Think video game economies are just virtual coins and silly hats? Think again! Some of the most popular games in the world have complex in-game economic systems with real-world value measured in billions of dollars. We’ve prepared the top 5 biggest game economies out there for you.
EVE Online
Kicking off our list is EVE Online, a nearly 20-year-old sci-fi MMORPG beloved by spreadsheet enthusiasts and economics professors alike. That’s because EVE features a completely free market economy driven purely by supply and demand. Players mine asteroids for raw materials, build spaceships and modules, buy and sell goods across the galaxy, and so much more. Nearly every ship, module, and resource in the game is created by players.
The interstellar world of EVE has its own economic system called ISK. The total value of all goods and currency circulating in EVE is estimated to be worth over $20 billion in real-world dollars! It’s not bad for a niche game about internet spaceships. Some particularly rare ships have sold for over $9,000 on eBay.
The next time your friend tries to brag about making bank flipping items on the Auction House in WoW, ask them how their ISK stock portfolio is balancing out.
Roblox
You might know Roblox as that blocky kids’ game your young cousin is always playing, but it has grown into an absolute titan of user-generated gaming content and economy. The real draw of Roblox is its powerful creation tools that let users make everything from obstacle courses to fully functional RPGs.
Developers who make compelling games can then monetize them by selling unique items, abilities, cosmetics, and more to players for Robux, the in-game currency. Top developers have earned millions, turning their passions into careers at a shockingly young age.
The economy extends beyond the game, too. Rare limited items have sold for the equivalent of $50,000! Developers exchange earned Robux for real cash from the company. In just the first 9 months of 2020, Roblox paid out $328 million to its creator community.
Don’t be surprised if the next generation of young entrepreneurs and billionaires have Roblox on their resumes!
FIFA Ultimate Team
Sports games might not seem like fertile ground for virtual economies, but EA’s immensely successful FIFA franchise (which now is EA FC) says otherwise with its Ultimate Team game mode. Players build their fantasy squads by obtaining soccer player cards of different tiers and rarities. These cards are earned through gameplay, trading with other players, or bought directly with FIFA Coins.
This simple concept has created a staggering economy in the billions, fueled by die-hard soccer fans willing to shell out big bucks for the Mbappe or Ginola card their team is missing. Whales have spent upwards of $10,000 trying to hatch that ultra-rare Pele or Cruyff they covet!
With annual revenues estimated at around $1.5 billion, FIFA Ultimate Team has proven you don’t need a medieval fantasy or interstellar backdrop to create an addictively profitable economic machine. It’s simple – let passionate fans chase their dream players across a well-balanced marketplace backed by shiny new packs filled with rare Player Items. Ka-ching!
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CSGO (which now is CS2) has become one of the premier esports titles in the world thanks to its intensely strategic and skill-based gameplay. But another major component to its success is the Arms Deal Update which introduced cosmetic skins for weapons that players could obtain simply by playing or buying/trading on the Steam Marketplace. You can purchase and sell CSGO skins on third-party platforms on even better terms.
This seemingly simple addition kickstarted a bustling economy that has paid out over $50 million to Skin creators and now drives an estimated yearly transaction volume of over $2 billion!
Common skins go for just a few cents, while ultra-rare items like Dragon Lore or Crimson Web are 5-digit deals. Even academic researchers have published complex economic analyses on CSGO Skin market fluctuations.
While you anxiously watch the ticking bomb timer in a tense 1v3 clutch, just remember there might be thousands of dollars in Skin value driving the competition!
World of Warcraft
Perhaps no other game has fostered a virtual player-driven economy like Blizzard’s genre-defining MMO World of Warcraft. Nearly every piece of gear, consumable, and raw material in WoW is sourced from the time and efforts of the game’s millions of players. They endlessly farm materials, craft gear, and potions and sell them to fellow adventurers via the Auction House marketplace.
This simple system has given rise to a mind-boggling economic ecosystem with complex supply chains, merchant monopolies, price manipulation schemes, and even black markets fueled by real money trading. Top players invest untold hours into amassing gold fortune and rare items. The most dedicated even study real principles like arbitrage and speculation to gain an edge.
The WoW economy has generated over $10 billion in revenue, both directly and indirectly, since its launch. Millions of goods and gold exchange hands each year. This staggering level of emergent complexity is why game designers and economists alike consider WoW a gold standard of virtual economies.
Wrap-up
From the cutthroat capitalism of EVE Online to the youthful exuberance of Roblox developers, in-game economies are serious business driving insane amounts of real value. Even sports fans are fueling billion-dollar empires trading soccer stars like trading cards. And MMO lovers might just be operating the most complex player-driven markets in history.
