Treasure Island was still squarely in the virtual world. With CND, EU started to blur the line with the advent of disco and real world DJs. Then MA introduced the Entropia ATM card, and now banking (real or virtual).
The large number of threads on EF shows a growing schism between pure gamers and players also interested in other avenues offered in EU. It's not just the usual gripes about Ubers anymore, but gripes about the rich guys who are suspected of hijacking the "game".
Some players see EU coming at a crossroad where the gaming aspect is secondary to the "business" aspect. Well, that was MA's master plan from day one with the "real cash economy" and they never implied that EU was mainly for hunting and mining. What is happening now is that the economy is taking front stage over the gaming, which is quite upsetting to some players.
I don't think EU is coming to a crossroad at all, but simply reaching the scope (if not the size!) that MA had devised in the first place.
The business people need the gamers just as much as the gamers needs the businesses to buy/sell their stuff. And it's not one or the other: The best known and biggest business owners in EU are also gamers, they came from gaming.
The crossroad that EU is reaching is the point at which real world implications and complications directly affect the virtual economy, such as the recent problems with the ATM card and the future banking avenue. And almost certainly other new "things" involving real world businesses (whenever MA gets their PR act together). The real downside is that as EU steps firmly into the real world, like it or not, it also steps into the real world of business: Politics.
The large number of threads on EF shows a growing schism between pure gamers and players also interested in other avenues offered in EU. It's not just the usual gripes about Ubers anymore, but gripes about the rich guys who are suspected of hijacking the "game".
Some players see EU coming at a crossroad where the gaming aspect is secondary to the "business" aspect. Well, that was MA's master plan from day one with the "real cash economy" and they never implied that EU was mainly for hunting and mining. What is happening now is that the economy is taking front stage over the gaming, which is quite upsetting to some players.
I don't think EU is coming to a crossroad at all, but simply reaching the scope (if not the size!) that MA had devised in the first place.
The business people need the gamers just as much as the gamers needs the businesses to buy/sell their stuff. And it's not one or the other: The best known and biggest business owners in EU are also gamers, they came from gaming.
The crossroad that EU is reaching is the point at which real world implications and complications directly affect the virtual economy, such as the recent problems with the ATM card and the future banking avenue. And almost certainly other new "things" involving real world businesses (whenever MA gets their PR act together). The real downside is that as EU steps firmly into the real world, like it or not, it also steps into the real world of business: Politics.