Unconsciously, the network has quietly transfiguration of virtual money to create a huge market. It in the end is to open the door to the curse of wealth, or Pandora's box of goblin? The prospect of virtual currency, where?
According to incomplete statistics, the current network of virtual currency in circulation (referred to as net currency) no less than 10, such as Q coins, currency bubble, U coins, currency Baidu, cool coins, Warcraft currency, coins paradise, grand point coupons. To Q coins, for example, users of more than 200 million people. Industry estimates, the domestic Internet already has billions of dollars a year of virtual currency market, and 15% to 20% of the rate of growth.
Virtual currencies quietly transfiguration
Net money produce the main background is the small electronic payment difficulties. Online game operators do not use this channel for low-cost voucher to be charged. Would have only allowed the yuan currency exchange network, but not the reverse conversion. With the online gaming industry, however, the spontaneous emergence of various non-governmental network of currency convertibility, and even used net currency Goumai usually only RMB to buy their products or services in kind, forming a similar purchasing power of money, virtual money and real gradually blurred the boundaries between the currency.
In fact, the financial environment in developed countries, there has long been a virtual currency, whose aim is profit. If the first launch of the virtual currency by the Beenz "net beans." Beenz agreement with MasterCard, consumers not only in the online savings to deposit into the smart card network beans can also be used in traditional stores. This business model is a virtual network of beans sold of each 1 cent a number of sites, the site and then distributed to users through a variety of ways to win, or so users. These virtual money can be used as cash in the network store. Will last Beenz 0.5 cents for each operator from the site office to buy back the profits. In 2000, about 750 million Beenz net beans, the equivalent of 67 million yuan in circulation. That was when the network appeared in the Chinese currency, ChinaBonus.com the integral form, to provide consumers with the virtual currency. After a certain amount of points accumulated to be used to exchange calling cards, network cards, T shirts prizes.
Internet Virtual items such as virtual gold, virtual equipment, animals and plants and virtual people virtual players generated a huge attraction, and promote access to these virtual items for consumption generated, but the backwardness of the domestic electronic means of payment and security concerns , pre-paid cash to buy players to use more virtual currency issued by the operator, then these vouchers to buy the game online virtual way of consumer goods. Attractive enough as long as the content of the game, players will buy the game through various channels of virtual currency operators issue. Developed online games industry, led the virtual currency and circulation of the surge.
In order to gather popularity, the number of users to expand the game to enhance player interest and loyalty, all game operators have provided a considerable number of free virtual currency, and players can win through the course of the game virtual currency, therefore, have a virtual reality online games operator unlimited money distribution rights. If the virtual currency used to buy virtual goods only, as the supply of virtual goods is artificially set, and the manufacturing time is almost negligible, even if the occurrence of different types of virtual currency transactions, nor will it impact the real economy. However, if the virtual currency used to purchase real goods and services, the issue will certainly lead to excessive inflation. By this time, the virtual currency is converted to real money is not important.
Many domestic enterprises have broken through the virtual network, the boundaries between the real economy, such as NetEase POPO duration given by the user online reward currency bubble, this virtual money can be paid SMS. The value of a text message to 1000 bubble is equal to 0.4 yuan currency's ability to pay, you can calculate the exchange rate in this application; also can used in the NetEase Mall vouchers to buy goods in kind. Shanda point coin holder can buy Baidu's paid download service. Q coins to buy the company in addition to paid services, would also be used to buy other games point card, virtual items, and even some video, software download services.
The emergence of money is to facilitate the exchange of different resources and abstract out the number of units. If enough people recognized the value of a virtual currency, it may well become an alternative material exchange unit. If the popularity of QQ to Q coins gradually become the equivalent exchange of negotiable unit. The famous economist Adam Smith in 1776 cited to illustrate the barter origins of money: "Dai Aomi end armor worth only nine head of cattle, and Gelaokesi armor value of 100 head of cattle are. In Abyssinia, salt is the universal medium of commerce and trade; in the Indian coast in a shell, with a dry cod in Newfoundland ... ... "200 years later, many people with all kinds of game currency for real life needs Network World has to start interpreting the origin of the currency.
Manufacturing real wealth virtual currency
To net sales as a major source of income money game company, acquired the wealth of a billion dollars per quarter. This is only 2% of the current Internet, 0.4% of people playing online games in China do. South Korea 80% of the Internet, 60% of people playing online games, the market is incredibly diverse. One of the most sought after equipment is fictitious transactions, and digital music, video wallpaper, e-book download and other markets.
Virtual goods transactions are referred to as "gaming the secondary market", that online purchase and sale of players in the game virtual currency and equipment. In short, its business model is to use cash to buy virtual goods cheap and then sell at high prices achieved through post profits. Data show that there are 460,000 users online game virtual item trading frequently. China has 30 million online game enthusiasts, the secondary market at least 195 to 300 people capacity. 300 yuan per capita consumption if the game is estimated that the market capacity of at least 600 million ~ 900 million yuan.
In the U.S., has been trying to sit in front of the computer every day, buy low-cost virtual property, looking for opportunities to sell high. It is estimated that to do so in annual income of more than U.S. high school teachers and museum staff, firefighters average income. America's largest online game virtual item trader IGE company, monthly sales of up to 20 million U.S. dollars, gross margin up to 20% to 50%. Wenzhou in Zhejiang, there have been dozens of virtual Mint, hire someone to play the game make game currency, to each of 2 cents post about selling. There are many virtual currency by the production and Daomaidaomai personal revenue, profit at 50%.
Millions of people participate in a network game to daily production, exchange, also rallied the undifferentiated human labor. Players make money is to get gold by defeating monsters and equipment, a look at how long you would like to do this. The second market is for those who are willing to spend more time in the game the players acquired through the redistribution of income. Cash buy virtual currency that allows players in the game to enjoy the thrill of real-life billionaire, this needs to evolve into a kind of virtual goods transactions socio-economic. Difficult to estimate how many people employed in this way.
Popular in the network to bring wealth, the value of different currencies of various networks. Currency of the company's distribution network must have a large user base and compelling applications to drive such a network to get money to promote throughout the Internet. Net flow of money the better, the higher the value. Tencent is recognized as a representative case, Q coins and even in some groups of people addicted to the level of profit the company has so many. For example, playing games that require betting addiction, players can be easily purchased by phone Q coins, and then replace the game currency. 10,000 per player to win the game currency, the game operator to tap in the name of deducting 1000; young women prefer QQ Show, one-RMB currency conversion, Q, QQ, a virtual fashion buy no less than in real life clothes money to be much cheaper. Tencent first half of 2006 Internet value-added services revenue nearly 900 million yuan.
The fate of virtual currencies may
Net currency, if only within a certain time and can be used for the exchange of the general equivalent, or between users a spontaneous market behavior, even if the reality with similar purchasing power of money, not necessarily on the real economy caused by the extent of damage. This is the current legislative and regulatory gray area, but some companies involved in this area has caused widespread concern.
International precedents available for reference, such as the popular short period of 5 years from 17 countries will be an interactive community Habbo coins issued by Kazakhstan on the widely used, even in some countries, e-commerce store, provides the option to pay with the Kazakh currency . Domestic part of the virtual currency has been recognized by quite a lot of friends in the circulation area, company size and reputation are proven to be strong terms. If a company cool coins issued, the user can fixed telephone, Internet banking, Shenzhouxing cards quickly and easily buy, free to consumers in the network; business in selling goods, access to cool, after money, but also with the company cash settlement. Because of the cool two-way exchange currency and the yuan, a company lost money after the cool, the shipping documents presented by the pricing department confirmed that a certain amount of RMB equivalent to be placed on file and the. A well-known online gaming chess website launched value-added consumer plans to allow users can use a virtual gold to buy all kinds of digital in-kind product. Conversion was found, with a net purchase price of money than the direct benefits from the market to buy more.
Issue in a large number of online game virtual currencies and profit, it is easy to spend money on players bought cause devaluation of virtual property, damage to the interests of the phenomenon. Virtual world inflation is inevitable. Subjective, the issuer no incentive to control, when the issue of net currency to purchase real assets, can be imposed by excessive release "seigniorage" so that their benefit; objective, the game operators are not able to control the network中存在大量“伪钞制造者”，通过私服制造虚拟货币，随着外挂泛滥，游戏里的货币和道具越来越多，造成虚拟货币迅速贬值。另外，游戏公司也无法控制二级交易市场的影响。以主营棋牌类网游的边锋为例，其网币对应的购买力曾在一年内缩水近40%。
目前，我国对虚拟货币的管理，原则上只准用真实货币购买虚拟货币，而不允许将虚拟货币反过来转换为真实货币。但国内已出现主要业务是把游戏币兑换成人民币的网站，制定了虚拟货币对人民币的“汇率表”，换算出各种游戏币的实际价值。兑换过程和商业银行没有本质区别。这样势必造成对金融系统的冲击。估计国家在短期内不会采取放开并进行监管的方式开放这一领域。当初发行网币的初衷是为了应对小额支付的困难，但由此带来的副作用远超过解决此问题带来的好处。因此，解决电子支付问题才是釜底抽薪的根本之法。在此之前，有关部门可能会加强监管，限制用网币购买通常用人民币才能购买的产品和服务，并逐步取缔网币兑换人民币的经营活动。