Property in the real world is what identifies or belongs to something, whether as a physical feature or as a part of said entity. In the virtual world though, there’s no such thing as property. There are only concepts. And since their concept, they’re not something that can be physically seen or touched.

Property rights in most virtual systems are set forth by what laws exist (and will always change) under whatever system you play in. And because there aren’t any actual physical properties, it’s impossible to define exactly what a property is or even how it’s acquired. You can however, use concepts and things like possession, right of ownership and transfer to mark different legal forms of ownership. And those are the basic tools at your disposal.

There are several other variables that come into play as you begin to play the virtual property game. One of them is money. Since virtual property isn’t something that can be physically seen and touched, money serves as the transaction currency between owners. This keeps the game from being too simulation-like in its approach, but it also adds another element to it that many players find highly enjoyable.

Another way to think about it is this. When you’re playing any kind of online multiplayer game, you’re generally taking part in a fictional narrative. In that narrative you’re allowed to create a virtual property that you own and you’re able to manipulate that property in whatever way you see fit. Now imagine for a moment that you own a virtual building in that virtual building. Now imagine that you’re able to lease that building out to some tenants. Now imagine that you can then add on more tenants and decorate the property to fit your needs and wants.

Now consider this: when you rent out that property or give it out as inventory, you’re really just renting money. Now imagine for a moment that instead of paying someone to do something with your virtual property you actually are the one who’s doing all of the manipulating. That would give you a couple of important implications. First, you’re going to have to be a lot smarter about how you play the game because if you’re doing something smart, your virtual property will become more valuable over time.

But more importantly you’ll have to be even smarter about how you’re actually using that property. If you get tenants to pay extra for the amenities like a gym or a swimming pool, you have a better chance of making more money off of your real estate investment. If you’re willing to let the tenant pay for the amenities, but you don’t actually use them yourself, you’re not going to be as financially healthy. In other words, the tenants are paying you, but they’re also paying for something that you’re not using.

So this is why many people prefer a more calculated approach to their virtual property investments. They know that they aren’t going to be able to use all of their property, but they also know that they can rent it out and make some money off of it. It’s a combination of knowledge and strategy that makes smart investing in virtual property a winner. Of course, there are still a few games that you can play if you’re not careful.

For instance, you can still get tenants to pay extra for things like a swimming pool, and you can still rent your property out to them. But if you make the game more complicated, you make it less likely that you’ll lose the value of your virtual property. You can make it so that if you don’t use a certain aspect of your property, your tenants will move. And if you make the game too hard, then you might lose your tenants altogether. Always play the game smart, and you should be able to make smart investments in virtual property.