SOE titles to offer real money trading

Live Gamer, the operator of a publisher-supported marketplace for real money trading of virtual items, has announced an agreement with Sony Online Entertainment to offer real money trading in The Agency and Free Realms.

Earlier this year, Live Gamer incorporated SOE's Station Exchange technology - the first publisher-developed and sanctioned RMT marketplace - into its own e-commerce platform. The Live Gamer Exchange is currently operating within EverQuest II.

"We are actively exploring free-to-play and other revenue models, and always looking for new ways to engage and entertain gamers," said SOE president John Smedley.

"Live Gamer is a proven partner that protects and supports our gamers who participate in RMT. We trust them to handle this area of the business for us so that we can focus on creating and growing our games."

Live Gamer co-founder and president, Andrew Schneider, noted that the idea of RMT has been built into The Agency and Free Realms "from the very early stages of design."

Both MMOs will be available for the PS3 and the PC.