Video gaming has significantly evolved throughout the years. According to Statista, in 2022, the revenue from the global gaming market was nearly 347 billion dollars. The most significant “shares” from this revenue took home the United States (over 85 billion US dollars, the United Kingdom (5.89 billion British pounds), and Australia (4.21 billion Australian dollars). And these numbers continue to grow with every passing year. 

The fact that we have moved from traditional brick-and-mortar gambling venues to more convenient instant PayID pokies in Australia is the best proof that nothing remains the same forever. During several decades, we have witnessed the shift from disk to the cloud, and we saw how constant online play came to replace local links and welcomed new and unique video games with modern features. We have also seen the gamers' growing excitement towards obtaining their favorite in-game items, even with mind-blowing prices. 

So, let's have a quick peek at the 5 most valuable items people bought with real cash.

#1 Planet Calypso

• Price – $6 million

• Game – Entropy

After its release, the game Entropy was played on the planet known as Calypso. Later on, this planet was put on auction, where SEE Virtual Worlds bought it for $6 million from MindArk in 2011. 

Following their deal, SEE Virtual Worlds should have taken over the management of the Calypso planet and got the right to add two more planets to the Entropy world. After the purchase, all the revenue generated from these planets would go straight into the company's pockets.

According to MindArk, in 2010, a year before the purchase took place, Calypso generated more than $428 million in player deals. So, the speculations of the gaming community that $6 million was wasted just for a planet that doesn't even exist in the real world and won't bring anything in return are not true enough. 

Acquiring Calypso was indeed an investment for SEE Virtual Worlds. However, because of late payment, a year later, MindArk terminated the agreement and made a decision to give each plot of land on Calypso to players for $100.

#2 Neverdi Club

• Price – $635,000

• Game – Entropy

In the world of Entropy, Neverdie Club is a well-known nightclub located on a huge asteroid orbiting the Calypso planet.

Notably, until 2005, it was the most valuable virtual item in Entropy. Neverdie Club was sold to British entrepreneur and cyber celebrity John Jacob at the price of $10,000. However, after 5 years, John Jacob was able to get 635,000 dollars after dividing this virtual property into several parts. He sold the biggest part of the club for 335,000 dollars to a player named John Fuma Calvin.

This is one of those examples that perfectly shows how virtual assets can bring a good return when managed properly.

#3 Crystal Palace Space Station

• Price – $330,000

• Game – Entropy

As you can see, the third item on our list also is from the game Entropy. The Crystal Palace Space Station was sold for $330,000 in an online auction in the Entropia Universe to a player named Buzz “Erik” Lightyear. 

For every transaction and purchase made on this virtual space station, the new owner gets a nice sum of money as a tax. It allows him to receive good returns from this investment. All Buzz “Erik” Lightyear needs to do is let the station run, always stock it with things to hunt, collect all the PED (the currency in the game) he earns and convert it to real cash.

#4 Amsterdam

• Price – $50,000

• Game – Second Life

Second Life is among the most popular video games of the 2000s originally released to complete with The Sims Online. In this game, players can create avatars that live and work in a land similar to our real one. 

After the game was released, many people started to make a replica of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, and sold it for a high price on eBay. However, what made the Second Life game so well-known was the sale of the virtual city itself for $50,000. The seller was Amsterdam's previous owner Kevin Alderman, who was also known with his avatar called Stroker Serpentine.

Amsterdam was also bought through an online auction and was obtained by a media company based in the Netherlands. There is no information on who the buyer was exactly and why they bought Amsterdam. 

#5 Sword

• Price – $16,000

• Game – Age of Wulin

The last item on our list is Sword. What's interesting is that Sword was sold even before the game Age of Wulin was released – a free-to-play martial arts-themed MMORPG developed by Chinese company Snail. The person got this item in the auction in 2011 that was organized for the trial stages of the game. 

However, he couldn't use it until the next spring, as the game wasn't available for play yet. Only after the official release of Age of Wulin, the buyer could use the Sword to fight against the opponents.

What's the most you've ever spent on an in-game item? Be honest...