Entropia Universe Enters China to Create the Largest Virtual World Ever
One of the World's Largest Virtual Economies Partners With Chinese Cyber-Giant to Create a New Network Capable of Handling 7 Million Concurrent Users and $1 Billion in Commerce Annually
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN--(Marketwire - May 30, 2007) - Entropia Universe, the safest
virtual world utilizing a real cash economy, has been chosen by the Beijing
Municipal People's Government supported online entertainment company Cyber
Recreation Development Corp. (CRD) to create a cash-based virtual economy
for China. The landmark deal was negotiated for almost a year and will
bring an outside virtual world into China for the very first time. Entropia
Universe was chosen over several other proposals, including one by Second
Life.
The new project will permit up to 7 million concurrent users logged into
the virtual universe with an overall aim to attract some 150 million users
from all over the world. Entropia Universe, a three-dimensional universe
on the Internet intended for entertainment, work, commerce, community
building, culture, and much more, is expected to generate over $1 billion
annually in commerce from this partnership.
David Liu, the CEO of Cyber Recreation Development Corp., says, "It is
estimated that the project will generate some 10,000 qualified job
opportunities in China. An important aspect for this project is also the
positive effects on our environment that we foresee. People will actually
be able to work from home inside Entropia Universe, as many people do
today, even from rural areas, thereby decreasing the amount of pollution
generated by travel. Entropia Universe's highly secure system and
open-ended approach is suitable for a variety of exciting developments,
from trade to cultural exchange, to environmental saving and historic
preservation. All in all, Entropia Universe is absolutely the best choice
on the market for us to achieve the set goals."
Jan Welter Timkrans, the CEO of MindArk PE AB, says, "The scope that
follows from this agreement is truly grand in vision but also great for the
continual development of Entropia Universe. The ideas presented during our
mutual talks with CRD are mind-boggling and show the potential that lies
within Entropia Universe as a safe, stable and trusted platform, both for
real cash commerce, as well as gaining culture and education for Entropia
participants. On the technical side, the server structure running the
Entropia Universe will be one of the fastest on Earth. I am also very
pleased that MindArk has been able to quickly come to a mutual agreement,
as this journey began when MindArk joined the delegation surrounding the
East-India ship Gotheborg's arrival in Shanghai in August 2006, and the
celebrations around this. The Swedish Royal family and esteemed members of
China's upper political echelon were present at the celebrations."
The technology introduced with this project will enable other companies
within media, film, music and gaming industries, or other content
providers, to acquire their own planet within Entropia Universe. In turn,
this will provide a diverse, entertaining and interesting three-dimensional
virtual universe of vast proportions for participants to explore. A number
of the world's largest corporations within the aforementioned business
sectors are currently in negotiations to purchase their own planet within
Entropia Universe.
The heart of Entropia Universe today 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. The
cooperation agreement with China will generate hundreds of new planets and
open up space for travel between the planets.
Entropia Universe offers opportunities in numerous professions which are
unique and completely different from that of the members' real life
occupations. Entropia uses a system based on skills and experience which
allows for occupational proficiency in areas ranging from event promotions
and store ownership to hunting and mining. Entropians have the chance to
buy and sell property, become financially successful, and even find a mate
in their virtual world.
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, guaranteed by MindArk PE AB. PED allows members to invest in
personal development and growth through the acquisition of goods,
buildings, and land in the virtual universe.
About Cyber Recreation Development Corp.
Cyber Recreation Development Corp. is a leader of cyber entertainment in
China. Beijing Municipal People's Government has selected CRD as the source
for culture and digital entertainment and as part of the "the Eleventh
Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development in Beijing." By
combining digital entertainment with recreation facilities, CRD brings out
new opportunities for traditional economy and will stimulate the economic
development of the growing Beijing capital area. More information about
CRD is available at: http://www.crd.gov.cn.
About Entropia Universe
The heart of Entropia Universe is a distant planet named Calypso, which
encompasses two continents with animal-filled wildernesses and large
expanding cities that offer a variety of entertainment and social
interaction for its participants. In Entropia, participants can create
their own persona, or avatar, via a character-generation system, and then
have the option of choosing a suitable life and virtual existence for their
avatar. Characters are able to enter the evolving worlds of Entropia
Universe, which are full of unexplored and uncultivated lands. Participants
can join a community or even create a civilization of their own. Entropia
offers a new avenue for individuals to pursue dreams, fantasies, and
adventures in an astoundingly 'real' virtual universe.
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
US $26,500, the largest virtual dollar amount spent, to 22-year-old
Australian David Storey, a.k.a. "Deathifier." In October 2005, the sale of
an asteroid-based space resort for US $100,000 to famed gamer, Jon
'NEVERDIE' Jacobs, set a new record for the most valuable virtual item. In
May 2007, MindArk sold five virtual banking licenses for over US $400,000
and among the buyers are real world banks and financial establishments,
alongside with Entropia participants.
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 580,000 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.entropiauniverse.com. For more
information about Entropia Universe's developer, MindArk, please visit
www.mindark.com.
Contact Information: Contact:
Elina Heng
Terpin Communications Group
(310) 821-6100 x108
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