Mindark, makers of Entropia Universe, are using their planned Chinese expansion to experiment with some new PR spin. Specifically, they're selling the virtual world as a green alternative to driving to work every day. The Swedish virtual world builder recently said:
It is estimated that the project will generate some 10,000 qualified job opportunities in China. An important aspect for this project is also the positive effects on our environment that we foresee. People will actually be able to work from home inside Entropia Universe, as many people do today, even from rural areas, thereby decreasing the amount of pollution generated by travel.
The "10,000 qualified job opportunites" seems to refer to the maximum number of people Mindark expects could possibly make a living playing in Entropia. The idea that this would decrease pollution significantly feels like a bit of a stretch, but then again, it's not the only thing people are speculating about:
Hong Kong Apple Daily newspaper predicted Friday in a full-page story virtual police will exist in the Chinese game, and that it won't allow players to protest the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, which killed hundreds of people.
Doing business in China always involves this hurdle. The political landscape being what it is often prompts lawsuits when a service hands out private information, among other censorship concerns. If anything the Entropia expansion into Asian markets will give us a sneak peek at what happens when virtual world residents express themselves, and how much the world's creators will be held responsible for.
