The games, which came on the market just in the past few years, are known as massive, multiplayer games. Players assume roles ranging from trolls to humans, develop skills, buy ancient clothing and weapons, embark on adventures, slay monsters, seize magical objects and enter professional guilds. He figures he can sell it for that much or more when he tires of the game. His character had reached the 50th of 60 levels in the game, and the other player wanted to reach that level to play with a friend. ''It kind of paid for itself. Simpson said of his investment of time.
Some players say there is a stigma attached to players who buy into a better spot in the games.
The company partly wants to avoid complaints from real-world buyers who may end up unhappy with their cash purchase, said Ryan Bowling, a Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman. Microsoft, which puts out Asheron's Call, frowns on such real-world buying and selling, but feels it can't completely stop it. It gets players who have spent a lot of time and invested a lot of energy into the game against a new player who just writes a check,'' he said. You take advantage of what you can,'' he said. Copyright 2000 Associated Press .