Gothenburg, Sweden – November 16, 2011 /MindArk/
– MindArk, developer and publisher of the largest real money MMO, announced today that it will introduce a groundbreaking Citizenship System to Planet Calypso. The new system will provide revenue sharing to participants, and add a political system that will allow players to vote on major decisions affecting their virtual world, all for as little as $100 USD.
“Our new Citizenship System will have a strong impact on the social and Virtual Worlds industry”, said Jan Welter Timkrans, Chairman of MindArk. “People have always had the opportunity to make money playing our game and engaging in the micro transactions economy. Now they can actually share in the revenues of their favorite planet with a Land Lot deed and help decide its future via the political system.“
The new system grants users Planet Calypso citizenship and political voting rights. Citizens will also receive a share in the Planet Partner gross revenue of Calypso, paid weekly. Based on Planet Calypso’s performance over the last 12 months, the potential return of investment (ROI) is expected to be between 27% and 30% per year. Each planet in the Entropia Universe is a separate Planet Partner, and the revenue share paid to deed holders will come from the Planet Calypso revenue stream. Sixty thousand land lot deeds offered at $100 USD each are available exclusively through the Entropia Universe global auction and can be acquired by anyone after creating a free avatar.
The new Citizenship System will showcase the economics of a successful Planet Partner on the Entropia Universe platform, and allow users to participate in that success. Planet Calypso is the oldest of the planets in Entropia Universe, with over one million registered accounts and over $400 million USD per year in user-to-user transactions. Until now, possessing land in Entropia Universe has been very exclusive, with the market price for land deeds ranging from $5,000 to upwards of $500,000 USD. In the new Citizenship System, just about anyone can share a piece of an entire virtual world. For more information on MindArk or the Citizenship System please visit www.entropiauniverse.com.
FAQ
Q. How many Land Lot deeds will be offered?
A. 60,000 (Sixty Thousand).
Q. What is the price of each Land Lot deed?
A. Land Lot deeds are available for 1000 PED each (equivalent to 100 USD).
Q. Where can Land Lot deeds be acquired?
A. Land Lot Deeds are acquired from the Official avatar James Bowerbird EstateBroker on the Entropia Universe auction, under the Global Auction (selectable from the drop down menu in the top right corner of the auction interface).
Q. What quantities of Land Lot deeds are available?
A. Land Lot deeds are available in single units, as well as in stacks for 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. For those interested in larger quantities of over 500 and need help or advise please contact info@mindark.com
Q. I can not see any single deeds available on the Auction?
A. Land Lot deeds will be added to the Entropia Universe global auction at varying times throughout the day for the convenience of participants from different timezones.
Q. Is there a limit on the number of Land Lot deeds each participant can acquire?
A. Participants may acquire as many Land Lot deeds as they wish.
Q. How will the proceeds of the Land Lot deeds be used by MindArk?
A. The proceeds from the Land Lot deeds will help to finance a substantial Entropia Universe marketing campaign, along with further development of Entropia Universe and Planet Calypso.
Q. How is the revenue share for Land Lot deeds calculated?
A. The Planet Partner Gross Revenue will be divided as follows: 50% paid to Land Lot deedholders (1/60000), and the remaining 50% retained by Planet Calypso (AR Universe AB) to cover the ongoing development, marketing and operating costs of Planet Calypso.
Q. How is the Planet Partner Gross Revenue calculated?
A. Planet Partner Gross Revenue is calculated and paid by MindArk to the Planet Partner, and includes avatar activity on Planet Calypso, along with the activity of Calypso avatars in Space and on other Entropia Universe planets. Avatar activity includes deterioration of items, as well as various other fees and avatar activities.
Q. How will Land Lot deedholders receive revenue share payments?
A. Payments will be deposited directly onto each deedholder’s Entropia Universe PED Card balance.
Q. What is the expected yearly return on investment (ROI) of a Land Lot deed?
A. Based on Planet Calypso’s performance over the last 12 months, expected ROI is between 27% and 30% per year. The actual revenue share paid to deedholders may be higher or lower than this, depending on the amount of activity on Planet Calypso in the future.
Q. When will Land Lot deedholders begin receiving revenue share payments?
A. Revenue share payments are planned to begin distribution on Dec. 5, 2011.
Q. How often will revenue share payments be made?
A. Revenue share payments will be made weekly, calculated based on the Planet Partner Gross Revenue generated by Planet Calypso during the preceding week.
Q. Will there be regular statements of revenue share earnings?
A. Yes. Every six months, audited figures will be presented on MindArk’s website (www.MindArk.com) so that deedholders can verify their revenue share payouts. In addition, a dedicated web page will be made available where deedholders can check their weekly payments, and will include an ROI calculator.
Q. Once acquired, can Land Lot deeds be traded?
A. Indeed, deeds can be traded among participants at a participant-determined market price, just like every other item in Entropia Universe.
Q. If I trade one of my Land Lot deeds, who will receive the revenue share payment for the current period?
A. Revenue share payments are always distributed to the Entropia Universe avatar account currently holding each deed at the time of disbursement.
Q. Do I need to keep the Land Lot deed in my avatar’s inventory in order to receive revenue share payments?
A. No. Deeds can be kept in personal storage, estates, containers, etc., and still receive payments. As long as the Land Lot deed(s) appear on the ‘My Items’ page in the Account section of the www.EntropiaUniverse.com website, your avatar will receive revenue share payments.
Q. Can Land Lot deeds be looted from other participants in PVP areas?
A. No, Land Lot deeds are not lootable in PVP areas.
Q. When is the Citizenship and Politics system expected to be released?
A. The Citizenship and Politics system is scheduled to begin development in 2012.
Q. How many votes in the forthcoming Political System will Land Lot deedholders receive?
A. Each individual Land Lot deed entitles the holder to one vote. Thus, each political issue will have a maximum of 60,000 potential votes.
Q. How exactly will the political system work? What kinds of issues will Citizens take part in shaping?
A. The full details of the Citizenship and Politics system are still being finalized. More information will be provided as the design and development stages of this exciting new Entropia Universe system progress.
Q. Are Land Lots the same as Land Areas?
A. No. Outback Land Areas (commonly referred to as Land Areas) are part of a different system within Entropia Universe, through which participants can purchase a defined area of land and impose taxes on the hunting and mining activities of other participants. By contrast, Land Lot deeds offer participants the opportunity to receive a share of the entire activity on Planet Calypso, not just activity made in a particular area.
Q. When will existing Outback Land Area owners receive the complimentary Land Lot deed mentioned in the original announcement?
A. The complimentary deeds for Outback Land Area owners will be distributed shortly before revenue share payments begin on Dec. 5, 2011.
Q. The original announcement mentions a ‘Calypso Citizenship Land Grab’. How will this system work?
A. Various regions of Planet Calypso will be designated where Land Lot deedholders will have the opportunity to stake a claim on a 10x10 meter plot of land for each deed held.
Q. How will building houses or other structures on Land Lots function?
A. In order to to build a structure on claimed land, participants will need to hold a minimum of nine (9) Land Lot Deeds, and claim plots in a 3x3 (or larger) format, suitable for the construction of a structure.
Q. Will I be forced to engage in PVP combat in order to claim my Land Lot plots?
A. No. The regions designated for Land Lot claims will be offered in both PVP and non- PVP areas.
Q. What happens to my revenue share payments if I do not claim any Land Lot plots?
A. You will still receive all revenue share payments. Land Lot plots are simply an additional feature offered to those who choose to support the future growth of Planet Calypso.
Further information and specifications may be applied.