BornOfFire
08-31-2007, 02:23 PM
Pool sharking, card sharking -- all tried and true ventures in the world of skill-based, competitive gambling. FPS sharking, however? That's new.
The premise of the oddly named Kwari (http://www.kwari.com/getinto/index.htm) service is elegantly simple: an online competitive shooter carrying the same nebulous skill-based risk-reward proposition as professional poker. Broadly speaking, the game is a reasonably pretty-looking Unreal-type FPS whose client is free to download. The catch is Kwari is not free to play. In order to get in on the moneymaking (and losing) players must shell out real-world cash buy ammunition, in much the same manner as paintball. After money has changed hands, the fragging begins.
The financial mathematics is where Kwari gets interesting. The main difference between this and other prize-oriented shooting contests is Kwari is not ultimately a "winner takes all" affair. Rather, in a game of Kwari, every confirmed hit on another player siphons cash directly into your bank account and subtracts cash from your target -- real-world money is substituted for a player's in-game "health." The actual payout per hit varies on what tier of Kwari you've chosen to play in, with everything from once cent per hit to high-roller dollar-per-tag class. Those who play the game well stand to make a hefty profit -- those who play poorly will finance other's fortunes.
Adding even more drama to Kwari is the game's "jackpot" mechanic. During play, a suicide or other "self-inflicted" injury (like falling from a great height) on your part automatically subtracts money from your account and places it into a global cash pool farmed out across all Kwari servers. Every so often (hourly, weekly and quarterly) this money comes home to roost in the form of massive jackpots which can be snapped up by skillful players through a special "pill" round, unlockable via an in-game key. During this phase, the object is to take possession of an oddball-esque sphere and hold onto it for as long as humanly possible. At the end of the round, cash is split evenly between who had possession longest and who was holding the pill when the buzzer sounds. A player who meets both those criteria will naturally claim both halves of the prize. By Kwari's estimates, some of the quarterly payouts of suicide money could get huge -- even into into the millions.
Kwari players are to be matched purely on the basis of skill -- something one would certainly hope the company gets right, considering how much money could be riding on the line. Kwari's official literature describes the underlying transaction system as "most advanced technology available," built to ensure "total financial infallibility fused with benchmark playability". Unlike most socially networked games, Kwari also places a huge emphasis on player anonymity, unsurprising when you consider how much bad blood could be racked up over a few losing rounds. Says the offical press release (http://media.netpr.pl/notatka_84381.html):
"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 [and] anonymity becomes necessary as well as psychologically appealing to a point where Kwari is virtually diametrically opposite to the core values of social networking." The mind behind the enterprise is London-based games publisher Kwari (http://www.kwari.com/). Global Marketing Director Al King describes this innovation in online play as "an inevitable evolution for online gaming." The company is quick to stress that at no point during the actual point-counting does the "house" ever rake in a cut of the profits. Every dollar won or lost between players stays strictly between players. "Like most skill-based or competitive games" comments King, "once played at a professional level or where money is involved, it's unappealing to return to an amateur status." One can only imagine the number of college trust funds and rent payments set to go up in smoke after the full game launches later this year. Those looking for more information can find it over at the company's website: Kwari.com (http://www.kwari.com/getinto/index.htm). Those eager to begin sharking can even sign up for the free Beta and perhaps win a chance to get some practice in before the company starts charging money for the privilege -- just don't say I didn't warn you.
The premise of the oddly named Kwari (http://www.kwari.com/getinto/index.htm) service is elegantly simple: an online competitive shooter carrying the same nebulous skill-based risk-reward proposition as professional poker. Broadly speaking, the game is a reasonably pretty-looking Unreal-type FPS whose client is free to download. The catch is Kwari is not free to play. In order to get in on the moneymaking (and losing) players must shell out real-world cash buy ammunition, in much the same manner as paintball. After money has changed hands, the fragging begins.
The financial mathematics is where Kwari gets interesting. The main difference between this and other prize-oriented shooting contests is Kwari is not ultimately a "winner takes all" affair. Rather, in a game of Kwari, every confirmed hit on another player siphons cash directly into your bank account and subtracts cash from your target -- real-world money is substituted for a player's in-game "health." The actual payout per hit varies on what tier of Kwari you've chosen to play in, with everything from once cent per hit to high-roller dollar-per-tag class. Those who play the game well stand to make a hefty profit -- those who play poorly will finance other's fortunes.
Adding even more drama to Kwari is the game's "jackpot" mechanic. During play, a suicide or other "self-inflicted" injury (like falling from a great height) on your part automatically subtracts money from your account and places it into a global cash pool farmed out across all Kwari servers. Every so often (hourly, weekly and quarterly) this money comes home to roost in the form of massive jackpots which can be snapped up by skillful players through a special "pill" round, unlockable via an in-game key. During this phase, the object is to take possession of an oddball-esque sphere and hold onto it for as long as humanly possible. At the end of the round, cash is split evenly between who had possession longest and who was holding the pill when the buzzer sounds. A player who meets both those criteria will naturally claim both halves of the prize. By Kwari's estimates, some of the quarterly payouts of suicide money could get huge -- even into into the millions.
Kwari players are to be matched purely on the basis of skill -- something one would certainly hope the company gets right, considering how much money could be riding on the line. Kwari's official literature describes the underlying transaction system as "most advanced technology available," built to ensure "total financial infallibility fused with benchmark playability". Unlike most socially networked games, Kwari also places a huge emphasis on player anonymity, unsurprising when you consider how much bad blood could be racked up over a few losing rounds. Says the offical press release (http://media.netpr.pl/notatka_84381.html):
"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 [and] anonymity becomes necessary as well as psychologically appealing to a point where Kwari is virtually diametrically opposite to the core values of social networking." The mind behind the enterprise is London-based games publisher Kwari (http://www.kwari.com/). Global Marketing Director Al King describes this innovation in online play as "an inevitable evolution for online gaming." The company is quick to stress that at no point during the actual point-counting does the "house" ever rake in a cut of the profits. Every dollar won or lost between players stays strictly between players. "Like most skill-based or competitive games" comments King, "once played at a professional level or where money is involved, it's unappealing to return to an amateur status." One can only imagine the number of college trust funds and rent payments set to go up in smoke after the full game launches later this year. Those looking for more information can find it over at the company's website: Kwari.com (http://www.kwari.com/getinto/index.htm). Those eager to begin sharking can even sign up for the free Beta and perhaps win a chance to get some practice in before the company starts charging money for the privilege -- just don't say I didn't warn you.