The Hollywood Stock Exchange is a web-based, multiplayer game in which players virtually buy and sell shares of actors, directors, upcoming films, and film-related options.

The technology that drives the Hollywood Stock Exchange is the Virtual Specialist technology invented by HSX co-founder and the exchange s creator Max Keiser who was awarded a U.S. patent no. (5960176) in 1996 for his invention.[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-ParserSect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5950176.WKU.&OS=PN/5950176&RS=PN/5950176] Claims of this patent cover trading applications for trading virtual securities using virtual currencies over a network.

Because trading directly affects the prices of the securities, and because the ultimate value of a moviestock is based on the film s box office, stock prices act as box office predictions. In 2002, players in the Hollywood Stock Exchange correctly predicted 35 of the 40 major-category Academy Award nominees. It is considered a good example of a prediction market.

Previous incarnations of the game included a music market (for purchasing artists) and prizes for top gainers. These features have been discontinued.

HSX is now a subsidiary of Cantor Index Holdings, L.P. and an affiliate of Cantor Index Limited, a leading online financial spread trading firm. HSX is headquartered in Century City, California.

The Full Merino and Fembot are the two highest all-time earners on the site, with H$6,783,107,421.92 and H$6,396,815,191.07 respectively (as of 20 Oct 2005).

=External links=