Ultima Online auctions: proof of Millennium insanity

There is now a new way to make gaming pay. Get yourself a copy of Ultima Online, play it for a few months and then sell your character to the highest bidder.

This is not a joke. A recent auction at eBay, an online auction house, has seen characters going for as much as $3000.

"In Ultima Online, we're providing the perfect medium for people to live an alternative life in a virtual world," said Richard Garriot, creator of the Ultima series (he calls himself Lord British, you know). "People are spending hundreds of hours a month developing characters and assets that now have real monetary value. Real world money is being used to purchase virtual real estate. Once again the world of Ultima Online has grown and evolved in ways we could have never imagined. I can't wait to see what the future holds".

How about joining the game as a virtual builder? Imagine building fantastic houses and then selling them at auction for hard cash. You could find yourself paying some experienced warrior a fiver to rid you of a pesky dragon.

On the other hand, surely the most enjoyment comes from starting with nothing and building your character over a period of time?