Tired of paying to play WoW and not getting any real money kickbacks for working the auction house like it's your real job (if you have one)? Has blasting fools in Battlefield 2 or Counter-Strike ever felt empty, as if it didn't really mean anything? London-based developer Kwari thinks they have a cure for these nagging feelings.
Oddly-named publisher Kwari has made an oddly-named game called Kwari (Hey! They're the same!) where the idea is to have real money exchange hands through a skill-based first person shooter. Players will be able to download the game for free but will have to buy ammunition in place of any other kind of price-point structure. Kwari says that there will also be a free-to-play structure, but no details were given on that (naturally), nor were there many details given on what the actual gameplay will entail beyond being a FPS.
There's going to be a progressive jackpot that will require a key to unlock that Kwari is projecting to eventually be in the millions (how much is this ammo gonna cost?!?) but no word on how you'll obtain the key. Supposedly gamers will be matched by skill level and all participants will be in pre-arranged stake level ranging from 1 penny to 1 dollar per hit (what a "hit" entails is also left vague). Unlike other interactive social experiences anonymity will be rampant since Kwari is assuming players won't want to know who you're losing your money to. The biggest detail omission to me is that it's unclear if players will be able to take money out of their in-game accounts and transfer it to their real-life accounts.
This idea brings up some interesting conversation points but if you want to take a chance on it they're taking sign ups for a beta test. I tried signing up last night and again this morning, but for some reason it's just not working right. Take a peak at their web site for some other details and to track the progress of development.
Screens and full press release beyond the jump.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENEW GAME MARKS BIRTH OF ANTI-SOCIAL NETWORKING
London, UK – August 30, 2007 – London-based games publisher, Kwari, today announced and released details of its new multiplayer online gaming service, which will potentially change the PC gaming landscape forever.
Kwari's game of the same name is a first-person shooter (FPS) with a difference; players make money off each other in real-time. The game will ultimately be free to download online, but instead of being subscription-based it will use a unique free-to-play/pay-to-play model whereby Kwari sells the player ammunition in place of flat rate charges or monthly subscriptions.
The skill-based game has been built from the ground up around the concept of money changing hands at a tremendously fast rate, and was developed using some of the most advanced technology available to ensure total financial infallibility fused with benchmark playability.
Kwari flies in the face of the social network gaming ethos, which hinges on projecting an identity online, and for others to be able to interact or engage with that online persona. Bring money into the equation, however, and the rules have to change. Anonymity becomes necessary as well as psychologically appealing to a point where Kwari is virtually diametrically opposite to the core values of social networking.
"Money changes everything," said Eddie Gill, founder and creator of Kwari. "I wanted to create something that had more of a buzz than a traditional FPS. The concept of playing for money is not a new one. However, these games tend to be an existing multiplayer game with a cash prize tagged on the end, much like clan tournaments, which means only a minority walk away with cash winnings – and usually a small amount at that."
Gamers playing Kwari for cash set up an account, are matched on the basis of skill, and enter a game at a pre agreed stake level ranging from one cent to one dollar a hit. During the four-round matches (3x 16-player maps, 1x 64-player last man standing map called 'The Killing Floor') every time a player hits another, money is decremented from the target's stake and added to the shooter's. In a way, the player's money stake mirrors their in-game health, except it's exchanged from one player to another.
There are also jackpot prizes which require keys to unlock. These jackpots are fed by self-inflicted damage sustained by the players in all games being played globally. For example, if a player jumps from the top of an arena or takes damage from a hazard, their stake is decremented and this feeds into the jackpots, which are then released hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly - the latter are expected to pay out millions of dollars. Most importantly; all money paid in to the game by players is won out of the game by players.
Being a game of skill, how much money a player can win depends partially on their in-game performance. So to ensure a level playing field, all games are skill-matched so that only players of equal ability are able to compete.
"This is an inevitable evolution for online gaming," commented Al King, Global Marketing Director for Kwari. "Like most skill-based or competitive games, once played at a professional level or where money is involved, it's unappealing to return to an amateur status."
The game will be available for download towards the end of the year. Until then, the company has opened a sign-up website for the beta test program starting next week at www.kwari.com .
About Kwari:
Established in 2006, Kwari is a publisher and developer of skill-based online interactive entertainment, based around players making money off each other in real-time. Kwari software is available free to download and play online. Kwari is an international business, comprising functional experts and industry veterans. 'Kwari' and 'Cash for Kills' are trademarks and/or registered of Kwari Limited in the UK and other territories.The game and software are patent pending. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved. More information about Kwari is available online at http://www.kwari.com
Except for historical matters contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect Kwari Ltd. and cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. In light of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements, these statements should not be regarded as a representation by Kwari Ltd. or any other person that the projected results, objectives or plans will be achieved. Kwari Ltd. undertakes no obligation to revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
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