January 31,2007
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Stagecoach Island
Wells Fargo has combined the fun of an online role-playing game with credit card and banking education for high school and college students in their game "Stagecoach Island." Launched last year, the games counts among its users 80 cyber millionaires and over $4.7 billion in virtual assets, with the numbers continuing to grow.
The game begins with the player customizing an avatar, who then is free to explore Stagecoach Island's virtual world of shops, salons, and clubs. Players can attend parties, go to concerts, and interact with the entire community of Stagecoach Island denizens, who, of course, are other players. Players can unlock more features of the game, like new outfits for their avatar and such activities as paintball and concerts, by earning, spending, and saving virtual money. The money is earned by passing quizzes about banking and credit card general knowledge, and accrues interest by being saved overnight.
The game can be downloaded for free at http://www.wellsfargo.com/stagecoachisland.