Confessions of a Graphic Designer

Why I think Empire Avenue is a legitimate tool. More than two years ago I began playing Empire Avenue. Created in 2010, there was a great deal of excitement when Empire Avenue made its splash into the social media mainstream in the spring of 2011. Well-known people in social media jumped in, and many are still active players. Last year some of them stopped. One player told me he thought it took too much time. And certainly in the beginning, it could be time-consuming. Others could never really figure out how to play, and although they are still there, their accounts are dormant. As Empire Avenue has continued to evolve from strictly a social media stock market game to a social media tool, some perceived Empire Avenue in a negative way. This new perception came about with the advent of "missions," which offers rewards to players who complete tasks. Some people perceive missions as "buying influence." But some of these same people are also buying fo...

L-R: Chris Pirillo ) PIRILLO top player; Empire Avenue CEO Duleepa Wijayawardhana (e)DUPS Empire Avenue (EAv) is a social stock market simulation game that has attracted players all over the world. Thanks to Chris Pirillo's EAv Seattle shareholders meetup last week, I had a chance to talk with Duleepa Wijayawardhana, also known as (e)DUPS , the real-life CEO of Empire Avenue . Dups has to be one of the nicest guys around, and I was really knocked out by his engaging personality and wonderful smile. He graciously agreed to this Q&A, during which I learned he is not just brilliant, but he's also charming and fun. Enjoy! When you and your colleagues originally conceived of the idea, what were you doing? I mean, were you sitting around having drinks somewhere and the notion emerged? What was the inspiration? And was it meant to be strictly a game, or did you have other purposes in mind? The founders of Empire Avenue are Niall Brown, Dr. Michael Mannion and m...