Digra coverage - Edward Castronova keynote

Edward Castranova sure deserves some credit for his economical approach to virtual worlds. His keynote addressed the results of our combined growth of interest in the economies of virtual worlds. Here's an excerpt:

"Three years ago, we struggled to convince anyone of the economic value of items created in synthetic worlds. Today, legal battles erupt around the issue, developing already into legislative battles in some countries. Soon, virtual economy will spawn political battles everywhere. The party lines of Fantasists versus Commercants do not fit within Right and Left. It's all very murky. Yet economic analysis provides hope for a calm and equitable solution."

Quite. So here's the edited version of his keynote