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Gaming the system: Edward Thorp and the wearable computer that beat Vegas
"My name is Edward Thorp." "My name is Edward Thorp." "My name is Edward Thorp." It's 1964 and Edward Thorp is on the television game show To Tell The Truth, sitting alongside two other well-dressed men also claiming to be Edward Thorp, a man so adept at card counting that he'd been barred from Las Vegas casinos. Thorp, the quiet man on the right, every bit the mathematics professor with black-rimmed glasses and close-cropped hair, is the real deal. Two years earlier, Thorp's book, Beat the Dealer, was published, explaining the system for winning at blackjack he developed based on the mathematical theory of probability. The system worked so well that Las Vegas casinos actually changed the rules of blackjack to give the dealer an added advantage. Those changes would prove to be short-lived, but Thorp's book would go on to become a massive bestseller, and remains a key guide to the game of blackjack to this day. That all this happened as the computer age was flourishing in the 1960s isn't coincidental. While working to beat the house, Thorp was also working at one of the hotbeds of that revolution: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he had access to two things that would prove invaluable to his research. One was the room-filling IBM 704 computer, without which, he writes in Beat the Dealer, "the analysis on which this book is based would have been impossible."
Open beta is in the cards for Kickstarted CasinoRPG
There are fantasy and sci-fi MMORPGs galore, but how many gambling ones have you come across? The answer is very few. Like, only one. But GoldFire Studios is here to change that: Successfully kickstarted in early 2013, CasinoRPG is ready to enter open beta after a year of development and closed testing. A free-to-play browser-based title, CasinoRPG combines roleplaying and city-building elements with gambling; players can take their virtual winnings from games like poker, blackjack, and slots and use them to create casino empires, design luxury apartments, and basically build and manage the cities within the game. Why an RPG? With the increased popularity of social casino gambling on various platforms, James Simpson, founder and CEO of GoldFire Studios, explained his project by saying, "Innovation has stalled, and we wanted to do something new." To get into beta, sign up on the official site. For a look at other projects in the crowdfunding arena, check out Make My MMO. [Source: GoldFire Studios press release]
Zynga kills real-money gambling plans amid Q2 financial losses
Zynga has announced its second-quarter financial results for the three-month period ending on June 30, revealing a 31 percent drop in year-over-year earnings. The company reports a $16 million net loss for the second quarter of 2013, with quarterly revenue totaling $231 million. "The next few years will be a time of phenomenal growth in our space and Zynga has incredible assets to take advantage of the market opportunity," said Zynga's newly appointed CEO Don Mattrick. "To do that, we need to get back to basics and take a longer term view on our products and business, develop more efficient processes and tighten up execution all across the company." Mattrick continued: "We have a lot of hard work in front of us and as we reset, we expect to see more volatility in our business than we would like over the next two to four quarters." Follwing the release of this quarter's financial results, Zynga announced that it had dropped its plans to build a real-money online gambling business, which was originally set to launch this year. "Zynga is making the focused choice not to pursue a license for real money gaming in the United States," the company said in a statement. "Zynga will continue to evaluate all of its priorities against the growing market opportunity in free, social gaming, including social casino offerings." Zynga laid off 18 percent of its workforce in June, resulting in the closure of its studios in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and Dallas.
Gambling MMO Dragon's Tale prepares for beta
Gambling? On the internet? Perish the thought! Or don't perish it, because eGenesis would like to invite you to give it a try. The maker of A Tale in the Desert announced that it will begin the beta for Dragon's Tale on July 12th. Dragon's Tale isn't your traditional internet casino, however. There are quests, leveling, a mentor system, and a political system similar to A Tale in the Desert. It looks as though there will be plenty of minigames that swing between luck and skill, including cow tipping, fishing, and maze running. Players can use credit cards and Bitcoins to gamble, and the client will be available on Windows, Linux, and OSX. Lead Designer Andrew Tepper hopes that Dragon's Tale will create a bonding experience between players: "The first thing that stuck me about online gambling today is that it's a pretty lonely experience, typically one player in a web browser, watching a 2-D slot machine. I've taken what I've learned in the last 15 years building MMOs and for the first time applied that to gambling. I've created an intensely social world where players can explore the game world together, share techniques, and rely on each other as they level up by completing gambling quests." [Source: eGenesis press release]
The Daily Grind: What's the sneakiest cash-shop trick in MMO land?
Casino chain Harrah's could teach MMO cash shops a thing or two. The casino famously employs a complicated system of tracking and metrics to estimate when precisely an individual losing player will walk away from a gambling game... and right before that predicted moment arrives, employees swoop in with complimentary food and free currency to encourage the loser to stick around (and lose more, of course). I don't know of any MMOs that use this exact trick, but they certainly could. An MMO could easily track how many mobs you're willing to kill for a drop or how many lockboxes you're willing to buy before you stop playing and stop buying altogether, then trigger a drop custom-tailored for you just to keep you around. The thought of it is a little creepy but not entirely unwelcome after all the Dragon Chests I've opened to no avail lately. That day is not yet upon us, so today, we're wondering just what is the sneakiest cash-shop trick in MMO land? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Zynga's real money casino games double down in UK
UK residents over the age of 18 can now gamble at Zynga's real-money destinations ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino. The games are powered by bwin.party, which Zynga calls "one of the largest and most reputable real money gaming operators worldwide." The company plans to bring its virtual casino to Facebook and mobile in the UK this year."Our long term vision is to offer our players the next generation of real money games on multiple platforms in regulated markets worldwide," wrote Zynga Chief Revenue Officer Barry Cottle on the company's blog. "This is just the beginning for us and we're looking forward to seeing what our UK players think about ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino, and creating the most valuable casino games and social experiences for them."ZyngaPlusPoker is an online poker room with multiple levels of tournament buy-ins. ZyngaPlusCasino features over 160 slots, including the FarmVille slot machine, along with blackjack, roulette, baccarat and video poker. Both versions share a single wallet. And, not as a joke, we're going to slide this Gamblers Anonymous link here just in case.
ArcheAge player infiltrates casino, finds housing blueprint
Ready for some ArcheAge-style gambling? No, it's not lockboxes, but in-game casino gambling looks to be implemented on the game's Korean servers. An article on 2p.com has the details, which are somewhat premature since the author had to sneak into the closed facility via some crafty climbing and judicious use of glider wings. Inside he found a "spacious hall with lavish decoration" as well as slot machines and three types of exchange trophies, one of which was "obviously [a] blueprint of [a] house." If you're playing the Korean version of ArcheAge, you can check it out for yourself by following 2p.com's map which marks the location on the game's Fantasy Island. [Thanks Dengar!]
Wings Over Atreia: Aion adopts lockboxes
It was bound to happen. Rare is the free-to-play game that evades incorporating this quintessential cash-shop concoction. The good news is, if you entered a pool for when NCsoft would introduce lockboxes into Aion and your date was January 30th, congratulations -- you won! Of course, this may have been one pot that you were secretly hoping no one would ever claim; there are certainly those who have a deep-seated hatred for lockboxes and all they purportedly represent. Those who enjoy the random nature of that treasure, however, probably wondered what took so long. Love them or loathe them, lockboxes are a now permanent part of Atreia's landscape. But is that a good or a bad thing? Are lockboxes a fun feature or one step on that slippery slide toward nickel-and-diming players like a number of other F2P offerings? One of the best things Aion has going for it is the unique free-to-play mode that allows folks who choose not to pay to experience the same exact game as those who drop cash in the shop. Can Aion maintain its Truly Free philosophy while pushing lockboxes? I believe the answer is yes.
Zynga's online gambling initiative to launch in the UK next year
Zynga CEO Mark Pincus is making good on his promise to expand the social/mobile developer's grasp into the world of online gambling in the first half of 2013, according to Gamasutra. As expected, the roll-out will take place in Not America -- the United Kingdom, specifically.Facilitating this expansion is bwin.party Digital Entertainment, an existing online gambling operator that has partnered with Zynga to aid in its transition from fake addictions to the real deal. Zynga's first title in this new space will be a slots simulator based on the Farmville franchise, which may explain why the Zynga Slots team was the only one to survive this week's layoffs at Zynga Austin.
Wings Over Atreia: Bringing Lady Luck to Aion
I had a thought... now, don't look at me like that! I do have them! And I share them in Wings Over Atreia often. I won't always attest to their relevance, but I won't discount their existence! Boy, show a few strands of insanity and... wait where were we? Oh yes! My thought. So this week, my mind kept drifting back to the Mega Kinah Millions lottery going on now. I knew I wanted to point the event out to you guys before it closed, but something else about it was nagging at the edges of my mind. My thoughts meandered from contemplating the dream of winning all that moolah to why is the Shugo wearing a tux?, took a detour around mmm cake! and then ended up at gambling in Aion. That's when the idea hit me: Why settle for just a short-term fling with chance when you could have an all-out gambling smorgasbord? Aion is ripe for it! It's not as if gambling isn't inherent in the game anyway, with every Daeva taking part in it daily. I mean, just look at the RNG! Simply put, gambling could be quite a benefit to Aion; among other things, it could be a viable non-grinding pastime that brings more Daevas into the game. So why not ask Lady Luck to take up permanent residence?
The Daily Grind: Do you like in-game gambling?
Putting aside the thorny issue of lockboxes, let's turn our attention today on the subject of in-game gambling. I've noticed that more and more games are including some form of gambling, usually as minigames. From Fallen Earth's electronic blackjack to Star Trek Online's Dabo wheel, there seems to be no shortage of ways for players to waste double their currency. In-game gambling actually has a long association with computer and video game RPGs. I've never seen it as a legitimate money-maker so much as a pleasant distraction from combat and a tool for immersion. Plus, if the developers actually managed to create a good poker minigame out of it all, then it's like getting two games for the price of one! It might be hard to developers these days to keep microtransactions out of in-game gambling systems, but fortunately that's not a universal problem as of yet. Whether or not real money comes into the equation, do you enjoy gambling in your MMOs? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Zynga betting on real money-based gambling in games, starting in 2013
Zynga's getting into real money gambling in the first half of 2013, says CEO Mark Pincus. The company head announced as much during an investor call yesterday; he wasn't able to nail down where the service will launch first, as it'll need to pass various online gambling reviews before being allowed to go live. One thing's for sure: it's unlikely to launch in the US, as gambling is only allowed in a handful of US States.It stands to reason that the service will be implemented through games like, say, Zynga Poker, though Pincus wasn't saying anything concrete. Though "the first real-money gambling products are ready," it's unclear what they'll entail. Pincus called mobile games "a big opportunity," so we may see Zynga move on that first.And no, we refuse to entertain the idea that real money will be used to gamble on things like FarmVille. That is not a reality we are okay with.
The Perfect Ten: The truth about lockboxes
Call them lockboxes, lootboxes, super packs, gift packs, treasure boxes, mystic chests, or Chupacabra's lunchpails, but these virtual boxes of mystery, fame, and fortune are all the rage in MMOs these days. Few studios have resisted the siren's call of such easy money, much to the dismay of many-a-gamer. The idea is that a game will dish out to players free locked treasure boxes that require purchased keys to open. The allure of the box's mystery prize is often too strong to resist, especially when there's the possibility of a huge reward inside. The result too often is strong buyer's remorse and studio glee. There's been a lot of conversation around lockboxes here on Massively, so I wanted to dedicate this week's Perfect Ten to dissecting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of these items for you.
Ask Massively: We do not play games for a living edition
One of the most persistent misconceptions about what we do here at Massively is this idea that we play games for a living. Allow me to be perfectly clear in this: What you're seeing right now? This article? The one I wrote? Writing this is what I do for a living. I write about games, and I enjoy games, but if I decided to not write any of my columns for a month and just play Star Wars: The Old Republic, I would be fired. That is not my job. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for another installment of Ask Massively, this time featuring questions about gambling and the latest City of Heroes cash shop offering. If you've got a question you'd like to see in a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited for brevity and/or clarity.
Blizzard kills Diablo III's RMT to appease South Korea
Blizzard Entertainment made waves last year when it announced that Diablo III would be supporting real-money trading (RMT) through its in-game auction house system. While it proved to be a divisive topic among fans, apparently it was too much with the South Korean rating board, which sees such activities as potentially violating the country's anti-gambling rules. The board was quoted as saying that "the feature involving for-cash trades between users was not included in the presentation to the rating committee, and therefore it was not subjected to any scrutiny." To appease the board and pave the way for release, Blizzard has dropped the RMT auction house for the Korean version. The ratings board has warned the company not to sneak in the feature in a future patch and gave the title an 18 rating for the country. Interestingly enough this makes South Korea the first country to slap a rating on Diablo III to date.
Nexon, NCsoft refuse to fully cooperate with South Korean MMO gambling probe
South Korean MMO makers are under the Game Rating Board's microscope for allegedly obstructing an investigation related to MMORPG gambling. The ratings board has questions regarding real-world money transactions that offer a chance at valuable in-game items, and a veritable who's who of Korean development firms are refusing to fully cooperate, according to This Is Game. NCsoft, Nexon, and HanbitSoft are just a few of the companies mentioned in the report, and while the publishers have given up item names, costs, and other details related to the transactions, the companies are thus far refusing to divulge information on payout percentages. GRB chairman Soo Keun Lee says that his organization is simply trying to determine the legality of RMT transactions using a set of gambling standards adopted by South Korea in 2008. "Game companies ask us why GRB tries to touch their business model and [they] refuse our request[s]," he said.
The Lawbringer: Gambling in World of Warcraft
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Mathew McCurley takes you through the world running parallel to the games we love and enjoy, full of rules, regulations, pitfalls and traps. How about you hang out with us as we discuss some of the more esoteric aspects of the games we love to play? Casinos and player-run games of chance have been around in World of Warcraft since the game's launch, clogging chat channels with advertisements, creating numerous GM tickets because of player fraud, and generally being disruptive in the grand scheme of things. Then there are the gambling outfits within guilds, where we would bet who would die first on Nefarian attempts way back in 2005. I lost a lot of gold back then -- I'm still ashamed to admit it. This week on The Lawbringer, we're going to discuss WoW casinos, gambling within the game, and why Blizzard came down hard on player-run money games. The current policy on the books, so to speak, is that casinos are not allowed in WoW, as a disruption and potential scam for players. There is no way around it -- running a gambling or /roll game in chat will have you dealing with some serious retribution, especially doing it in the open. Today's topic, as usual, is spurred on by an email that I got asking a relatively straightforward question that has some nuance to it. This email comes from a digital bookie looking to make an addon that tracks bets based on real-world events.
The Soapbox: MMO slot machines
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. We are beginning to drown in a sea of MMOs that are shedding variety to mimic simplified slot machines. The danger in this is that MMO gameplay is becoming akin to gambling. Enjoyment of minute-to-minute gameplay is being replaced by hours of frustration unless we manage to match three-of-a-kind to get our loot drops. The success of the games isn't resting on the shoulders of enjoyable content but on the prizes to be won by schlepping through that content. We're letting developers know this not just by playing these games but by literally asking for more of the same. The result is that money flies into developers' hands while they skirt the boundaries of ethics by supplying "gameplay" soaked in habitual greed, delivering to players only the barest skeleton of an MMO.
Gold Capped: Will epic gems be prospectable from Pyrite Ore?
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aims to show you how to make money on the auction house. Email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! This week's gold blog spotlight is the JMTC guide to profiting with engineering. So far in Cataclysm, the best gems we can cut for gear are blue quality. They give 40 core stats, depending on the cut, and are obtained from prospecting Cataclysm level ores. Blizzard will, of course, eventually release epic gems. The question is when and how.
Hacker nets two years in jail after pilfering £7 million in virtual poker chips
Crime, it just doesn't pay. Well, actually it does, to the tune of £53,612, but then you get caught and you have to work off that salary with two years at Her Majesty's pleasure. One Ashley Mitchell, an enterprising 29-year old from Devon, England, managed to break into Farmville maker Zynga's mainframe, hijack the identities of two of its staffers, and procure for himself a cool £7 million ($11.4m) in virtual poker chips. He then proceeded to sell about a third of them for the above sum, while consuming a big chunk of the rest in satisfying his own gambling habit. Ashley already had a history of digital malfeasance, having previously hacked into the systems of Torbay Council, his former employer, and is now on the receiving end of a two-year prison term for his current crime plus the activation of a 30-week suspended sentence. There's a warning in this tale of woe for us all, however -- Monsieur Mitchell piggybacked on his neighbors' unsecured WiFi networks in order to do his dastardly deeds. Slap a password on that router, won't you?
