To illustrate the Wired magazine feature on the history of Internet Gaming Entertainment (a company that facilitates players who want to exchange real money for in-game goods and currency), we commissioned illustrator http://www.woodt.li Martin Woodtli to design our own unique currency. Woodtli, who took third place in a competition to redesign the http://telephonestands.blogspot.com/2007/05/few-years-ago-swiss-national-bank-had.html Swiss franc, created a banknote for us that looks like the authentic currency of a virtual world. We also commissioned artist http://www.nolinovak.com/ Noli Novak, whose images appear in The Wall Street Journal, to create portraits that resemble the sort of engravings that you might find on a piece of currency. Here’s a downloadable http://archive.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1612/ff_ige_virtual_currency_hiRes.jpg high-res version of the currency.
Woodtli’s illustrations include this sword-bearing sentinel and winged beastie. Their look and feel splits the difference between Tolkienesque sword-and-sorcery and teched-out Tron — the fusion of old and new that you’ll find in most MMOs.
The motto on the bill refers to end-user licensing agreements. EULAs are lengthy documents that people installing new software or players of MMOs have to agree to before receiving access. Much debate centers on whether these agreements can preclude the exchange of real money for in-world goods.
The Wired currency features the image of Brock Pierce, the cofounder and CEO of IGE. Artist Noli Novak applied the stipply lithograph style that she uses in her frequent contributions to the The Wall Street Journal.
The watermark portrays a player of the MMO World of Warcraft astride an epic mount. Epic mounts are among the most sought-after accouterments in the game, and many players have converted real cash into WoW gold to help them afford a noble steed like this. llustration by http://www.nolinovak.com/ Noli Novak
This insignia makes reference to "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camping_(computer_gaming) camping." In an MMO, players who who hang out at spots where loot-bearing monsters spawn are referred to as campers. It’s also a subtle reference to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camper_Van_Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven, the alternate career of Wired Magazine’s contributing designer Victor Krummenacher.
