Yes, well, there will always be a market for gullable people. Profits are dictated solely by the cynicism of the retailers.

Yay cynical retailers!

Depends, what if others have to pay him to mine, stay, eat etc at that place. You never know, once finished that actually maybe a source of income...

Indeed, over years he may make a profit - or sell it to someone else for roughly the same amount of money. Maybe he isn't a fool, but a shrewd man... afterall, many millionaires have been made from "foolish ideas", just like James Dyson.

I am not saying the guy will make a million, but it's entirely possible he may make his money back and a profit too over time.

yea I agree

Since u can buy items with real cash, I am certain that an percentage of that price will go to him. Or even if people use game money to buy, he will get his percent and later exchange that to real currency..and with 235,000 players..there will be a GOOD profit..

who knows, we may eventually have people buying/selling "property" in earths orbit, i wonder how that would work since its in 3 dimensions instead of the regular two...

Would it be possible to start up a business, and when it turns out to be really profitable, put it on the stock exchange? Say: FTSE, NIKKEI, Wall Street?

Any financiel experts here who could comment on that?

Did you also know that gullible isn't in the dictionary? Serious, look it up.

its not as stupid as it sounds, a guy in the same game bought an island, and he has full rights over what creatures etc spawn there, so if he wanted to he could also sell portions of it off for people to develop.

Yes, he can make a profit. Yes, he can get mining, hunting, whatever-ing rights to the entire area. But it's a game for goodness' sake! Why not spend that money in a real world endeavour? He has no idea what could happen in the game while he's paying for his investment. The designers are at absolute liberty to introduce any number of arbitrary measures which could have the knock-on effect of making his life very difficult. At least there is some fair warning about what is about to happen if you look hard and carefully enough. What about the game? Dev blog?

Anyone play EVE? You may know that the ice prices are predicted to drop as soon as the T2 miners come out. Something similar could happen here.

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The designers are at absolute liberty to introduce any number of arbitrary measures which could have the knock-on effect of making his life very difficult

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This differs to real life how? Okay, if we include the designers aspect of the point then I am dangerously close to bringing this into a I.D. topic, heaven frobid, so lets drop that part but any number of arbitary measures, accidents, disasters etc can have effects in any business venture be it virtual or real.

EDIT: Doh!

Edited by - druid on 10/26/2005 2:58:15 AM