every person is only allowed ONE [[Avatar_(computing)|avatar]] and having more then one could end a player up banned from the game loosing any funds they have invested in the game. This drastic measure is implemented to don't give players the opportunity to cheat or farm, which could really influence the game and it's players in a negative way because of the real money that is involved.

Because of the 'only one [[Avatar_(computing)|avatar]] per person' rule people should be careful when they wanna start the game over from the beginning (no idea why people would do that) because when starting the game over with another [[Avatar_(computing)|avatar]] that will be your second one and you could be banned from the game. If for some reason you do wanna start over, the smart thing to do is contact MindArk asking them to delete your previous account. This is also on situation where filling out your real information is needed, because they will most likely ask for some form of identification, before deleting your account.


== Significant events and virtual property sales ==

'''December 14, 2004''' - The game creators [[MindArk]] announced the conclusion of the first "Treasure Island Sale". This was a virtual island put up for auction. The winning bidder, an avatar named Zachurm "Deathifier" Emegen, paid 265,000 PED ([[United States dollar|US$]]26,500) for the island. At the time this was the highest price ever paid for a virtual item. According to the press release, it is "a large island off a newly discovered continent surrounded by deep creature infested waters. The island boasts beautiful beaches ripe for developing beachfront property, an old volcano with rumors of fierce creatures within, the outback is overrun with mutants, and an area with a high concentration of robotic miners guarded by heavily armed assault robots indicates interesting mining opportunities."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104731.stm |title=Article: "Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land." |publisher=BBC News |date=2004-12-17 |accessdate=2012-09-25}}</ref>

'''October 24, 2005''' - A virtual "asteroid space resort" was bought by [[Jon Jacobs (online personality)|Jon "Neverdie" Jacobs]] for a sum of 1,000,000 PED (US$100,000), greatly surpassing the sale of Treasure Island. Jon Jacobs is also the writer and producer of a song played within the Entropia Universe called "Gamer Chick". The asteroid was named Club NEVERDIE after Jacobs's own in game avatar and has made headlines around the world for the high price of the purchase and his own ambitious plans to turn the resort into a venue for "Live Entertainment in Virtual Reality".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4374610.stm|work=BBC News|title=Gamer buys virtual space station | date=25 October 2005 | accessdate=3 January 2010}}</ref>

'''November 9, 2005''' - The [[BBC]] reported that "Deathifier" had recouped his investment in under a year. He made money by selling virtual homes as well as taxing other gamers to hunt or mine on the island. "The money made to date is only a taste of what can be achieved with my virtual island purchase," said Deathifier.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4421496.stm|work=BBC News|title=Virtual property market booming | date=9 November 2005 | accessdate=3 January 2010}}</ref>

'''May 2, 2006''' - [[MindArk]] announced the introduction of an ATM card enabling players to withdraw the real-world currency equivalent of their PED funds directly from any real-world Versatel ATMs. As reported on the BBC newsfeed users could sell virtual items online and then go purchase a dinner for themselves down the street in real life with this cash card technology. It was stated that $165 million had "passed through the game" in 2005 and that this figure was expected to double in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4953620.stm|work=BBC News|title=Cash card taps virtual game funds | date=2 May 2006 | accessdate=3 January 2010}}</ref>

Mike Everest, a home-schooled high school senior from Durango, Colorado, and his mother earned $35,000 in 2006 by constructing and selling weapons in ''Entropia''. Of this, $12,000 will be used as college funds for his siblings. Everest spent an average of three hours per day playing the game and intended to continue playing to fund his own college education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.com.com/2061-10797_3-6124572.html|work=cnet News|date=October 10, 2006|title=Teen pays siblings' college fees by selling virtual weapons|author=Neha Tiwari|accessdate=2009-03-17}}</ref>

'''October 17, 2006''' - [[MindArk]] announced that Entropia Universe had achieved the milestone of over 500,000 registered users. "The growth of Entropia Universe is an enormous achievement for us and the members," said Jan Welter, CEO of MindArk, developer of Entropia Universe. "As the world of video games evolves to become more than just a means of two-dimensional entertainment, we are seeing a demand for the integration of real-world features in virtual environments. Individuals are joining the Entropia Universe community to interact, meet new people, learn new ideas, reach entrepreneurial aspirations, create societies and even foster new relationships in everyday reality."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=14132|title=500k Users Press Release|work=gamedaily.com}}</ref>

'''May 8, 2007''' - MindArk announced the results of the world's first virtual [[banking license]] auction. These two-year exclusive licenses aim to integrate real world banking systems into Entropia Universe. The virtual Entropia Universe banks will work similarly to real world banks, or [[pawn shop]]s.<ref name = "virtualPawnShop">{{cite web |url= http://www.virtualmindhive.com/component/content/article/7-features/8-neverdie-bank-interview.pdf |title= NEVERDIE Bank Interview |date= 2007-05-04 |accessdate=2010-05-21 |quote = Some may say they are like pawn shops, but in Entropia they are banks. There is no other way to get money forwarded or loaned securely. }}</ref> Initially, they will be provided with secure systems enabling them to lend money to participants and collect interest, design and name their own virtual bank building(s), and make their own personnel available through avatars. Each winner must add a further US$100,000 as [[working capital]].<ref name = "Albanesius"/> MindArk [[Chief information officer|CIO]] Marco Behrmann said, "The five banks will have integrated services within the mechanics of Entropia Universe and will not just be [[Online advertising|virtual advertising]] spots."<ref name = "EPRLicense"/> After months of bidding the five licenses sold for a total of US$404,000,<ref name = "EPRLicense">{{cite web |url= http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2127853,00.asp |title= VIRTUAL WORLD ENTROPIA UNIVERSE ISSUE FIRST EVER VIRTUAL BANKING LICENSES FOR $400,000 MindArk Announces the Five Winners of the World's First Virtual Banking Licenses; Real World Banks and Celebrities Among the Buyers |date= 2007-05-08 |accessdate=2010-05-21}}</ref> to:
:* Avatar "Janus JD D'Arcwire", representing [[Wirecard]] Bank AG, who paid US$59,060.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007May09/0,4670,TechBitOnlinePawnshops,00.html|title=Fox News Article}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref><ref name = "WVB"/>
:* Russian Internet [[Payment service provider|payment provider]] MONETA.ru, with avatar "Yuri iNTellect" who paid US$99,900.<ref name = "WVB">{{cite web |url= http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2136510,00.asp |title= Wirecard Explains How Virtual Banking Will Work |author= C. Albanesius |date= 2007-05-25 |accessdate=2010-05-21}}</ref>
:* Entropia celebrity "Jon NEVERDIE Jacobs", who paid US$90,000.<ref name = "virtualPawnShop"/><ref name = "EPRLicense"/>
:* [[Second Life]] virtual celebrity and entrepreneur [[Anshe Chung]], who paid US$60,000.<ref name = "WVB"/>
:* Avatar "Jolana Kitty Brice", an Entropia Universe participant and entrepreneur who paid US$95,000.<ref name = "Albanesius">{{cite web |url= http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2127853,00.asp |title= Tycoons Buy In to New Virtual Banks |author= Chloe Albanesius |date= 2007-05-09 |accessdate=2010-05-21}}</ref>

'''December 8, 2009''' - The sale of the Crystal Palace Space Station was announced. A public auction held from December 14, 2009 through December 28, 2009 determined the new owner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetcalypso.com/news/pages/2009/12/11/7536/index.xml|date=December 8, 2009|title=PR: Planet Calypso Announces Online Auction To Acquire Massive Virtual Space Station - UPDATED|author=SOURCE: Planet Calypso}}</ref>
It was won by Buzz Erik Lightyear who paid 3.3 million PED, or US$330,000 for it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nu.nl/games/2153280/recordbedrag-betaald-virtueel-ruimtestation.html|date=December 30, 2009|title=Recordbedrag betaald voor virtueel ruimtestation|author=ANP}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.entropiaplanets.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6658#post6658|date=December 28, 2009|title=Crystal Palace - And the winner is... |author=entropiaplanets.com}}</ref>

'''June 15, 2010''' - Parent company MindArk AB released its 2009 annual report. They reported a cash flow of -18.6 Million SEK (-$2.4M). In the report it states that the real life bank they were planning to start is on hold due to a lack of funds. MindArk also said they had a signed letter of intent to sell their original virtual planet, Planet Calypso, for a price of $6,000,000 USD to an unnamed company.<ref>[http://www.mindark.com/press/financial-reports/documents/MindArk-arsredovisning-2009.pdf ]{{dead link|date=September 2012}}</ref> This company was later on announced to be SEE Virtual Worlds, which was already a partner with the intention to release at least two planets in the Entropia Universe ([[Planet Michael]], a virtual world celebrating the life of Michael Jackson, and a second planet featuring monsters from Universal<ref>{{cite web|author=Posted October 28, 2010 - By Stephen Johnson |url=http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/708294/universal-monsters-mmo-incoming/ |title=Universal Monsters MMO Incoming |publisher=G4tv.com |date=2010-10-28 |accessdate=2012-09-25}}</ref>) but in June 2011, MindArk released a statement announcing the end of the partnership with SEE altogether.


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}



== External links (x)==
== External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.entropiauniverse.com/ }}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.entropiauniverse.com/ ''Entropia Universe Portal''] – Official website.
* [http://www.planetcalypso.com/ ''Planet Calypso''] – Official website for Planet Calypso
* [http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/ '' Planet Calypso Forum ''] – Official Forum for Planet Calypso
* [http://www.rocktropia.com/ ''Planet Rocktropia''] – Official website for Planet Rocktropia
* [http://www.planetarkadia.com/ ''Planet Arkadia''] – Official website for Planet Arkadia
* [http://arkadiaforum.com/content.php ''Planet Arkadia Forum''] - Official forum for Planet Arkadia
* [http://www.planetcyrene.com/ ''Planet Cyrene''] – Official website for Planet Cyrene
* [http://cyreneforum.com/ ''Planet Cyrene Forum''] - Official forum for Planet Cyrene
* [http://www.planettoulan.com/ ''Planet Toulan''] - Official website for Planet Toulan
* [http://www.theryonwars.com/ ''Theryon Wars''] - Official website for Theryon Wars


[[Category:2003 video games]]
[[Category:2003 video games]]
[[Category:2003 MMORPGs]]
[[Category:Massively multiplayer online role-playing games]]
[[Category:First-person shooter multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Massively multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Massively multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Science-fiction MMORPGs]]
[[Category:Science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Sweden]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Sweden]]
[[Category:Virtual economy]]
[[Category:Virtual economies]]
[[Category:Virtual reality communities]]
[[Category:Virtual world communities]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows-only games]]
[[Category:CryEngine games]]
[[Category:CryEngine games]]
[[Category:Real Cash Economy]]
[[Category:Space massively multiplayer online role-playing games]]

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[[zh:安特罗皮亚世界]]

Latest revision as of 23:10, 16 August 2024

Entropia Universe
Former logo
Developer(s)MindArk
Publisher(s)MindArk
Designer(s)Multiple
EngineCryEngine 2
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseJanuary 30, 2003
Genre(s)Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, first-person shooter
Mode(s)Online multiplayer

Entropia Universe is a massively multiplayer online (MMORPG) virtual universe designed by the Swedish software company MindArk, based in Gothenburg.

Entropia uses a micropayment business model, in which players may buy in-game currency (PED - Project Entropia Dollars) with real money that can be redeemed back into U.S. dollars at a fixed exchange rate of 10:1. This means that virtual items acquired within Entropia Universe have a real cash value, and a participant may, at any time, initiate a withdrawal of their accumulated PED back into U.S. dollars according to the fixed exchange rate, minus transaction fees. The Entropia Universe is a direct continuation of Project Entropia.

Entropia Universe entered the Guinness World Records Book in both 2004 and 2008 for the most expensive virtual world objects ever sold. In 2009, a virtual space station, a popular destination, sold for $330,000.[1] This was then eclipsed in November 2010 when Jon Jacobs sold a club named "Club Neverdie" for $635,000; this property was sold in chunks, with the largest sold for $335,000.[2][3] The game has been described as dedicated to capitalism rather than quality of gameplay, and connecting the in-game labor with real world profits, in which sense it can be seen as a spiritual precursor to the play to earn model.[4]

Gameplay

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The game can be played for free, but spending money on the in-game currency allows significant additional options like purchasing items, skills, deeds/shares, and services from other players. Nearly all of the main in-game activities require expendable resources which must be purchased. Items can also be crafted for use or for sale to other players.[citation needed]

Development

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In 1995, development of Entropia Universe (formerly Project Entropia) was started by two different groups - one in Sweden headed by Jan Welter Timkrans and one in Switzerland, headed by Benny Iggland. Initially taking place on the fictional Planet Calypso, the 2001 version used the NetImmerse 4 game engine. On May 20, 2002, the Commercial Open Trial began,[5] and the game was available to the public. With Version Update 4.2 on 28 January 2003, the game was considered "Gold".

In 2022, the developers of Entropia Universe began development work on the migration to Unreal Engine 5. The migration to Unreal Engine 5 will include the "evolution of core systems, such as hunting, mining and crafting" and the "migration of items and value currently present in Entropia Universe" ensuring that the game's economic and item-based systems are preserved and integrated into the updated game client.[6]

Significant events and virtual property sales

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  • December 14, 2004 – Game creators MindArk announced the conclusion of the first "Treasure Island Sale", a virtual island put up for auction. The winning bidder paid 265,000 PED (US$26,500) for the island, the highest price ever paid for a virtual item.
  • October 24, 2005 – A virtual "asteroid space resort" was bought by Jon "Neverdie" Jacobs for a sum of 1,000,000 PED (US$100,000), surpassing the sale of Treasure Island.
  • May 2, 2006 – MindArk announced the introduction of an ATM card enabling players to withdraw the real-world currency equivalent of their PED funds directly from any Versatel ATM. It was stated that $165 million had "passed through the game" in 2005 and that this figure was expected to double in 2006.[7]
  • October 17, 2006 – MindArk announced that Entropia Universe had reached 500,000 registered users.[8]
  • May 8, 2007 – MindArk announced the results of a "virtual banking license auction". These two-year exclusive licenses aimed to integrate real world banking systems into Entropia Universe, working similarly to real-world banks or pawn shops.[9] Initially, they would be provided with secure systems enabling them to lend money and collect interest, design and name their own virtual bank building(s), and make their own personnel available through avatars. Each winner would be required to add a further US$100,000 as working capital.[10] After months of bidding, the six licenses sold for a total of US$404,000.[11]

Media

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Entropia Universe - Fan magazine

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The Gate
2002 The Gate #1, October 2002 The Gate #2, November 2002 The Gate #3, December 2002
2003 The Gate#4, February 2003 The Gate #5, March 2003 The Gate #6, April 2003 The Gate #7, May 2003
The Calypso Independence
2005 The Calypso Independence 1, September 2005 The Calypso Independence 2, November 2005 The Calypso Independence 3, December 2005
2006 The Calypso Independence 4, January 2006 The Calypso May 5, September 2006 The Calypso August 6, September 2006

References

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  1. ^ "Man buys virtual space station for 330k real dollars". Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  2. ^ "Planet Calypso Player Sells Virtual Resort for $635,000.00 USD" (Press release). Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  3. ^ "And the asteroid goes to". Retrieved 2010-11-20.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ Ong, Alexis (2021-11-06). "Before blockchain and NFTs, there was the real-cash MMO Entropia Universe". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  5. ^ "MindArk AB - We expand your universe!". www.mindark.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  6. ^ "What is Entropia Universe's Unreal Engine Migration?". www.entropiauniverse.com. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Cash card taps virtual game funds". BBC News. 2 May 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  8. ^ "500k Users Press Release". Gamedaily.com.
  9. ^ "NEVERDIE Bank Interview" (PDF). 2007-05-04. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-05-21. Some may say they are like pawn shops, but in Entropia they are banks. There is no other way to get money forwarded or loaned securely.
  10. ^ Chloe Albanesius (2007-05-09). "Tycoons Buy In to New Virtual Banks". PC Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  11. ^ "VIRTUAL WORLD ENTROPIA UNIVERSE ISSUE FIRST EVER VIRTUAL BANKING LICENSES FOR $446,000 MindArk Announces the Five Winners of the World's First Virtual Banking Licenses; Real World Banks and Celebrities Among the Buyers". PC Magazine. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
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