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Parent Category: Lower-Intermediate News Lessons

Category: Science and Technology

Written by Chris Cotter

David Storey of Australia purchased a private island for $26,500. The price may sound very cheap. However, the island cannot be reached by any boat or plane because it's virtual. In other words, the place doesn't exist in the real world. It's part of a computer program for an online role-playing game.

You now may wonder if Storey is a little crazy. However, the twenty-seven year old graduate student currently earns more than $100,000 per year from the game. He is able to mix recreation and work. He runs the island like a rare game preserve, where hunters are taxed to use the land. He then exchanges the virtual money for real cash. There are similar businesses online, like an asteroid space resort and a space station. If either of these properties were sold, they could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars!

A lot of people may see the whole concept as silly. However, David Storey and others like him don't just live from paycheck to paycheck. These gamers are making a lot of money. They are getting paid to play.