Kwari launches â??anti-social FPSâ??

Kwari, a London-based developer and publisher, has announced its new multiplayer online gaming service: a first-person shooter where players win and lose money with every shot.

The game, also called Kwari, is subscription-free and available as a no-cost download, but requires players to put down a ‘stake’ when they enter an arena. Shooting other players awards you money from their stake, and conversely players lose money for every hit they take.

Kwari claims that this dynamic changes the social networks that typically form around online games, causing players to favour anonymity and self-segregation when their own money is at stake.

“Money changes everything,” said Eddie Gill, founder and creator of Kwari.

“I wanted to create something that had more of a buzz than a traditional FPS. The concept of playing for money is not a new one. However, these games tend to be an existing multiplayer game with a cash prize tagged on the end, much like clan tournaments, which means only a minority walk away with cash winnings – and usually a small amount at that.”

“This is an inevitable evolution for online gaming,” added Al King, global marketing director for Kwari. “Like most skill-based or competitive games, once played at a professional level or where money is involved, it’s unappealing to return to an amateur status.”