10 Lessons Forex Traders Can Learn from Virtual Game Currencies

In-game currencies have become increasingly popular over the last decade, with a variety of different titles incorporating them into their virtual worlds. The use of these virtual currencies offers a unique opportunity to learn about economics and currency trading and to explore the various effects these systems can have in the real world.

This article will elucidate 10 lessons economists and forex traders can learn from in-game currencies.

What are Virtual Currencies

Virtual currencies in video games are digital currencies used to purchase goods and services within the game, providing a way to store and exchange value. These currencies are often limited in supply, making them more valuable than traditional currency and giving players a greater sense of ownership over their wealth. Additionally, virtual currencies can be traded between players, allowing for a decentralized market and an exchange system which is often more efficient than traditional currency trading.

The most typical examples of virtual currencies come from MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online games), like World of Warcraft and RuneScape.

10 Lessons from Virtual Currencies

1. In-game currencies can be traded between players, allowing for a natural market and an exchange system which is often more efficient than traditional currency trading. This can provide a more reliable system for trading and can open up new opportunities for investment and speculation.
2. In-game currencies can be used to purchase goods and services within the game, providing a way to store and exchange value. This gives players a greater sense of ownership over their wealth, and can provide an interesting way to learn about investment and saving.
3. The supply of in-game currency is limited, making it analogous to traditional currency and thus creating a more realistic economic simulation. This limited supply can help to teach players about the effects of supply and demand, and how it affects the value of a currency.
4. In-game currencies are subject to inflation and deflation, which can be used to teach players about the effects of economic policies on currency values. This gives players a greater understanding of how governments and central banks can influence a currency’s value and can help them to make more informed decisions when investing in the forex market.
5. Players can invest in in-game currency to increase their wealth, teaching them about risk management and the importance of diversification. This investment can sometimes be direct, but can also come in the form of the mantra of spending money to make money. By diversifying their investments, players can learn how to manage their risk and how to spread their investments across different assets.
6. In-game currencies can be used to reward players for performing certain tasks, giving them an incentive to perform better and creating a more competitive environment. This can help to teach players about the importance of hard work and how dedication and skill can be rewarded.
7. In-game currency can be used to purchase special items or services, which can be used to teach players about the concept of scarcity and how it affects the market. By exploring the effects of scarcity and how it influences the prices of goods and services, players can gain a greater understanding of economics and the forces that shape the market.
8. In-game currencies can be used to track and monitor players’ activities, providing valuable test data to economists and forex traders. This data can help to provide a better understanding of gamer and consumer behaviour, allowing economists and forex traders to make more informed decisions.
9. Players are often able to convert their in-game currency into real-world money, teaching them about currency exchange rates and the importance of a stable economy. By exploring the effects of exchange rates and how they can be affected by political and economic events, players can gain a better understanding of how the global economy works. Many players also find ways to trade virtual currencies for real-world currencies, and visa-versa, via third party applications. For example, Eldorado.gg allows players to buy and sell in-game currencies for hundreds of games, including buying and selling Old School RuneScape Gold.
10. Newer in-game currencies which are linked to the blockchain can be used to facilitate online transactions, helping players to understand the concept of money transfer and the potential of digital currencies. By exploring how digital currencies can be used to transfer money and how they can be used to buy goods and services, players can gain a greater insight into the potential of digital currencies.

In-game currencies offer a unique opportunity to learn about economics and currency trading. These include the decentralization of markets, the effects of supply and demand, inflation and deflation, risk management, rewards for hard work, scarcity, data collection, exchange rates, and the potential of digital currencies.

Ultimately, virtual worlds are excellent testbeds for systems—making them a perfect place for developing and understanding economics on a micro-scale. However, despite these systems being created for entertainment, many of the lessons they produce are generalisable to wider economics practitioners.