Star Citizen is a phenomenon. Not only is it a very ambitious game that aims to mix space action with MMO and shooter, not only because of the enormous amount raised through crowdfunding, but also due to the trading of in-game ships.
The developer studio Cloud Imperium repeatedly releases new spaceships, which fans of Star Citizen can buy with real money and then add to their fleet – hoping to fly them at the game’s release. These ships can cost several hundred dollars. However, trading the ships between players can often bring in much more money.
The Blooming Trade with Star Citizen Spaceships
Kyle Brodzky was an early backer and bought a very cheap pre-order package with a spaceship insurance in 2013. With a gift card, he acquired another spaceship, which he actually didn’t want. There was no way for him to “exchange” the ship. So he jokingly asked in the forum if anyone wanted to buy the ship. This set off an avalanche. A player bought the ship from him for 146 dollars. Much more than it actually cost. Because at that time, the ships still had insurances that didn’t need to be purchased separately.
Since he was an early backer, he was able to buy new ships with insurances repeatedly, which were withheld from those who joined the crowdfunding later. So he regularly bought insured ships and resold them at a higher price. This grew to larger proportions. Even intermediaries who offered to ensure a safe sale earned good money on the transactions. It even went so far that in-game trophies or cosmetic items were sold for significantly more money than they were actually worth. Only because certain backers received these cheaply and others wanted them.
From Pixel Spaceship to Real Car
Kyle Brodzky explains that the trade in spaceships in Star Citizen flourished. Not only money was offered for the ships, but additionally keys for other games and even actual motorcycles and cars. Kyle Brodzky exited this business when his car broke down and he took out $5,000 from his bank to buy a new car. He earned this $5,000 purely from trading spaceships. He reflected on the fact that others had essentially spent this $5,000 on nothing but pixels, while he was able to buy a car with it.
He was actually glad about it, but he exited the ship trading in Star Citizen. However, he still owns a few cool ships, hoping to eventually fly them in the MMO.
Star Citizen is set to become the 'best damn space simulation of all time.' Nothing more and nothing less. The mastermind behind the project is Chris Roberts, w...
