<s>
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
is	O
a	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
virtual	B-Application
universe	I-Application
designed	O
by	O
the	O
Swedish	O
software	O
company	O
MindArk	O
,	O
based	O
in	O
Gothenburg	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Entropia	O
uses	O
a	O
micropayment	O
business	O
model	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
may	O
buy	O
in-game	B-Application
currency	O
(	O
PED	O
-	O
Project	B-Application
Entropia	I-Application
Dollars	O
)	O
with	O
real	O
money	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
redeemed	O
back	O
into	O
U.S.	O
dollars	O
at	O
a	O
fixed	O
exchange	O
rate	O
of	O
10:1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
means	O
that	O
virtual	O
items	O
acquired	O
within	O
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
have	O
a	O
real	O
cash	O
value	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
participant	O
may	O
,	O
at	O
any	O
time	O
,	O
initiate	O
a	O
withdrawal	O
of	O
their	O
accumulated	O
PED	O
back	O
into	O
U.S.	O
dollars	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
fixed	O
exchange	O
rate	O
,	O
minus	O
transaction	O
fees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
is	O
a	O
direct	O
continuation	O
of	O
Project	B-Application
Entropia	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
entered	O
the	O
Guinness	O
World	O
Records	O
Book	O
in	O
both	O
2004	O
and	O
2008	O
for	O
the	O
most	O
expensive	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
objects	O
ever	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
dedicated	O
to	O
capitalism	O
rather	O
than	O
quality	O
of	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
connecting	O
the	O
in-game	B-Application
labor	O
with	O
real	O
world	O
profits	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
sense	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
seen	O
as	O
a	O
spiritual	O
precursor	O
to	O
the	O
play	O
to	O
earn	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
for	O
free	O
,	O
but	O
spending	O
money	O
on	O
the	O
in-game	B-Application
currency	O
allows	O
significant	O
additional	O
options	O
like	O
purchasing	O
items	O
,	O
skills	O
,	O
deeds/shares	O
,	O
and	O
services	O
from	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nearly	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
in-game	B-Application
activities	O
require	O
expendable	O
resources	O
which	O
must	O
be	O
purchased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	O
,	O
development	O
of	O
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
(	O
formerly	O
Project	B-Application
Entropia	I-Application
)	O
was	O
started	O
by	O
two	O
different	O
groups	O
-	O
one	O
in	O
Sweden	O
headed	O
by	O
Jan	O
Welter	O
Timkrans	O
and	O
one	O
in	O
Switzerland	B-Protocol
,	O
headed	O
by	O
Benny	O
Iggland	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
taking	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
fictional	O
Planet	B-Application
Calypso	I-Application
,	O
the	O
2001	O
version	O
used	O
the	O
NetImmerse	O
4	O
game	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
October	O
17	O
,	O
2006	O
–	O
MindArk	O
announced	O
that	O
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
had	O
reached	O
500,000	O
registered	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
two-year	O
exclusive	O
licenses	O
aimed	O
to	O
integrate	O
real	O
world	O
banking	O
systems	O
into	O
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
,	O
working	O
similarly	O
to	O
real-world	O
banks	O
or	O
pawn	O
shops	O
.	O
</s>
