I have tried to make a word by word translation. Have patience with me though. English is not my language.
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Skalman - Right. Then we will enter my house. This is what it looks like. Here is my little house. I have decorated it with things I have found on the auction... and some more.
Reporter - In the internet game Entropia Universe you create a role-playing character that live and work approximately the way you do in real life. In addition, you can even earn money from it. In the game, you choose a profession and can for example be a hunter, hairdresser or trader. Richard or Skalman as he is called in the computer world is a hunter and lives from selling animal parts to traders in the game. He spends a lot of time on it and has made large investments.
Skalman - It is around a few hundred thousand crowns then. However, it has given more in return than what I have deposited. That is a good sign.
Reporter - To download the game is free. Then the players can either buy things in the game to reach a high level fast, or for a cheaper cost work themselves slowly upwards. The game is also associated to a real bank, and in the future, that will work as a pawnshop where the characters can borrow money from investments in the game. But just as in real life, there is nu guarantee that the players will get back the money they have invested. And some play the game full time.
Reporter - How do you view the risk for gaming addiction?
Uggla - Well, that has been discussed a lot. It is hard to deny that there will ofcorse be someone that falls for it.
Reporter - The age limit for participating in the game is 18 years. But Skalman thinks that limit is too low.
Skalman - Because it is based on real economy, and if you do not understand how strong the economy is then it can be quite unbelievable that a kid comes home and says "Daddy, or mommy, Now I would like to deposit 2000$ into a computer game.
Reporter - As long as the money is moved inside the internet world the players does not pay any tax on what they earn. But when they withdraw the money they have earned they must pay tax.
Tax girl - I can tell you that we mainly check those that act within Sweden. Then ofcorse there are Swedish players on the international virtual worlds too. There it is harder to keep a check. Because there are foreign businessmen that run those, so generally speaking we on Skatteverket (the Swedish IRS) have a harder time to get information from companies in other countries.
Reporter - The company Mindark is based in Gothenburg and about 600000 persons in the world play Entropia Universe.
Uggla - You should see it as a world where you enter to have a little fun after having struggled in the ordinary world. Even though you can do many of the things, you can do in the real world it will be done in a more fun way.
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