There are many communities coming together to help support those impacted by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The players of EVE Online are joining in: in a move sanctioned and partially organized by CCP, the game's publisher, players can convert PLEX, an item that represents 30 days of game time, into cash to donate to Japan.

"PLEX can be purchased for real world currency at any time through our website. They are also sold in-game on the markets by other players so you can even play EVE without paying a cent, as long as you have enough in-game currency to buy a PLEX," Christian "CCP Wrangler" Danhill, senior community manager for EVE Online, told Ars. "Selling any in-game item for real world currency is forbidden, however, so this is a special exception to 'cashing out.'"

To donate PLEX, you simply "contract your PLEX to the 'CCP PLEX for Good' character," the official website explains, and then PLEX will be converted to its real-world cash value and donated to the Red Cross. This can be a PLEX you purchased using either real-world money or in-game currency, so you can actually turn the game's currency into a cash donation to a good cause.

This promotion will begin on March 14 and go until March 31, and is a neat way to harness the game's economy for a real-world cause. It's not the first time. "PLEX for Good is an on-going charitable program initiated by the players of EVE Online. Past drives have assisted the victims of the Haiti earthquake and excessive flooding in Pakistan," CCP explains. "To date, EVE Online players have donated over $63,000 (over 3,600 PLEX) to those in need via this program, with almost $100,000 being donated by EVE Online players to charity since 2004."

EVE Online is known for the... well, creative ways players use the game's rules to profit, and this many PLEX moving around must be tempting. CCP assures us the players seem to have gotten the message about the charitable programs. "We have very strict policies regarding scamming of PLEX during this kind of charity drive. We simply do not allow it, and our game masters will permanently ban any individual who uses this as an opportunity to scam other players," Misty Matonis, associate community manager for EVE Online, told Ars. "I am proud to say that our community of players hasn’t had a single incidence of scamming during these efforts, rallying around such causes honorably."