Man spends 50k on virtual space station in Project Entropia
In order to rent it out.
A US gamer has snapped up a virtual space station in online RPG Project Entropia for the - ahem - bargain price of $100,000 (just over £56,000).
Described as a "pleasure paradise", the space station is located in the Paradise V Asteroid Belt and the price tag includes mining and hunting taxation rights, a mall shopping booth, market stall owner deeds, a land management system, advertising billboards, and the right to name the space station whatever the owner chooses.
The owner in question being Jon Jacobs, otherwise known as Neverdie - one of the game's best-known characters.
More than 236,000 players are registered with Project Entropia, which lets players swap real money for Project Entropia Dollars. The exchange rate stands at ten PEDs to one US dollar and although many items are up for auction at any one time, they generally go for a lot less than 50 grand.
The space station isn't the first PE location to sell for a significant amount of cash, however - in 2004, one player bought an island for $26,500 (£13,700).