University of Stockholm to invest in Entropia

[davidgr1200]

I saw in the local Stockholm paper that there is a "research project" at Stockholm university which is going to invest about 2 million PED in Entropia. They want to buy a land area and "do research".

[kygon]

Originally Posted by davidgr1200

I saw in the local Stockholm paper that there is a "research project" at Stockholm university which is going to invest about 2 million PED in Entropia. They want to buy a land area and "do research".

nice to know and ty for posting


any chance of a scan of it?

[SODERD]

lol how the hell did they persuade the leader board to invest in a game =)

[rhogenbe]

I am curious about the article to.

I just hope they someone with some ingame experience. Otherwise some scammer might get hold of the deed.

Cheers
Richard
(ingame Siam)

[Nitrosomonas]

haha i love how the student who is gonna write his paper about this got 2 million ped out of the board to pay for a LA
mmh I so need to try this

[Ekholm]

I found these two links:

This link is from the student on stockholms university's page.
Publikationer från Stockholms universitet: 6369 - Produktplacering i en virtuell värld

This link is more about the cash they are gonna spend in here from a newspaper (Metro)

Metro - Svensk forskare får 350 000 kr för att handla virtuell mark


EDIT: Im at work now, dont got the time to translate. sry

[Legion]

First of it aint 2million peds :P

it's 350000 SEK

second off i think it's veeery likely to flop.. ie student who has access to the ave goes "ooh hmm what's that? ok lets buy it" oops money weent poof from account and then got onto another acount and oopsi money gone :P

[StrongMinded]

Svensk forskare får 350 000 kr för att handla virtuell mark



”Jag har spanat in ett landområde i närheten av New Switzerland som inte lagts ut till försäljning ännu som skulle vara perfekt.”


Mats Wiklund, universitetslektor i köpartagen



UTBILDNING. Lär dig göra dataspel genom att jaga på nätet. På Stockholms universitet ska studenter som läser dataspelsutveckling få utforska den virtuella världen Entropia Universe. Universitetslektor Mats Wiklund har fått 350 000 kronor från institutionen för att köpa ett landområde.
– Alla pengar går till själva världen och underhåll av den. Ett så här stort område har normalt sett inte en privatperson tillgång till och det ger eleverna möjlighet att testa saker som de inte hade kunnat göra annars, säger han.
En landägare i Entropia universe kan odla olika typer av djur. Därefter kan andra användare jaga djuren mot en mindre skatt på bytet.
– Jag tänker att studenterna ska få anordna en jakttävling där andra spelare kan gå med och med ett fint pris för den som lyckas bäst. Det är en utmärkt laboration, säger Mats Wiklund.

Några andra exempel på laborationer finns inte färdiga ännu, men även gruvdrift utgör en stor del av spelet. Dessutom är finanserna i Entropia något det forskas om på institutionen.
– Vi studerar väldigt mycket om onlinevärldars ekonomi. Här kan studenterna testa på riktigt hur sådana faktorer fungerar.

•• Finns det en risk för ett klassamhälle i onlinevärlden, där pengar blir en avgörande faktor?
– Om vi accepterar att det finns klasskillnader så är det snarare omvänt verkligheten. Det är de fattiga ungdomarna som har så mycket tid att de kommer högt upp i nivå.
Under de perioder området inte används i undervisningen vill Mats Wiklund att utomstående ska få jaga skattefritt där. Det skulle fungera som reklam för skolan.

Ett annat användningsområde för den virtuella världen är forskning.
– Vi kan intervjua folk i spelet och bjuda de som ställer upp på saker i spelet istället för till exempel biobiljetter. Eller så kan vi bedriva etnografiska studier.

Nu är Mats Wiklund på full jakt efter en bit land att köpa. Den ska vara lagom varierad och ligga nära en teleport-station.
– Jag har spanat in ett landområde i närheten av New Switzerland som inte lagts ut till försäljning ännu som skulle vara perfekt, fast om du skriver det kanske jag får konkurrenter.


Sorry if the translation sucks a bit, did it very quickly at work! =D
//SM
Quick Translation:

EDUCATION: Learn how to make computergames while hunting on the internet.
At the Stockholm university, students that are learning game development will get the chance to study the virtual world of Entropia Universe.

The university lector Mats Wiklund has been given 350.000 Sek from the institution to buy a landarea..

- All the money will be spent in the universe and for the maintenance of the landarea.
Normally a big land area like this isn´t available for a private person and this makes it possible for the students to try things they normally couldn´t do he says.

A land area owner in Entropia Universe can have different types of animals, and other persons can then hunt them in that land area with a small taxation of the loot.

- I am thinking that the students should create hunting events where other players can join and the winner gets a nice prize. This is a perfect laboration says Mats Wiklund.

No other examples of laborations are ready yet but mining is a big part of the universe.

Another aspect that is researched by the institution is the Entropia finances.

- We research a lot about online worlds economy. Here the students can study and test how these factors work.

**Is there a risk for a class society in the online worlds, where money is a big factor?.

- If we accept that there are class differences it´s rather the opposite of the real world. It´s the poor youth that has more time and that makes it possible to reach higher levels.

During the periods the area isn´t used in education, Mats Wiklund wants everybody to be able to hunt there tax free. That would work as advertisement for the school. Another area for the virtual world is research.

- We could interview people ingame and for the people that agree to answer the questions we could give ingame gifts instead of cinema tickets for instance. We could also study ethnographical differences.

Now Mats Wiklund is looking for a piece of land to buy. It should be medium variated and be near a teleport station.

- I have been checking out a place ner New Switzerland that is perfect that isn’t put out for sale yet but maybe you shouldn´t write that because I might get competitors.

[aridash]

350000 SEK is 550000ped.

The lecturer is the one who has requested the funding and will presumably hold the deed.

[Legion]

Originally Posted by aridash

350000 SEK is 550000ped.

The lecturer is the one who has requested the funding and will presumably hold the deed.

I seriously doubt that the students will want to put cash in to try stuff in pe though, and how are they to organize the LA if they cant hold the deed etc?

I think the ava will be used by the students actually.. although under supervision perhaps..

And one more thing.. you dont learn how to make computergames by playing computergames :P