The company behind online science fiction game Entropia Universe - a role-playing game that has a real world cash economy - is introducing a new pre-paid card that allows gamers to deposit money into virtual accounts without having to use a personal debit or credit card.
MindArk, the Sweden-based company that developed Entropia, has launched a new monetary deposit platform designed by Paysafecard, Europe's first pre-paid card for online payments, which is supported by IBM, Commerzbank and Austria's Bawag .
The company says the new payments system creates a safe, convenient and seamless process for anonymously transferring cash to one's character in the game.
The process begins with the purchase of a pre-paid card - available in increments of EUR10, EUR25, EUR50, EUR100) - which will be avilable at a number of general retail outlets in Europe. The card contains a scratch and reveal PIN code which is then entered into the Entropia deposit system for transfer of funds without the use of a debit or credit card.
Marco Behrmann, CIO for MindArk, says: "We realise not everyone has immediate access to a debit/credit card, therefore we wanted to create a convenient and safe way for members to quickly deposit money into their virtual accounts within Entropia."
The online Entropia Universe supports sales of virtual products with actual cash value within a real economy system that enables players to make purchases, sales and exchange real-life currency into PED (Project Entropia dollars) and back again into real money, at a fixed exchange rate to the US dollar.
Members are able to acquire goods, buildings and land in the virtual universe. In 2005, the Entropia Universe turnover was an estimated $165,000,000 million US dollars.