Xbox 360
With the coming of online gaming, it seems that every developer under the sun wants to incorporate multiplayer modes into their new title. With everyone having a stab at it, the law of averages tells us that there are bound to be a slew of games featuring tacked-on multiplayer modes that feel more like an after-thought than an actual core element of the finished product. However, there are some multiplayer games that transcend the levels of mediocrity and deliver something that truly extends the staying power of a game, often a year to several years after its initial release.
When you think about the great competitive games released in recent years, you may cite Halo, Street Fighter IV, Call of Duty, Gears of War, Fifa as some of the industry's best. If so, then you are certainly not alone. Pro gaming leagues also agree and while competitive gaming is not new, it has always been wrongly labelled as a proving ground for the geeky, no-life stereotype. This couldn't be further from the truth however, as the competitive arena really has become a place for the everyman hopeful looking to make a name for themself in the industry, a wodge of cash and making their hobby a job.
Toronto-based World Gaming (http://www.worldgaming.com) is one of the newer entities in the competitive gaming circuit that looks to revolutionalise the way gamers make money and earn celebrity-like status through playing, featuring a close-knit community made up of like-minded gamers from all walks of life. We caught up with Vice President Zack Zeldin to discover where the future of the multiplayer lies. Zack explains the conception of World Gaming: "Myself and president Billy Levy were always very entreprenurial, we set up a number of business after meeting in university, but in our spare time we would play video games, that was our culture, it was what our friendship was based on. It was a very integral part of our lives, until one new year's day we were all hungover and groggy and Billy decided that he wanted to prove to our friends that he was the best at Madden. I said, 'Billy, I beat you four times in a row, I refuse to play you unless it's for money and surprisingly he said ok."
Needless to say, Billy put his money where his mouth was and the duo conceptualised the notion of an accessible and transparent platform for others to throw down and play games for capital gain.
The idea was bandied around their group of friends and the reaction was entirely positive. World Gaming was then born, although the road to launching the platform was not without issue. Zack explains "We spent about 16 months preparing the business model, financial backbone and we were trying to raise money. Just as we started to raise cash, Gambling UA, the popular gambling business development company, gets hit. All of our hot leads picked up their morning and saw that gambling was now illegal in the states. Most of them took their stock in us and ran."
Undeterred, Zack and Billy sought legal opinion and argued that World Gaming was legitimate, as games of skill are deemed legal by UA itself. The courts quickly u-turned their decision and World Gaming is now available in all but nine American states and 130 countries worldwide. No mean feat we're sure you will agree. After meeting with some investors in Toronto, the deal was sealed and the service has been growing rapidly, with more and more gamers stepping up to the plate.
But how does it work? Zack explains: "Using a sophisticated verification system, members who have challenged each other at a game don't have to come back to our site to claim their winnings. World Gaming does that automatically. We are really taking away all of those 'stressers' from the experience and saying 'don't worry about whether your opponent is going to try and register a false win' and gives gamers piece of mind, particularly as their hard-earned money is at stake."
Every problem that the team could possibly envision was taken into consideration before cutting the red tape and launching. The service you see now is the product of months of intensive usability testing and gathering feedback. Zack continues, "Billy and myself do not come from a tech background. We're very jealous of people who do of course *laughs* but that it was hard for us in the beginning to really prepare. We let more technically-minded people help us out at first and then began to reel everything back in-house as we got comfortable with what we were making."
Since launching on April 9th of this year, the site has amassed a whopping 10,000+ users from around the world and there are regular cash challenges and events for users to enjoy. Of course, there is also the option for members to play for free and there is absolutely no pressure on gamers to dip into their pockets. Although the feeling is that players are warming to the idea with a total of around $200,000 won through games so far.
Despite such a massive following already, it's understandable that you wont have heard of the site yet, with good reason. Ever a man to think rationally, Zack explains: "While we are growing, we didn't want to market the site just yet. We looked at the competitive games that are coming out this year and as always, the fourth quarter of the release schedule is the busiest. In the states we have NCAA football, Madden, NBA, Fifa and so on. at the moment we've opted to grow virally and through grassroots methods."
Speaking to Zack, it is clear that he transcends the stereotype of the businessman who sets up a gaming company without coming from a gaming background himself. He clearly has a passion for games and from the sounds of it, loves kicking ten shades out of his mates on Madden, being something of a self-proclaimed ninja at the game. So just what will the site offer die-hards like Zack?
Zack elaborates: "With World Gaming, when you register, you know your opponent it over the age of 18 and not some 13 year old kid in Nebraska who likes to scream and swear down the microphone. You can play with like-minded people who are probably going to take the game more seriously and you will get more competitive game out of it. Altogether, we offer our users social networking and competitive gaming with people just like you."
The popularity of World Gaming has skyrocketed as a result of this desire to deliver an accessible and pure competitive experience without all the griefers, early-quitters and other trouble-makers that often make online gaming a thorn in the side of the current generation. Finally, it is trying to up the ante for the players who excel ahead of the pack, by making it possible to attain celebrity status through playing.
One example is the World Gaming member who was so good at Fifa, that he now plays the competitive circuit and is currently collaborating with EA on Fifa 10. World Gaming wants to see pro-gamers become entities in their own right, allowing users who continue to perform well at one game to be invited to create hints and tips videos and become featured players who are paid by World Gaming for their expertise. Not bad for just playing a few games.
Check out the site, give it a whirl and start on your path to becoming a pro...if you think you're good enough of course.