Jon Jacobs (actor)

Jon Jacobs
Born 10 September 1966
Derbyshire, England, UK
Occupation Actor, entrepreneur, director, producer, writer
Known for Lucinda's Spell, Rocktropia Virtual World, Zombie Kong
Website
http://Neverdie.com

Jon Jacobs (born 10 September 1966, Derbyshire, England) is an English actor,[1] entrepreneur, director, producer, writer, and creator of the avatar Neverdie, which is frequently stylised NEVERDIE, from the virtual world Entropia Universe that Reuters described as "a legendary adventurer, celebrity, and fabulously wealthy entrepreneur in the online world of Entropia".[2] The Associated Press described Neverdie as an "Internet icon".[3][4][5][6][7][8]

As a film actor, director and producer Jacobs is best known for films such as Return to Oz, The Girl with the Hungry Eyes, Lucinda's Spell,[9] Charlotte Sometimes, Hey DJ,[10] and RevoLOUtion.[11]

Biography

In 2005, Jacobs mortgaged his home to buy a virtual asteroid for US$100,000, being the most valuable virtual item ever sold at that time.[12] The next day, he got an offer to sell the asteroid for US$200,000, but he refused. The asteroid space resort was named Club Neverdie after its owner's avatar name.[13] In 2010 Jon Jacobs sold the Asteroid Space Resort to various other Entropia Universe participants for a total of US$635,000.[14]

Jacobs' avatar subsequently appeared in The Discovery Channel documentaries Gamer Generation and I, Videogame,[15] it also appeared in the Canal+ documentary La Vraie vie des mondes virtuels. ABC News did a video interview with Jacobs entitled A Portrait of the Avatar.[16] The Los Angeles Times described Jacobs avatar as "the world's first cyber-superstar".[17]

Neverdie was included in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records as well as the 2010 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition for owning "the most expensive virtual item", namely the Asteroid Space Resort called Club Neverdie. The club is also host to the Massive Multiplayer Online World Championships (MMOWC). Neverdie has appeared on 60 Minutes[18] and numerous other international and U.S. national media and publications.

Other than Club Neverdie, Jacobs also possesses other land areas at the Entropia Universe’s Calypso planet, the most notable being Bank, at starting location Port Atlantis, bought for US$90,000.

The estate of his late father Adrian Jacobs attempted to sue J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury Inc. for plagiarism of Adrian Jacobs's book Willy the Wizard in the Harry Potter series. However, the case was dismissed after security of costs were not paid to the court.[19][20][21]

In 2008, Jacobs founded NEVERDIE Studios to create entertainment driven virtual worlds on the Entropia Platform. Planets produced by NEVERDIE Studios have included Rocktropia and Next Island.[22][23]

In 2011, NEVERDIE Studios started working with Universal Pictures; the first title to launch was Hunt The Thing, a film length MMO inspired by both John Carpenters' 1982 version of The Thing and the 2011 prequel.[24][25]

In 2015 NEVERDIE Studios announced the launch of a new virtual KING KONG Trilogy in collaboration with Universal Licensing and Partnerships set in the ROCKtropia virtual world and based on the 2005 film KING KONG directed by Peter Jackson. The first title in the trilogy ZOMBIE KONG features the tag line "King Kong is Back! ...From the Dead![26][27]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jon Jacobs". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Hillis, Scott (21 June 2007). "Real economy thrives in virtual world". Reuters. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Virtual World Serious Money". Asap.ap.org. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "About Realityport". Realityport.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  5. ↑ Trevor Aaronson (3 August 2006). "Megabyte Millionaire". Miami New Times. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Club Xanadu. "Club Xanadu". Escapist Magazine. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Virtual club to rock pop culture". BBC News. 2 November 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "ABC News". Video.aol.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  9. ↑ "'Lucinda's Spell': Wild Time in New Orleans, and It Sure Isn't Mardi Gras". The New York Times. 10 September 1999. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Hey DJ (2005)". The New York Times. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  11. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (19 May 2006). "RevoLOUtion (2003)". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Gamer buys virtual space station". BBC News. 25 October 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  13. ↑ John Domokos (11 January 2008). "Making Money. Jon Jacobs Neverdie". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  14. ↑ And the Asteroid goes to article on entropiaplanets.com
  15. ↑ "Discovery Channel". Yourdiscovery.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "A Portrait of the Avatar: The Meeting". ABC News. 10 March 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  17. ↑ Stephen Totilo (2011-05-27). "In The Virtual World, His Fiancée Never Died". Kotaku.
  18. ↑ "60 minutes – ''My second life'' video". Video.msn.com. 24 June 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  19. ↑ "Harry Potter plagiarism case dismissed in UK". Reuters. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  20. ↑ "Harry Potter v Willy The Wizard". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  21. ↑ Daniel Bates (18 November 2010). "Internet estate agent sells virtual nightclub on an asteroid in online game for £400,000". Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  22. ↑ Dean Takahashi (11 May 2010). "Rocktropia virtual world for music lovers debuts". Venturebeat.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  23. ↑ Dean Takahashi (8 December 2010). "Next Island launches its time travelers virtual world". Venturebeat.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  24. ↑ "Movie-Based MMOG Hunt The Thing Launches". News.mmosite.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  25. ↑ "NEVERDIE Studios Announces the Launch of Movie-Based MMOG Hunt The Thing". Tentonhammer.com. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  26. ↑ Official Site of Zombie Kong.
  27. ↑ "Official Press release". PRNewswrie.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.

External links