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The Kwari model: Can RMT be taken to the next level?
I was in the bathroom the other day, reading Games for Windows (because let's be honest, where else would anybody read GfW?) and they had an article on an extremely interesting, though vaguely troubling new shooter called Kwari. Its basic premise is that players pony up a small amount of cash, the amount varying depending on the stakes of the game, and players lose or gain a portion of the pot based on their fragging prowess. Or to put it more simply, it's like online poker, but instead of cards, there are bullets. Designer Eddie Gill of Kwari Limited was hoping that in adding a financial incentive to the basic shooter model, it would result in an experience that was much more intense for the players involved. And if he took in a cut of the profits as well, what's the harm? By all accounts, Kwari utterly fails at delivering an engaging shooter experience, so whatever sociological implications the game would have had were rendered moot because of sloppiness on the developer's part. Still, this perception that online games could be tweaked to be a form of online gambling got me thinking. Is this business model just a developer supported real-money transaction (RMT) scheme, or is it even deeper down the rabbit hole of Shylock-esque shamelessness?
Today's worst video? One word: Kwari
As a concept, Kwari is unintentionally hilarious. The game's entire premise rests on luring players in with the promise of cash and prizes. Earn money every time you shoot another player in this online first-person-shooter, and lose money every time you get shot. In addition, special prizes will be given to players throughout each match, both randomly and based on certain skills demonstrated.And it's free, too! The catch? Well, that it's not actually free. As the unnecessarily gory, ugly trailer will barely tell you, Kwari players need to purchase their ammunition with real-world money. Run out of bullets mid-battle? We're fairly certain that Kwari will allow you to fork over more cash with just the click of a button.Of course, don't take our word for it. Check out the NSFW trailer -- entitled "Your 5 Steps to Kwari Heaven" -- after the break.
Kwari pays you to shoot people, not get shot
It's rare that games do well once money is introduced as a reward. It's almost as if people have said something for centuries about business and pleasure and what a bad idea it is to mix them. Kwari is an FPS (and a company) looking to break that mold. You'll buy ammunition (they beat you to it Microsoft!) but you'll also pay a stake to enter a game. At that point, your health bar is your bankroll, and every shot that that hits you deducts money from your account and adds it to the shooter's. Imagine a game where every gun fires utility bills.Sure, this all sounds like, well, a nightmare. But it's a nightmare that won't even get off the ground if the game isn't fun. Kwari puts our minds at ease though, saying the game was "developed using some of the most advanced technology available to ensure total financial infallibility fused with benchmark playability." Benchmark playability, people. What are you waiting for? Beta registration is up now!
