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Computer gaming for profit
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March 5, 1999: 11:24 a.m. ET
Ultima Online player auctions off his characters for more than $500
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - For most players, Ultima Online is nothing more than an enjoyable diversion from the day. For a gamer known as "Turbohawk," it has turned into a profitable hobby.
Turbohawk was, until recently, an avid player of the Electronic Arts online role-playing game, wandering the virtual land as one of five characters he had created. When real world responsibilities began intruding on his playing time, he put his account up for auction on eBay. The response, to say the least, was enthusiastic. The characters sold Thursday for $521.
Though there are no records to compare it to, this appears to be the largest amount paid for a computer gaming character. Origin, the EA division which created the game, said it was "stunned and astonished" when it heard of the sale.
"We didn't know what to think," said Origin spokesman David Swofford. "It's certainly a reflection of the passion that exists over our game."
"Turbohawk" didn't return inquiries, but did explain his decision to sell the characters in his description of the item on eBay.
"This is the best game on earth and I wish I had the time to play," he wrote. "I've started second job so I have no time to play anymore."
It took time to develop the characters (a warrior, a magician, a bard, a blacksmith and a rogue thief) to their current levels. Each boasts high skill levels, but bidders were apparently more interested in their bank books. The troop's coffers contain more than 500,000 in Ultima Online gold.
Turbohawk said he had been playing for a year. Swofford said it would take that long to accumulate that much experience and money.
"I think the closest real world equivalent to this is the market for action figures," said John Taylor, managing director and analyst for Arcadia Investment Co. "I've never heard of a digital actor being sold, though."
Bids for the characters started at a relatively low $39 on Feb. 25. They hit $100 two days later and $300 by March 2. Two bids for more than $500 were entered in the hour before the auction ended, with a user using the name "slygo" eventually winning the auction for $521.
"We have found that Ultima players are probably the most passionate players of any of our games," said Swofford. "I think a lot of that has to do with Ultima Online starting to branch out. We're starting to bring in more people and they're experimenting with it and trying it out."
Taylor said now that one player has managed to make so much money on his characters, you can expect others to start selling - and very likely earn more.
"It's going to grow 100 percent the next time someone does it," he said. "The question is: Is this going to be a mass market phenomenon? I think not."
There are more than 120,000 players with active Ultima Online accounts. Origin says it has sold more than 200,000 copies of the game.
Electronic Arts (ERTS) pioneered widespread pay-to-play gaming on the Internet with Ultima Online. Players are charged $9.95 per month as an entrance fee to Britannia, the fictional land in which the game is set. That's on top of the $40-$50 they pay for the software at retail stores. (Consumers who buy the game get 30 free days to play online.)
While Thursday's sale demonstrates the enthusiasm the game can generate, it has had its share of detractors, as well. In January, Electronic Arts settled a lawsuit filed by five gamers who accused the company of breach of contract, intentional misrepresentation and negligence over problems with the game. EA settled the suit, without admitting liability, by agreeing to make a $15,000 charitable donation to The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif. 
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