[ZEROSUM]

A man in China spent $16,000 for a virtual sword in the soon-to-be-released video game Age of Wulin, a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).

http://techland.time.com/2011/12/28/...or-video-game/

Most people wouldn’t blow $16,000 on a real antique sword from ancient China, let alone a virtual sword for a video game set in ancient China.

Not only did a man cough up enough cash for a mid-sized sedan, he did it for a game that’s not even out yet: Age of Wulin, soon to be released in Mainland China by Snail Games. The game is a fantasy MMORPG, or massively multiplayer online role-playing game, not unlike the immensely popular World of Warcraft.

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Buying virtual gold and other items in MMORPGs is common. A study released earlier this year valued this virtual economy at $3 billion, with one in four MMORPG gamers spending around $369 each year on virtual swag.

Of course, $369 is pretty far from $16,000 (at least it it’ll be the only sword of its kind available in the game). According to U.K.-based Daily Mail, another gamer spent $1,600 for the “Hook of Departure,” while someone else dished out $2,500 for the “Lordly Spear Sheath.”

I hope for their sake that Age of Wulin turns out to be a decent game. Imagine spending $16,000 on The Matrix Online.