Lessons from Virtual Economies
What can virtual economies tell us about real economies? The current financial crisis is proof, if proof were needed, of our imperfect understanding of economics. Part of the difficulty economists face is that the markets upon which people's livelihoods depend are not analysable in vitro.
But virtual worlds represent an opportunity to observe emerging economies and societies without many of the complicating factors real life tends to impose, hence the interest in the Eve Online. Set in the distant future, commerce is central to game play and the game's laissez-faire economy is the subject of professional scrutiny from the resident .
In the interview below I speak to .