More money than sense Chinese man spends $16,000 on sword for virtual martial arts game

Whilst the season of giving might be over for yet another year, it seems one computer gamer has marked the end of the festivities by treating himself to one final Christmas gift.
The avid gamer spent a staggering $16,000 on a virtual sword - the only one of its kind, which he will use when he eventually begins playing a martial arts game that has not yet gone on sale in the Far East.
The man who won the auction will now be able to slay characters using his sabre when the highly-anticipated martial-arts game Age of Wulin is released in Mainland China.

Winner: The avid gamer, left, proudly displays the a plaque after his bid of $16,000 won him a virtual sword for the online game Age of Wulin

To mark the launch of the title, Snail Games, the software developers held an online auction in which its users could bid for exclusive items.
Other items sold during the sale included a sheath for Hook of Departure which was sold for $1,600 whilst a a Lordly Spear Sheath fetched $2,500.

Other relatively modest purchases were made with pre-paid time cards amounting to just  $15 whilst enhancement materials went for a mere $30.
Meanwhile, rare mount that characters can take advantage of in the game cost an estimated $70 during the sale.

Adventure: Age of Wulin gamers have already had the chance to play the beta version of the game

Age of Wulin is set in medieval China, and based on the folklore surrounding martial arts and the adventurers who practice it.
In the game, players meet and interact online and roleplay in a new fantasy setting as they undertake quests, enhanced through various interactive community functions.
The English version of Age of Wulin is expected to be available, initially as a closed beta shortly after the Chinese open beta in Spring 2012.