Automotive research site Edmunds.com has taken a cue from the popularity of fantasy sports and applied it to what the site knows best: car sales. It has created what it calls the Car Stock Exchange, or CSX ? an online game where members can buy and sell stock in upcoming automobiles, which is valued based on predicting the sales of particular models in the U.S. The money used in CSX exists only in the virtual world and new members receive $1,000,000 in funny money for joining. A stock price of CSX$1 equates to 1,000 units of predicted sales. Users can buy stock in vehicles, like the 2008 Smart fortwo or 2008 BMW M3, that they believe have a price below what the actual market sales numbers will illustrate. Stock can also be sold if the price increases beyond one's expectations. Currently the range of vehicle stocks available is not very wide, but IPO release dates are scheduled for more stock choices. The market software has a plethora of complex features, but the key feature of note is the prize giveaway. Yay, prizes! Each month the member with the highest percentage gain receives a reward, and a Nintendo Wii is on the line for the month of March. Edmunds gets points for a clever and original idea, and we've signed up hoping that our lunch hour will soon be supplanted by bouts of Wii Bowling.
