Sony to allow sale of virtual goods

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Sony to allow sale of virtual goods
By MATT SLAGLE

DALLAS — The maker of the popular on-line fantasy game "EverQuest II" has reversed its long-standing ban on selling virtual characters and items for real money.

Sony On-line Entertainment Inc. will open an official auction site, Station Exchange, in June to compete with eBay and other sites where players can pay cash to buy better virtual swords, armor or other items instead of earning them through hours of play.

Sony On-line said its internal service would be safer and more secure than third-party auction sites. Sony will facilitate trade between players, but won't sell items directly.

In the past, Sony On-line has occasionally suspended the accounts of players caught trading items for money. But it now believes the overall market for trading and selling virtual goods could be as high as $800-million (U.S.) annually, with "EverQuest" and "EverQuest II" accounting for about 20 per cent of those sales.

"The unsanctioned secondary market for on-line games is rapidly growing and more and more of our players are taking part in it," Sony On-line president John Smedley said in a statement. "Not only are we answering the demands of a sizable portion of our subscriber base, but we are also set on establishing the standard for on-line game sales."

Initially, Station Exchange will only work with "EverQuest II."

Players can also buy virtual goods for "Project Entropia," a sci-fi universe filled with expensive guns and other items, but most U.S. on-line game makers still discourage or ban the practice.

[url=\"http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050421.gtsonyapr21/BNStory/AtPlay/\"]Source: Globe Technology[/url]