3pointD.com

Virtual world marketing and services company Rivers Run Red has chosen the Extreme Cred Card as the “payment card of choice” for Rivers’s virtual world services division, according to a press release. What this means, exactly, is unclear. From the tone of the press release, though, two possibilities present themselves: either Rivers will offer in-world products and services through Web-based venues that will support the Extreme card and use real-world currencies, or the Extreme card will be able at some point to record virtual currency balances. AnsheChung.com, which already has a tie-up with Rivers, will also use Extreme Cred, according to the release.

Among other things, Extreme offers pre-paid payment cards in the European market. From the sounds of Rivers CEO Justin Bovington’s comments, Extreme Cred cards will also be able to support virtual world currencies:

The Extreme Cred enables everyone to be in total control of their budgeting and means anyone of any age can now purchase or trade real currency and products within the virtual world market. . . . It shouldn’t matter if your dealing in gold pieces from Everquest or L$ from Second Life. You should be able to support one exchange service across your entire virtual life. We’re also enabling a reward scheme, cross technology usage — mobile phones and real world product exchange.

It would be a very interesting development if Extreme cards do support virtual currencies. Even if it’s only real-world-denominated, though, Bovington is right: a payment card available to all ages could help drive virtual commerce. It just depends on what kind of penetration Extreme achieves.

3pointD is making inquiries and will bring you further updates as they develop.