Kwari

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Online Multiplayer
Developer: Micro Forté

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'Kwari' - 20 New Screens & Trailer

by Rainier on Nov. 2, 2007 @ 10:02 a.m. PDT

Kwari is an FPS where players make money off each other in real-time. The game will be free to download online, but instead of being subscription-based it will use a unique free-to-play/pay-to-play model whereby Kwari sells the player ammunition.

Get the Kwari Trailer off WP (45mb)

Kwari’s game of the same name is a first-person shooter (FPS) with a difference; players make money off each other in real-time. The game will ultimately be free to download online, but instead of being subscription-based it will use a unique free-to-play/pay-to-play model whereby Kwari sells the player ammunition in place of flat rate charges or monthly subscriptions.

The skill-based game has been built from the ground up around the concept of money changing hands at a tremendously fast rate, and was developed using some of the most advanced technology available to ensure total financial infallibility fused with benchmark playability.

Gamers playing Kwari for cash set up an account, are matched on the basis of skill, and enter a game at a pre agreed stake level ranging from one cent to one dollar a hit. During the four-round matches (3x 16-player maps, 1x 64-player last man standing map called ‘The Killing Floor’) every time a player hits another, money is decremented from the target’s stake and added to the shooter’s. In a way, the player’s money stake mirrors their in-game health, except it’s exchanged from one player to another.

There are also jackpot prizes which require keys to unlock. These jackpots are fed by self-inflicted damage sustained by the players in all games being played globally. For example, if a player jumps from the top of an arena or takes damage from a hazard, their stake is decremented and this feeds into the jackpots, which are then released hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly - the latter are expected to pay out millions of dollars. Most importantly; all money paid in to the game by players is won out of the game by players.

Being a game of skill, how much money a player can win depends partially on their in-game performance. So to ensure a level playing field, all games are skill-matched so that only players of equal ability are able to compete.

Every time you hit another player in Kwari you make money. Every time you are hit by another player it costs you. Every shot counts. How much is down to the stake level you play in. But this is not the only way to win.

Doing damage to yourself, breaking crates, using certain map features, picking up additional weapons, or health packs may have a fractional cost attached. This is then spread between a series of jackpots, prizes and awards available in the game, all of which can be won by any player, regardless of the skill or stake level of game they prefer to play.

At no point, however, does Kwari take any of this money. 100% of the cash generated through playing the game goes back to the players in the form of prizes.

The most frequent of these prizes is The Pill Jackpot, which is split between the player who carries The Pill the longest, and the player who finishes the round holding The Pill.

Other jackpots in the game are won by collecting Kwari keys, which spawn regularly in the game until the prize has been won. Jackpots increase in size depending on the number of keys required to win them and the time period over which they are released, ranging from one hour to six months. Once a Jackpot has been won, the key series begins again and the prize fund for that Jackpot begins building up again. Kwari keys can be found inside various crates scattered throughout the game, but that’s not all they contain. Crates can carry pickups, weapons or even cash prizes as well as jackpot keys.

In addition, as you become more experienced at Kwari you will receive tasks to complete in the game which will earn you a cash bonus. These tasks can be completed in a single round or over many evening’s worth of play and they stay with you until they are completed.

Kwari offers a significant number of ways for players to win, which means there are a wide range of tactics to be employed – and it’s not simply a case of who’s the best FPS player.

Maybe you’re a highly skilled shooter gamer who prefers to make money from other players by excessive use of the rocket launcher. Perhaps you prefer a more stealthy approach, and make your winnings from picking off crates and taking their contents when nobody is watching. You might rather get the adrenaline rush of being the Pill carrier. All these tactics work well, and undoubtedly you will find the right method to make a killing in Kwari.

At no point does the house take any of this cash – if you win it, it’s yours. You can get your winnings back to your real bank balance easily and quickly.

The game is free to download, you’ll need ammunition and this is the only place Kwari charges for anything. Think of us as your virtual arms dealer – we supply you with ammo (which works in all weapons) for a fixed cost. Depending on your style of play the amount of ammo you use will vary.

The game will be available for download towards the end of the year. Until then, the company has opened a sign-up website for the beta test program starting next week at www.kwari.com.


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