MindArk/Entropia Universe will be at the Games Convention this week, August 24 - August 27, in Leipzig, Germany debuting the card and the new monetary deposit model in Hall 5, Booth A 03 of the exhibit floor.
The new system creates a safe, convenient and seamless process for anonymously transferring cash to ones avatar. The process begins with the purchase of a prepaid card (increments of ?10, ?25, ?50, ?100) at one of the many general retail outlets in Europe. The card contains a (scratch and reveal) PIN code which is then entered into the Entropia deposit system for easy transfer of funds without the use of a debit or credit card.
"Paysafecard is a respected name in Europe, and we welcome the opportunity to utilize its service and technology," says Marco Behrmann, CIO for MindArk, developer of Entropia Universe. "We realize 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."
Paysafecard is Europe's leading prepaid payment card for alternative online payment systems. The design allows for easy and secure online shopping without the need of giving away personal data. The success of Paysafecard is strongly based on close co-operations with strategic partners from the banking and information technology sectors including, IBM, the German Commerzbank AG and the Austrian BAWAG P.S.K. bank.
Entropia Universe is the only virtual gaming community that actively supports sales of virtual products with actual cash value within its real economy system. The economy offers the user a secure and safe way 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. PED allows members to invest in personal development and growth through the acquisition of goods, buildings, and land in the virtual universe.
In December 2004, Entropia Universe set a world record, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, when it sold a virtual Treasure Island for $26,500 USD as the largest virtual dollar amount spent, to 22-year old Australian David Storey, a.k.a. "Deathifier." The recent sale of the Space Resort for $100,000 USD to famed gamer, Jon 'NEVERDIE' Jacobs, sets a new record for the most valuable virtual item. In 2005, the Entropia Universe GNP was an estimated $165,000,000 million US dollars and is expected to double in 2006.