Comments on: Kwari: PC Gamer Review

By: Dorian Cornelius Jasper

Dorian Cornelius Jasper — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:59:45 +0000

Taximan beat me to the punch.

By: Zed

Zed — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:14:47 +0000

Ben Abraham: “I wonder how this would reverse the trend identified by some researchers that says that Gamers have a sense of pleasure when they die…”

I’m still very skeptical of this. Anyone ever had to do a presentation in front of a group? Very stressful. Intense, even. And when it’s over? You feel fantastic (i.e.: relieved). The pressure’s off, so you can enjoy the moment, and reflect on what happened. Frankly, on some FPS’s at least, I’ve had the same experience. Some extremely intense scout runs in Team Fortress spring to mind.

Somebody else told me about this IRL, but I don’t recall if (or where) I’ve seen this on the web.

By: Taximan

Taximan — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:00:56 +0000

Because I’m crap at html hotlinking: http://expresszone.blogspot.com/2007/12/chris-rock-on-gun-control.html

You know what you need?
We need some bullet control.

Man, we need to control the bullets, that’s right. l think all bullets should cost $5000. $5000 for a bullet. You know why?’Cause if a bullet costs $5000 there’d be no more innocent bystanders.
That’d be it.

Every time someone gets shot, people will
be like, “Damn, he must have did something.”

“Shit, they put $50,000 worth of bullets
in his ass.” People would think before
they killed somebody, if a bullet cost $5000.

“Man, l would blow your fucking head off,
if l could afford it. l’m gonna get me another job,
l’m gonna start saving some money… and you’re a dead man. You better hope
l can’t get no bullets on layaway.”

By: Wickedashtray

Wickedashtray — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:18:20 +0000

If they can’t keep exploits and cheating out of regular shooters, what makes them think a game where cash is at stake is immune?

By: John Walker

John Walker — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:53:41 +0000

Lou, since the review was written, they’ve introduced a lower rate. Which is interesting, as the previous one was intended to be the lowest, with higher money games to be introduced later.

By: ReturnToNull

ReturnToNull — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:17:22 +0000

Well it would be popular like gambling is popular. Pay someone money for the chance of playing their game where the odds are stack in their favor, and you just -might- get a a return, maybe.

By: sigma83

sigma83 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:00:06 +0000

That sounds like honestly the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. You lose money for picking up health? Idiotic beyond belief.

By: ianwest

ianwest — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:29:17 +0000

There are much better business models: prizes sponsored by in-game advertising; charge-to-play with a weekly webcast/telecast playoff of best players who then win a big cash prize (so people would pay-to-play to get good enough in the hope of winning the final) —- I did a business plan for a pay-to-play game about 4-5 years ago, but couldn’t get backing for it. But just straight pay-to-play with no added tweaks or bells and whistles – that’s just dumb…

By: Lou

Lou — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:21:54 +0000

“In three matches, I’d blown £10.”

Wow, seriously? What a complete joke. I would have thought they have much, much smaller stakes, where maybe after you play for a few weeks, you’ve lost/won the amount a game normally costs.

By: Ben Abraham

Ben Abraham — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:25:18 +0000

I wonder how this would reverse the trend identified by some researchers that says that Gamers have a sense of pleasure when they die… Might change that paradigm a little bit if there was money on the line. Alternatively, It could be an even *more* addictive form of gambling, as it would tap into the pleasures of gambling *and* dying in games…

Okay… too weird.

(I believe it was a chapter in ‘The Game Design Reader’, Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman Eds. but It might have been somewhere else… :S )

By: John Walker

John Walker — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:15:05 +0000

It’s interesting – that Sinister fellow has been top of the board since it started, and he has apparently turned a huge profit. But each time I’ve checked in the couple of months since release, after about position 8 in the top 10, people are on a loss.

By: Flint

Flint — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:01:54 +0000

Why would anyone actually think this would be popular? Losing real money when hit in a fast-paced FPS sounds like a popularity suicide.

Then again, you did seem to find other people to play against…