Kotaku: cash

Electronic Arts Tests Journalists' Greed With Cash

Brian Crecente — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:00 MDT

Not one to back away from controversy, Electronic Arts today mailed out real checks payable to game reviewers for $200.

Each check, mailed in wooden boxes decorated with twin skeletons and the words Dante's Inferno, was affixed to a velvet pillow inside a box. Inside the top of the box is a welcome to the fourth circle of hell which reads:

In Dante's Inferno, Greed is a two-headed beast. Hoarding wealth feeds on beast and squandering it satiates the other. By cashing this check you succumb to avarice by harding filthy lucre, but by not cashing it, you waste it, and thereby surrender to prodigality. Make your choice and suffer the consequence for your sin. And scoff not, for consequences are imminent.

Not wanting to give in to temptation by cashing the check or using it to market Kotaku, or waste the money, we came up with a different solution. Balls in your court EA.

Blizzard Launches Global WoW Arena Tournaments

Mike Fahey — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:20:45 MST

If you're one of those obnoxious World of Warcraft players always bragging in general chat about how much ass you kick in the PVP arena, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. No no, stop stuffing dollar bills up your ass - what I mean is Blizzard is launching a new type of Global Arena Tournament, where for a buy in price ($20 USD) players can hop on a special realm, create a level 70 with epic gear, and battle it out 3-vs.-3 style for a chance at a $75,000 grand prize.

"eSports is one of the most exciting facets of online gaming today," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased to expand World of Warcraft's tournament options for players who want to focus mainly on the competitive aspect of the game."

Tournaments are scheduled to begin in April with online qualifiers in Europe, South Korea, North America, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Hit the jump for the full details complete with a run down of the fabulous cash and prizes up for grabs.

Blizzard Entertainment® Announces New Global World Of Warcraft® Arena Tournament Format
2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournaments to feature competition on dedicated regional tournament realms and more than $200,000 in cash prizes

PARIS, France. - Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans to launch a new type of tournament competition using the Arena System in World of Warcraft®, its popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The tournaments will take place on special realms that allow competitors to instantly create level-70 characters with epic equipment, placing the focus on tactics and execution rather than normal adventuring.

"eSports is one of the most exciting facets of online gaming today," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased to expand World of Warcraft's tournament options for players who want to focus mainly on the competitive aspect of the game."

The tournaments are scheduled to start in April with two rounds of online qualifiers in Europe, South Korea, North America, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Each qualifier round will have a per-competitor entry fee - 15€/£12 in Europe; 20,000 won in South Korea; $20 in North America; and NT$450 in the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau - and will run for six weeks. During this time, teams will play 3-vs.-3 matches on the tournament realm in their region, with the top four teams from each round advancing to the regional finals to compete for more than $27,000 in cash prizes. Winners from each region will then be invited to a global championship event to compete for $120,000 in cash prizes, including a $75,000 grand prize.

Valve Gets Into Skill-Based Gaming For Cash

Maggie Greene — Sat, 05 May 2007 14:30:46 MDT

UK-based tournament.com has announced a deal with Valve Software to be the provider for play-for-cash/skill-based tournaments for Half-Life 2 and Counter-strike, following two formats: "a 6 player tournament where players each put in $3.60 and an $18 pot is split between the three top finishers" and "an open, continuous tournament where players win $1 if they kill someone and lose $1 if they are killed ...."

PlayNoEvil has an interesting analysis up on the potential problems with this format - and points out that cheating gets a whole new purpose: "Cheating is different when money is involved. While hackers may share cheats for these games in online forums when it is 'just for fun'. The rules change once money is involved. The value of attacking the game goes from being an ego-boost to money in your pocket." Maggie Greene

Valve Software gets into Skill-based Gaming for Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike in deal with Tournament.com - Risks and Rewards [PlayNoEvil]

Black Market Animal Crossing Bells

Brian Crecente — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 01:00:35 MST

Yesterday we pointed out a site that allows Animal Crossing DS players to sell their virtual goods for bells, and bemoaned the fact that you couldn't buy the actual bells themselves.

Fortunately, our readers are much more resourceful than we are. Jonathon points us to PGCurrency.com.

Right now, the going rate is 100,000 bells per U.S. dollar, though you have to buy at least a million bells. The price drops as you up the quantity. I may have to crack open AC and dig into this burgeoning black market.

Eventually, the site hopes to trade in all forms of virtual cash for portable gaming systems, but I don't think there are any others to deal with yet. Though if anyone wants some free bullets, they can join me in SOCOM PSP and I can give them a few headfuls.

PG Currency [Site]