Daddy Gamer

It’s not enough to make billions of dollars selling video games. PC and video game companies are also looking into creative ways to get the most out of their titles. I’m seeing a lot of revenue models being tested and I’m not really sure how they’re going to pan out.
[Out of left field]

Kwari, based out of Gibraltar, plans to make money buy selling ammo to players of their online first-person shooter, Kwari. The plan is to hook gamers into making cash as they takedown other players and acquire items in the mayhem. The concept is very intriguing from a technical standpoint but I’m not intrigued enough to jump in as a gamer. Plus, Kwari is not available to U.S. gamers at this time.

Cheating will always be a factor when you start throwing money in the mix. Kwari states that their Big World game engine and security test framework should weed out this issue. Hmmmm… impregnable cheat blocker? *thinking* Let’s not forget the gambling implications. Players are not only shooting for points and rankings but are also forking out the ante by buying ammo in the hopes of acquiring cash and the big pot.

[Freemium games]

Ahhh… here comes the buzz words! IGA, Id’s advergaming partner actually coined this term to say free-to-play premium games. I CAP’ed (cut-and-pasted) this from Id’s press release:

QUAKE LIVE offers game players of all skill levels a totally free and easily accessible multiplayer game and community through a single website at quakelive.com. Every element of the experience, including friends lists and communication, sponsored events and tournaments, matchmaking, stats tracking, and even the game itself is accessed and delivered free of charge through the web browser.

Quake via a web browser powered by advertising? I think this is a viable, more acceptable revenue model. We do this now with TV shows. Why not video games? And as long as I’m not firing Pepsi bottle caps at my opponents or peppering them with Burger King french fries, I think I can live with advertising in my free premium games.