Virtual Gaming Worlds Converting Fake Online Currency Into Real Cash for Katrina Victims

By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

Virtual gaming worlds came under fire (so to speak!) for allowing users to buy more advanced characters, weapons, land and so on, but in an interesting twist, players from two virtual world games not only created virtual memorial sites complete with virtual candles, they are also are converting their virtual cash into real money for the Katrina flood victims, and even getting matching funding from the gaming companies themselves. There is also a site by gamers for gamers called GamersRelief that pledges 100% of all donations to the Red Cross as a way of showing the world that gamers are not the blood-thirsty shoot ‘em loners they are often stereotyped as. Alice Asks: With so many disasters, will a donation booth simply be part of all gaming worlds from now on?

“Virtual worlds Second Life and There are using their community and technology to let players donate funds from within the games. In Second Life, a virtual memorial has been created, where residents have been donating and placing virtual candles. The companies behind There have also pledged to match gamers’ contributions. “In support of these Community efforts and in response to this disaster, Makena Technologies, together with The Maya Foundation, will match the Community’s contribution up to $50,000,” a statement on the website read.

“In Second Life and There, players or residents build the neighbourhoods and virtual structures within. They work in a similar way to the Sims games. Both games are more like physical worlds which focus on social interaction over gameplay. One Second Life resident called ReallyRick Metropolitan constructed the computer generated memorial for those who perished. Virtual worlds are places in which people can hang out, build and interact Within hours, virtual candles were constructed and placed around it, as well as other virtual tributes.

“A clickable sign in the game takes residents to a Yahoo page where they can donate directly to the Red Cross. A contribution system to turn Linden Dollars, Second Life’s virtual currency which players use to trade in virtual goods, into to dollars is also being developed. It lets residents directly contribute their in-world currency to the relief effort, according to one of the Second Life official bloggers. Residents can pay Linden dollars (L$) from their accounts to a donation box. The resident who owns the box converts the funds to “real-world” money and sends that to the American Red Cross.” Source: BBC News