Sony Online Entertainment has announced that its upcoming spy-filled MMO called The Agency will allow the players to engage in real money trading in the game. The announcement is backed by a deal with Live Gamer, a company that specializes in implementing secure and clean ways for real money trading.

What exactly does "real money trading" mean for an MMO, or for any other game for that matter? It means that each player can use real currency, usually from a bank account, although pre-paid cards could also be an option, to buy items, services or in-game currency in the game. Usually, real money trading is seen as being one of the business models that allow some MMOs to be free to play rather than based on a subscription.

John Smedley, the president of Sony Online Entertainment, stated that: "We are actively exploring free-to-play and other revenue models, and always looking for new ways to engage and entertain gamers. Live Gamer is a proven partner that protects and supports our gamers who participate in RMT . We trust them to handle this area of the business for us so that we can focus on creating and growing our games".

Apparently, The Agency has been designed with real money trading in mind from the early stages, and each of the customization options available to the player, which include clothes, weaponry, gadgets, vehicles, electronic gear and fake identities, will be available for purchase. It is not yet clear if some of these are to be made available only through direct purchase or whether there is also a gameplay-driven way of obtaining them.

The deal with Live Gamer also covers MMO Free Realms, which is more family friendly, and Everquest II, another MMO from Sony.

News of this deal might lead some to think that The Agency will be free to play, with real money trading revenue supporting the MMO but, so far, no clear details regarding the business model have been made public; certainly, a MMO with both subscriptions and real money trading is possible.