bingo83
29/Mar/06, 04:58 PM
Bringing new meaning to the term "platinum card," Make Magazine associate editor Phil Torrone has written on what he sees as the inevitability of credit card companies giving virtual dollar bonuses for real-world purchases.
"In 2006," he says, "there's a good chance $100 million USD dollars worth of transactions will flow through the virtual world of Second Life. Linden recently rolled out their own exchange, Lindex, meaning - they're almost a bank now.
It's not a matter of if, just when - credit card companies, Pay Pal, Amazon, eBay and the individual 'gaming' companies eventually bridge the real and virtual currencies with loyalty programs and private label credit cards - there's too much money out there to -not- to do this."
Torrone further drives home his idea with example vanity Visas custom printed with a player's avatar, which all begs the question: just how far would you like the entanglement of your real world and game world to go?
"In 2006," he says, "there's a good chance $100 million USD dollars worth of transactions will flow through the virtual world of Second Life. Linden recently rolled out their own exchange, Lindex, meaning - they're almost a bank now.
It's not a matter of if, just when - credit card companies, Pay Pal, Amazon, eBay and the individual 'gaming' companies eventually bridge the real and virtual currencies with loyalty programs and private label credit cards - there's too much money out there to -not- to do this."
Torrone further drives home his idea with example vanity Visas custom printed with a player's avatar, which all begs the question: just how far would you like the entanglement of your real world and game world to go?