A virtual economy (or sometimes synthetic economy) is an emergent economy existing in a virtual persistent world, usually in the context of an Internet game. People enter these virtual economies recreationally rather than by necessity; however, some people do interact with them for "real" economic benefit.

These economies are observed in MUDs and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG). The largest virtual economies are currently found in MMORPGs, such as EverQuest, Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and Lineage. Virtual economies also exist in life simulation games such as The Sims Online. An economy will emerge in a game world with the following characteristics:

1. Persistence ­ The software maintains a record of the state of the world and the resource posessions of the players, regardless of whether or not the game is "in session" for any user.
2. Scarcity ­ Users must expend "real" resources such as time and money to obtain goods and/or services in the synthetic world.
3. Specialization ­ Availability to players of the resources must vary. For example, a participant whose character has metalsmithing skills could have the ability to make swords, while other players would have to purchase them. Because this results in comparative advantage, complex trade relationships and a division of labor result.
4. Trade ­ Users must be able to transfer goods and services to and from other users.
5. Property Rights ­ The world must record which goods and services belong to which user identity, and the code must allow that user to dispose of the good or service according to whim.

These conditions of scarcity, specialization, and comparative advantage will create an economic system with properties similar to those seen in contemporary economies. Therefore, economic theory can often be used to study these virtual worlds.

Within the virtual worlds they inhabit, synthetic economies allow in-game items to be priced according to supply and demand rather than by the developer's estimate of the item's utility. These emergent economies are considered by most players to be an asset of the game, giving an extra dimension of reality to play.

While some game developers, such as Sony Online Entertainment (responsible for EverQuest) oppose and even prohibit the practice, it is common that goods and services within virtual economies will be sold on online auction sites such as eBay, traded for real currencies. Some argue that to allow in-game items to have monetary values makes these games, essentially, gambling venues.

According to standard conceptions of economic value (see the subjective theory of value), the goods and services of virtual economies do have a demonstrable value. Since players of these games are willing to substitute real economic resources of time and money (monthly fees) in exchange for these resources, by definition they have demonstrated utility to the user.

Some virtual world developers officially sell virtual items and currency for real-world money. For example, the MMOG There has therebucks that sell for US dollars. The currency in Project Entropia, Project Entropia Dollars, could be bought and redeemed for real-world money at a rate of 10 PED for U.S.$ 1. Many players question the security of such a system due to the possibility of bugs.

On December 14, 2004, an island in Project Entropia sold for U.S. $26,500.

The largest virtual economy, Lineage, is based in South Korea, claiming to have four million users. The location of its online market, if it exists, is unknown.

Capital in virtual economies

In these virtual economies, the value of an in-game resources is frequently tied to the in-game power it confers upon the owner. This power allows the user, usually, to acquire more rare and valuable items. In this regard, in-game resources are not just tradable objects but can play the role of capital.

Players also acquire human capital as they become more powerful. Unlike in standard economies, identities, or characters can also be sold. High-level characters can be, in these worlds, the most valuable form of capital. Level 60 EverQuest characters reportedly have sold for as much as U.S.$5,000.

Other virtual economies

Virtual economies have also been said to exist in the "metagame" worlds of live-action role-playing games and collectible card games.

External links

• Castronova, Edward. "Virtual Worlds: A First Account of Market and Society on the Cyberian Frontier," CESifo Working Paper No. 618 (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=294828), December 2001.
• Castronova, Edward. "On Virtual Economies," CESifo Working Paper Series No. 752 (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=338500), July 2002.
• Castronova, Edward. "The Price of 'Man' and 'Woman': A Hedonic Pricing Model of Avatar Attributes in a Synthethic World," CESifo Working Paper Series No. 957 (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=415043), June 2003.
• Zonk (Slashdot). "Virtual Island Sells For $26,500". [1] (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/14/1759253&from=rss) 14 December 2004.
• Virtual Economies (http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?subjectid=348918&story_id=3577988&CFID) The Economist, Jan 2005, (subscription)