August 07, 2006 09:00 ET

Entropia Universe Announces Final Sale Prices From July Virtual Real Estate Public Auction Totaling Over $200,000

The Virtual Real Estate Boom Is Here, Thousands Flock to Spend Thousands for Virtual Properties, Including Vast Rainforests, Riverfront Estates, Remote Snow Covered Mountains, and More

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN -- (MARKET WIRE) -- August 7, 2006 -- Entropia Universe, the fastest growing virtual world utilizing a real cash economy, today announced the final sale prices from its July 2006 real estate public auction. The auction began on July 5, 2006 with an opening release of six new land areas full of hunting and mineral rights and closed late July with total of thirteen properties sold. The various virtual land masses including remote snow covered mountains, riverfront estates, vast rainforests and jungles, lake homes and more sold for a combined $213,784.00.

"The success of the recent Entropia real estate public auction marks the beginning of the virtual property boom," says Jan Welter, CEO of MindArk, developer of Entropia Universe. "In 2005, the Entropia Universe turnover (amount of virtual Project Entropia Dollars converted back into real world currency) was estimated at $165,000,000 US dollars. With the massive virtual business development and economic growth seen in this year within the universe, we saw a need for new land openings and opportunities. Therefore, we created fertile and abundant properties for sale in hopes of facilitating business endeavors and continuing the economic prosperity of Entropia Universe."

Entropia Universe is the only virtual gaming community that actively supports sales of virtual products with actual cash value within its real economy system. The economy offers the user a secure and safe way to make purchases, sales and exchange real-life currency into PED (Project Entropia Dollars) and back again into real money, at a fixed exchange rate to the US Dollar. PED allows members to invest in personal development and growth through the acquisition of goods, buildings, and land in the virtual universe.

The heart of Entropia Universe lies in a distant planet named Calypso, encompassing two continents with large expanding cities that offer a variety of entertainment and social interaction for its citizens. Members of Entropia can create their own persona (avatar) via a character generation system, then having the option of choosing a suitable life and virtual existence for their avatar. Characters are able to enter the evolving world full of unexplored and uncultivated lands where they can join a community or even create a civilization of their own. Entropia Universe offers a new way for individuals to pursue dreams and fantasies through an adventurous virtual experience.

In December 2004, Entropia Universe set a world record, certified by the "Guinness Book of World Records," when it sold a virtual Treasure Island for $26,500 USD as the largest virtual dollar amount spent, to 22-year old Australian David Storey, a.k.a. "Deathifier." The recent sale of the Space Resort for $100,000 USD to famed gamer, Jon 'NEVERDIE' Jacobs, sets a new record for the most valuable virtual item.

About Entropia Universe and MindArk

Entropia Universe is a registered trademark of MindArk PE AB. MindArk supports and monitors the services and maintenance of the Entropia Universe site. MindArk began in April of 2003 in Sweden, and has expanded to have partners throughout the world. Entropia Universe was launched in 2003 and has reached over 470,000 registered accounts. MindArk offers the Entropia Universe software to users free of charge with no monthly costs or associated subscription fees. For more information or to download the free Entropia Universe software please visit www.entropia-universe.com.