Entropia Universe

Entropia Universe is a magical, virtual world with a real virtual economy. It plays somewhat similar to World of Warcraft, but with more of an online lifestyle, due to its focus on trade. Its producer, MindArk, puts an emphasis on "virtual world" to distinguish Entropia Universe from a game; but, when you are having fun it's hard not to call it a game.

Entropia Universe's virtual economy uses the PED for currency, which claims to have a fixed exchange rate of 10 to 1 with the USD. Though, when I deposited $20 into my EU account I was given a 9.8 to 1 exchange rate (which may mean that the PED is strengthening!). This virtual economy has been receiving a lot of publicity lately because of an EU player that recently purchased some virtual property for 1,000,000 PED ($100,000 USD). And, yes… this is what attracted me to the game.

EU is very addictive and easy to play. It begins by dropping your character off into the world with just a jump suit and shoes. You are now on your own to explore, skill, loot, and trade your characters way to happiness. Fortunately, MindArk has setup a mentoring system that encourages experienced players to help out those just starting out. I would suggest you choose a mentor in the same time zone and one with similar EU goals.

Do I recommend Entropia Universe? Definitely. It's a "game" of economics, socializing, skill building, and fun. Be careful, though — it can easily distract you from the real life.

Here are some helpful links to get you started:
Entropia Universe (official site)
PEAuction.com (find out what items are trading at)
MyTwoPecs.com (find out what items are trading at; rss feeds)
PE WikiCharts (find out info about items, creatures, maps, …)