Santa Monica, Calif. — Inside Line, Edmunds' high-speed online car magazine, announced the launch of a compelling new interactive feature: Car Stock Exchange (CSX).

Players simply sign up for a free CSX account, receive $1,000,000 in virtual CSX money, then "purchase" stocks for car models based on expectations of how well the cars will sell during their first six months at dealerships. Players are encouraged to buy and sell stocks as they hear auto industry news and read reviews of the vehicles that shift their expectations. Edmunds' CarSpace.com also features online discussions relevant to the game.

If a player's predictions match real-world sales, the player's net worth in the game (and reputation as a car buff) will grow. Monthly prizes are awarded to players with the biggest gains.

As players enjoy the fun and exciting elements of the game, Edmunds will collect data about players' decisions. The company's statisticians will analyze the data and deliver the analysis to the auto industry as part of Edmunds' ongoing efforts to help automakers make smarter decisions in their interactions with consumers.

"The car enthusiasts who visit Inside Line are very knowledgeable about the auto industry and have a lot of influence over their friends and family members' car purchases," commented Edmunds CEO Jeremy Anwyl. "Through this game, we have a unique and valuable opportunity to capture the opinions of those individuals and track changes over time."

"If CSX can attract enough players who know cars well, it may well become the best forecast of new car model success," remarked Robin Hanson, George Mason University's Associate Professor of Economics, who served as a consultant for the project.

Anwyl points to New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki's book The Wisdom of Crowds, as well as other online prediction games The Hollywood Stock Exchange, The Industry Standard, Intrade, The simExchange and The Washington Stock Exchange, as references in the development of the game, which began approximately one year ago.

Consensus Point provided customized software for CSX.