big deal in the RCE arena

[thoreau]

Live Gamer - The Trusted Source for Virtual Trading

NEW YORK CITY, DECEMBER 17, 2007 – Live Gamer Inc™ (Live Gamer - The Trusted Source for Virtual Trading) today announced its introduction as the premier provider of a publisher-supported, secure platform for real money trading of virtual property. Live Gamer is partnering with top massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) publishers and virtual world operators worldwide, including Funcom GMBH, Sony Online Entertainment, 10TACLE STUDIOS, Acclaim, GoPets LTD, and Ping0 Interactive Limited. The company was founded by industry veterans and backed with $24 million in venture funding from Charles River Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners, and Pequot Ventures.

Formalizing and Legitimizing the Existing Virtual Economy
Virtual trading today represents an estimated $1.8 billion in real money exchanged annually among MMOG players and virtual world inhabitants who buy and sell rights to use in-game goods, services, and characters . To date, such transactions have usually meant braving an unstructured, unsanctioned marketplace in which players lack protection from unethical traders, and do business in violation of the publisher's terms of service. By introducing a fully transparent, secure, publisher-sanctioned marketplace, Live Gamer helps protect content creators from the distorting impact of illicit trading on their intellectual property and provides a safe alternative for consumers around the world who spend millions of hours in-world every month.

[aridash]

unless im misunderstanding somthing, this is for MMO where people buy and sell gold, itmes and avatars on ebay and other dedicated web portals. Its still fuzzy where MA stands on this issue.