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What Are Missions on Empire Avenue?
August 18, 2015
— 2 Comments
My Empire Avenue Profile
The stock trading game Empire Avenue is a daily activity for me. I enjoy meeting people from around the world and connecting for all kinds of reasons. I have friends on the Avenue that represent many different viewpoints, ethnicities, nationalities, and philosophies. I may have met them as investments, but now I appreciate their support and camaraderie in the social networks. For me, Empire Avenue can be a clearing house for new contacts. I buy a few shares, check out the profiles and content the individual promotes, and often find friendship and mutual interests. I don’t look at the game as a platform to promote my business interests, but I support many players who do. The mission system is a great way to meet, promote, and discover new players and content.
What is a mission on Empire Avenue? It is a contract between players. An offer of EAVs (the funny money that fuels the Empire stock market) is made in return for a visit to a website, tweet, blog, or any other digital destination. By accepting the mission and the payment a player indicates an interest in the subject, but there is no requirement to endorse, retweet, like, or comment on a mission. In other words, the mission completion is an honor system. Like all systems of this kind, some take advantage by running off with the fake bucks without visiting the content. In the game we can see when other players do this. It can be a mistake, but if a player rips off missions frequently everyone becomes aware of it. It is permitted to block a player in the game if such behavior is discovered. I have not blocked any players, but I have sold my shares in a few.
If you are active in social media, have an interest in international concerns, and like to make new contacts, Empire Avenue might be fun for you. There is no fee for playing. Your imaginary wealth from the EAVs grows with daily dividends from your portfolio of players. The value of the contacts, the content, and the sharing is something that each individual must judge for themselves. The time I spend both creating and completing missions on Empire Avenue is well rewarded. If you decide to play, gentle reader, let me know and I will buy your shares and run a mission to help you get started.
Want to have some Social Media fun this weekend?
August 15, 2014
— 4 Comments
Party time on Empire Avenue!! Great weekend to join the fun of EA Leaders!!
Empire Avenue, a Social Experiment
July 10, 2014
— 32 Comments
The activity on Empire Avenue resembles the stock market, but Wall Street does not have recreational investment games on the weekends. I like the Avenue because it allows me to meet and find new people writing all kinds of great content. The games are intended to socially introduce the members to each other in a non competitive way. Embedded treasure hunts are followed at your own pace. Reward bucks and accomplishment badges are the prizes given for participation, but the true reward is the exposure to the other players. One way I learn about the other players is by completing missions, for which I am paid in Empire bucks. This straightforward approach is better, in my opinion, than all the quid pro quo schemes I have seen in LinkedIn (like my page and I will like yours). As any investor wants his stock to increase in value, so on the Avenue you want the scores and stock prices of the players you hold in your portfolio to do well. If they quit or loose interest you can sell the stock without any problem. If they quit entirely you are given a refund in the amount of your shares invested in that person. There are commissions, and ways to save on them, but since they are all imaginary bucks I don’t stress over that particular issue. These are some of the ways Empire Avenue differs from other social media sites:
- There is an open market so reciprocity is not a factor for connecting-just buy or sell
- All other networks are listed making it easy to get in touch elsewhere if desired
- Special groups organize parties, games, and innovation
- EA Leaders group works to enhance the whole experience and recruit new members
- Missions allow you to both support and learn more about your shareholders/portfolio
- Detailed data from all the social media sites gives very good feedback on success/failure rates
- It allows me to feel like a stock market tycoon without risking real money
In a little less than a year I have built up almost 80 million Empire bucks in wealth. It is satisfying to watch your shares become more valuable and your portfolio rise in value too. Some of the same due diligence you do for the stock market is necessary. It is not such a good idea to buy and hold blindly. Things change. You need to stay current on your investments, just like real life. I have been thinking of inviting my fiduciary to join just to see how well he would do, but I really want him to concentrate on my money, so maybe that is a silly idea. I will let him handle calculated financial risks. I will enjoy being a mogul on #EmpireAvenue while he sticks to Wall Street.
Empire Avenue, Magic of the Market
June 16, 2014
— 1 Comment
Herman and I
I listed my own IPO on Empire Avenue last July with the hope of seeing better statistics about my social media activity. I have really enjoyed the extra data complied for me, but the real fun on the Avenue is all the support the players give each other. I am done with wild speculation in my real life finances but am happy to swing from the fences to invest in new and quirky people on the Avenue. The minimum investment for a brand new kiting is 200 shares, but generally they start at a low price, so this is affordable. The best part for me is the lack of risk, although it mimics the stock market. The top four scores on your social media ratings create your stock price, along with action on your account. I do love seeing the charts of each platform and details on the activity. I am a chart freak, so I look at the EA data all the time to check my execution. When my score drops I pay attention to that platform and change the way I post and respond. Generally speaking the score is about volume of participation. In that sense it is like Klout. Unlike Klout, the scores and the elements of them are revealed on a daily basis, so you can make real time use of them.
Empire Avenue is social and helpful in the missions department. By visiting twitter streams, websites, and fan pages one becomes familiar with members and earns Empire bucks in the process. It is a really good form of advertising that exists for members only. I have not issued any missions for my own platforms, but I do enjoy meeting new people and supporting my old friends by completing their missions. I have spent less time on the Avenue than on other platforms, not really chatting and commenting in it, and yet the usefulness has surpassed other platforms. I have found it to be much more professional than LinkedIn, and more social than Facebook. The people I meet there tend to be connected on all platforms, which is pretty cool. The idea that we own shares in each other and can boost each other specifically is unique to Empire Avenue. I don’t do any other kind of gaming, but I adore the thrill of my stock price going up and my portfolio paying big dividends. Many EA participants have paid to expand their ability to purchase, etc. I have yet to spend a penny of real money, but have reaped almost a year of bountiful social profits. This may not be for everyone, but if you like the real life stock market, and also participate in social media you might like to see what Empire Avenue will do for you. If you join, let me know and I will buy some shares to kick start your price. It provides excellent cheap thrills.
IPO on Empire Avenue
August 9, 2013
— 6 Comments
reflection of value
My recent discovery of Empire Avenue has exposed me to a new universe of contacts with tons of enthusiasm and knowledge. When your shareholders speak, you need to listen, just like real markets. They bought shares in your IPO as gamble, now they want you to be a media star so that they can profit by owning shares in you. Since real time must be invested I am working this new activity into my social media schedule at the expense of becoming the instant queen of instagram 15 second video production (another recent undertaking). I really appreciate all the expert guidance the community offers. It is more hospitable than any other network because that hospitality and expertise is a factor in driving stock prices. The more you accept and learn from the community, the more valuable you become. Real life should be so simple.
I have met a few friends on the Avenue I know from other social media sites, but most of my gentle shareholders are strangers, just studying my stats. When using real money you would be insane to try to time the market, but I am sure with experience one can easily do it in this imaginary one. This week I can safely say that my fake 4 million Empire bucks and my own stock price give me only great satisfaction. Today, however, is the first day my own stock price has dipped a tiny bit……..I do not love that as much as I love the soaring price of my IPO. Still, what goes up must come down, so I can deal with that. My hefty portfolio of pretend shares looks like this today:
Portfolio (226)
Shareholders (531)
4,151,453.72e Net Wealth
Share Price
163.48e ( 0.56e )
Avg. Dividends/Share
0.87e
Last week Paula Deen brought an IPO with Butterqueen as her ticker. I think it will be a really fascinating stock to watch. She is doing very well out of the gate. Since the stock price reflects interest, I think she will move quickly. I believe stock price can be driven by news just like it is on Wall Street. The avenue is a moderately risk free place to stage a come back and gather fans ( stockholders). Are you on the avenue, and if so, have your purchased any Butterqueen?
Empire Avenue, Rich and Famous
July 25, 2013
— 6 Comments
Michael Q Todd
I am surprised to tell the gentle readers how much I love Empire Avenue. Yesterday I read a blog post by @mqtodd about Empire Avenue as an analytics tool. I had not considered joining before, but his logic convinced me to take a look. Overnight I am a bizillionaire, and my account keeps refilling with magic money to buy shares in my fellow members. What is not to like? The other interesting aspect of the magic currency, sometimes mixed with real money, is the way you can spend it on missions. I have only done a few since I am less than 24 hours into my Empire building, but they are fun. I voted for an Estonian lady to win the best floral balcony in her town, for which she may win a trip to Spain. She gave me a giant payment in E bucks. Her balcony was very nice, so I had no problem helping her win.
People create groups and missions that promote blog posts, pages, Pinterest follows, or floral balconies. The mission creator offers a payment from his own E bank account to the members who complete the mission. It is efficient and there is no need to participate if this does not call to you. In the meantime, your own stock value is changing based on others buying into you. You then have E bucks to buy stock in other individuals. It works like the stock market and has charts that are similar to track shares. These people have my number (pun intended). I have never played a video game, and am not at all tempted to control an avi in an action scene. However, giving me an imaginary stock portfolio and people who want to play stock market is bait that surely does turn me on all the way. I hired a fiduciary to handle my real life investments last year because the election campaign freaked me out too much to continue to handle my own investments. They short the markets, buy commodities, and all kinds of crazy stuff that I will not in my lifetime understand. I am happy with their services and with the time I do NOT spend watching the markets now. I am free to do more fun activity ……like in vest in a pretend stock market.
I am non competitive at one level, but when I see a chart of my own performance I sincerely want to improve. Since this is not real money and my financial welfare is not at risk I could see myself going deep into the time investment. As with all things, balance and control are needed. It is a bigger thrill to learn that your portfolio value has quadrupled than to hear that someone gave you a K in tea. I do not suffer from the ubiquitous FOMO although I participate in many social networks. This one with charts and value presents some danger to this cozy neutral situation. I am now on the market and people are buying into me..hmmm. This is essentially what the rest of social media is too, strangers buying into you. Mike mentions the social aspect, which I have already begun to feel from my shareholders and group members. I have always admired him for his bright green wig, and now I am his shareholder. I love it.
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