IGE
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the antibody, see Immunoglobulin E (IgE).
IGE (Internet Gaming Entertainment) is the largest MMORPG services company world-wide, with offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Miami. Through its websites, IGE trades in the virtual currencies of online games, a practice which is against the licence agreements of most MMORPGs. IGE is one of the main players in virtual economy services, also known in the MMORPG industry as secondary market. Members of the gaming community are often critical of IGE, as its services may allow players to break the rules of online games [1].
The co-founders of IGE are Brock Pierce, a former child movie star [2], and Alan Debonneville. Pierce was also the co-founder of the controversial failed dot-com Digital Entertainment Network (DEN) [3].
In January 2004, IGE acquired its major competitor, Yantis Enterprises, run by another controversial secondary market figure, Jonathan Yantis [4] for an undisclosed sum. IGE's parent company, RPG Holdings purchased Allakhazam.com in November 2005[1] and was annouced in May 2006[2]. Allakhazam is a popular MMORPG community site for a wide variety of games that IGE's services cater for; however, the site continues to pride itself on not supporting the trade of virtual currencies in the real economy, typically breaking and/or removing any links to sites (including IGE) that perform such trades. This marks the further expansion of this company's presence in online gaming communities. This purchased followed that of ThottBot.com.
While many users left because of the purchase, the site is still extremely popular with players of many major MMOs.
[edit] Games available
Despite the practice being outlawed in most games, as of March 20, 2006, IGE sells in-game items, money, and accounts for the following:
- Anarchy Online
- City of Heroes
- Dark Age of Camelot
- Dungeons & Dragons Online
- Eve Online
- Everquest
- Everquest II
- Guild Wars
- Final Fantasy XI
- Lineage II
- RF Online
- Second Life
- Star Wars Galaxies
- Ultima Online
- World of Warcraft
