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.