Video game currencies converted to dollar value

Exactly how much is a rupee in The Legend of Zelda?  Apparently $3 in US currency.  How is this useful or practical to anyone?  It isn’t, of course.  In an article that only a nerd could love, Maxim has taken seven video game currencies and converted them to US dollars.

While the concept is interesting, a more interesting thought is how is the sagging US dollar affecting (or not affecting) the value of items within MMOs?  In other words, is World of Warcraft recession proof?  Will a Hammer of Thunder be worth as much one year from now as it is today?

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