SOE Announces Online Auctions for EverQuest II

Embracing a long-forbidden practice, SOE will allow users to buy and sell characters, currency and items for real money.

Sony Online Entertainment today announced plans for Station Exchange, the official auction site for SOE games. Slated for launch in June, two servers on EverQuest II will allow for players to buy/sell characters, items and coins for hard currency.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em--implies John Smedley, President of SOE, saying, "the unsanctioned secondary market for online games is rapidly growing and more and more of our players are taking part in it," said John Smedley. "Not only are we answering the demands of a sizable portion of our subscriber base, but we are also set on establishing the standard for online game sales."

The company touts security as being one of the benefits of offering Station Exchange, saying it will prevent fraudulent transactions.

MMORPGs have traditionally frowned upon selling virtual property for real money--Blizzard recently banned thousands of users for selling gold, and Lineage II was plagued with unsanctioned auctions held by gold-selling sites such as IGE.

One of the main concerns held by MMORPG users who are against selling gold is currency inflation: gold-selling sites have been known to employ "farmers" who horde items and sell in-game for high prices to maximize profits. With farmers working non-stop (sometimes multiple users working on shifts) to amass more gold, currency may see a massive devaluation--causing prices for more rare items to skyrocket.

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