I get made fun of A LOT for buying virtual stuff for my Xbox Avatar. Yes, I admit it's a little sad that I used my MSP that I had to get by using real money for a Mass Effect hoodie and hat and a Gears of War lancer for my avatar. They do nothing but make me smile when I log on to XBLA, and I guess that's all that really matters. But I do feel a little guilty over spending real money for virtual items.
Well, I'm not going to feel that guilty anymore. GameInformer has reported that a man in China has spent $16,000 (yes, you're reading that right) for a one-of-a-kind virtual sword he can use in an MMORPG, Age of Wulin. The best part? The game isn't even friggin' out yet.
Snail Games, the game developer, held an online auction for this sword and a couple of sheaths—sans weapons—for $1600 and $2500. Note the fact that these are just the sheaths and not the weapons.
I seriously hope that Age of Wulin is the best darn game ever for these guys, and I also hope you can bludgeon players and enemies with just the sheaths. It would be a shame to just run around with empty sheaths all game long, because you know that no other weapon will fit in them except for that one it was designed for.
I may never make fun of a World of Warcraft player for buying a shiny pony again.