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Playing an FPS for Money?
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Mon Jan 15, 2001 05:41 PM
from the encouraging-some-sniping dept.
from the encouraging-some-sniping dept.
IronChef writes "Ran across a web site where someone is attempting to combine online games and cash. The difference here is it looks like it's not some big tournament where everyone gathers and the top 3 out of a field of hundreds get paid, but a small group jumps into a server for a buck or two per head, and the winner cashes out on the spot." And you thought you swear a lot when you lag now!
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Playing an FPS for Money?
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Some safeguards... (Score:3)
http://www.globalrankings.com
Re:Gambling laws? (Score:3)
as most, IANAL...
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Texture based ads... (Score:5)
Maybe you could even get advertiser sponsored game servers. I don't think I'd mind an occasional coke ad on the wall (or even product placements!!! Just like the movies.. ) in exchange for a nice, fast server to play on.
what about honesty of the COMPANY? (Score:3)
Obvious and Profitable (eventually) (Score:4)
The question isn't *if* these guys are going to get rich (they might, they might not), but who is going to be the first to do it right.
Forget about "legality". There are ways around that, and to start off with, nobody will notice this shit building in the background. Not until there is a huge splash in the press about some mum who thinks her kid is becoming obsessed (...blah blah blah: you should all know the pattern by now). By the time that there is a move control it through special legislation, it will have become too popular to stop by fiat. Besides, with servers in Antigua, who gives a fsck what the Americans think?
So the issues to be addressed are: what business models to use, what kind of games are most "immersive"/addictive, and can you turn this kind of thing into (virtual) reality TV? I mean, once you have "star" players and teams, will people be interested enough to either lurk and watch the pros at work, or sit back and watch it on cable with some popcorn. The potential for drama and soap-opera appeal should NOT be underestimated here.
Personally, I want the Mechwarrior universe online, with battles on Solaris and House feuds, etc. Any genre is open for exploitation here, with its own audience. Gamblers and cheaters will just add spice. (besides, if you're a smart game service, you HIRE the cheaters to work FOR you).
Give it time. It'll happen. And don't worry about all the naysayers. They don't understand what's happening here.
Security & Hackers? (Score:5)
Q: Why do you require my social security # or social insurance # when I withdraw money from my account?
A: If you live within Canada or the U.S. You are required to submit your winning as income.
Q: Should I be worried about hackers?
A: No, we have many many security features installed to make sure you are safe.
Arg! Since I can earn winnings (Taxable income) from these guys, they want my Name, Address, CCard Number, date of birth and Social Security Number. How do I know this information is safe?
According to the video [urbanmercenary.com], everything is secured with a "proprietary security system". What the heck does that mean?
Go for the triple-whammy! (Score:3)
Hey, now you're on to something! If they'd pay my earnings out in heroin, I could combine all 3 [dictionary.com] of my dangerous habits into one. Man, what a time-saver this will be!
Sign me up!
Re:Where's the business model? (Score:3)
They also provide services like Domain Registration ($15-25), Web Hosting ($2.50 - 10/month), secure servers ($50-100), etc. Basically, the higher your monthly membership fee, the lower your OTHER fees.
I notice that alot of gaming & clan websitessites have trouble staying with one provider, so perhaps Bloodmoney is trying to bank off of that opportunity.
Other then the gaming membership, I don't really see anything unique about their web services. I notice that they do NOT provide any dialup or DSL/cable access, which is pretty smart. The Access business is pretty darn volitile.
(only slightly OT) Selling game characters for $$$ (Score:3)
Check out this following illegal link to ebay [ebay.com], for example.
$1500 for a game character?!! Holy shit, my roommate should just quit his job and start developing these characters. Question is, how long does it take to create something that someone will shell out this kind of money for?
gambling + gaming = addiction X 2 (Score:4)
This sounds like fun actually, using micropayments or something to have a little more stake in the game. But yes I can see the emotions/reactions getting stronger during playing if there's real money involved. The incentive to cheat using scripts or other hacks would be much greater..
Brett
Gambling laws? (Score:3)
Also, this concept of gaming-for-something is similar to what is generally perceived as "The Next Big Thing" in the gaming industry - free forms of economic reward/punishment among multiplayer gamers. A lot of online RPG's followed this formula - it makes sense that FPS's are following suit (FPS's generally take RPG concepts, and 3d-ize them... the former follows the latter)
Trade, if you will, for a newly formed society. The "Everquest" effect...
Where's the business model? (Score:3)
Jezus, this is a bankruptcy [fuckedcompany.com] waiting to happen.
What about gang-style play? (Score:5)
If a ganger runs low on cash, he kills his teamie for money, so the team is always with a few bucks, and can continue to take everyone else for granted.
I've used these tactics with TFC, Infiltration, etc before... nothing to prevent me to apply it this way and make a few bucks every night. Curious as to what measures are in place to prevent this kind of abuse.
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Re:Texture based ads... (Score:4)
Cut to Quake player 1, completely out of ammo, hawling ass around a tight corner, emerging into a chamber, when he turns to face the wall, looking up to see an ENORMOUS billboard of a bikini-clad woman advertising a radio station...
[Quake Player 1] Whoaah... Dude!
Cut to an over-the-shoulder shot of a manacing player, carrying a fully-loaded rocket launcher, slowly walking up behind Player 1...
[Quake Player 2] Foolish hormone-laden homo sapiens adolescent...
Quake Player 1 turns around, face an image of sheer terror...
[Quake Player 1] Nooooo!
BLAM! Gibblets are scattered throughout a hundred meter radius...
proprietary security system means... (Score:4)
Cheating (Score:5)
This gaming model is beautiful, but it's also the optimal model to encourage cheating; small enough for cheaters to be relatively anonymous, but still a real incentive for unscrupulous cheating -- and many players won't even know they were robbed. So, I wonder what safegaurds they'll put in place? Nothing is provably perfect, of course, but if they're careful, smart, and very diligent, it's possible to make it arbitrarily difficult for cheaters (e.g., requiring positive identification at registration, an auto-updating client that incorporates a challenge/response system that changes daily, etc)... I wonder if they'll expend the effort neccessary to do this right?
-spcI can see this starting... (Score:5)
Re:Texture based ads... (Score:4)
Id software's license agreement for the q3 sdk code including Radiant, the BSP/PVS generator and the light cooking tools do not allow you to commercially exploit the game in any way shape or form.
There's also the marketers of big companies who are savvy to the media hype around video games being 'murder simulators'. Would you want your soft drink logo to get blood splattered on it, or a corpse lying next to it?
Bad idea... (Score:3)
They're really going to need a good skill-matching service. I mean, if I played UT on some of the highly-trafficed US servers when I was learning, and it was costing me $1.00 per time, I'd be massively in debt now.
What about cheaters? Someone tell me how you can detect or foil an aim-bot? It's bad enough now. When there's monetary incentive for the cheaters, this is going to be a HUGE problem.