eBay for in-game items coming

Virtual Worlds News reports that LiveGamer has just secured a $24m round of VC funding:

Live Gamer is working with Funcom GMBH, Sony Online Entertainment, 10TACLE STUDIOS, Acclaim, GoPets LTD, and Ping0 Interactive Limited to establish a publisher-sanctioned market place for real-money trading of virtual goods.

There is mention of goldfarmers later in the piece, and an assurance that this service would alleviate such nuisances (although I'm not sure how..)

"Virtual trading has the potential to open an entirely new dimension for the player experience in some games, but it has also caused endless grief through the actions of gold farmers and fraud artists, as well as the generally poor quality of service to participants," Trond A. Aas, CEO of Funcom said in a statement.

"Live Gamer makes it possible for publishers to satisfy players' growing demand for this type of activity in selected future games by providing a legitimate and balanced outlet that protects their experiences. We really look forward to offering this opportunity to players in our upcoming casual MMOG."