Comments on: Medium Pimpin’ http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/ Random Comments About Games and Tractors Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:39:59 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Quicklinks: Kenzo Judgment, Alpine Meadows, Game Entourages, Virtual Biglaw, Fair Use, DMCA Drama, Army Games, RMT in IEEE, and More… | Virtually Blind | Virtual Law http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11795 Quicklinks: Kenzo Judgment, Alpine Meadows, Game Entourages, Virtual Biglaw, Fair Use, DMCA Drama, Army Games, RMT in IEEE, and More… | Virtually Blind | Virtual Law Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:00:58 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11795 [...] You can now hire a virtual entourage to hang with in some games. Gamepal refers to this as — I am not making this up — an “escort service.” Apparently they’ve not ever flipped through the “E” section in major metro yellow pages (or logged into Second Life, for that matter) where the term has a rather different connotation. I found this one via Broken Toys, which ran the item under the truly inspired headline, Medium Pimpin’. [...] [...] You can now hire a virtual entourage to hang with in some games. Gamepal refers to this as — I am not making this up — an “escort service.” Apparently they’ve not ever flipped through the “E” section in major metro yellow pages (or logged into Second Life, for that matter) where the term has a rather different connotation. I found this one via Broken Toys, which ran the item under the truly inspired headline, Medium Pimpin’. [...]

]]> By: Marcus Eikenberry http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11796 Marcus Eikenberry Sat, 15 Dec 2007 04:34:19 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11796 Actually. I think some people would be very attracted to this service. You may consider them to be social rejects. But service like this happen in the real world as well. How many personal assistants are paid to hang out with their boss? I'm sure we could also come up with other examples. A service like this is actually something I could really get behind. I'm not a huge fan of Gamepal's customer service. But the idea is very good. I think though that they may have to use accounts they have for sale to have the ability to service all servers / games. I'm most likely a bit biased because I do like the RMT business. Does anyone think that there would be bannings for hiring a buddy? Or that there are other issues of how this could harm the game? Actually. I think some people would be very attracted to this service. You may consider them to be social rejects. But service like this happen in the real world as well. How many personal assistants are paid to hang out with their boss? I’m sure we could also come up with other examples.

A service like this is actually something I could really get behind. I’m not a huge fan of Gamepal’s customer service. But the idea is very good. I think though that they may have to use accounts they have for sale to have the ability to service all servers / games.

I’m most likely a bit biased because I do like the RMT business. Does anyone think that there would be bannings for hiring a buddy? Or that there are other issues of how this could harm the game?

]]> By: yunk http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11797 yunk Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:50:32 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11797 What they don't tell you, is they purchased someone else's beta software and are retooling it. Here is a picture of your buddy that gives you helpful advice: http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2007/04/gallery_mascots/clippy.jpg What they don’t tell you, is they purchased someone else’s beta software and are retooling it. Here is a picture of your buddy that gives you helpful advice:

http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2007/04/gallery_mascots/clippy.jpg

]]> By: Axecleaver http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11803 Axecleaver Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:30:40 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11803 If you RTFA, it just sounds like your standard "pay us to play your toon" services. The difference was you could write in freeform requests and they'd send you back a price. So you could say, "I want you to get an 1800 arena rating for me," or maybe "I want you to flood the auction house with large brilliant shards at rock bottom prices for eight hours". But the other ideas about "find me 4 other players to get through this stupid 5-man quest I have" would probably get you a quote, too. If you RTFA, it just sounds like your standard “pay us to play your toon” services. The difference was you could write in freeform requests and they’d send you back a price. So you could say, “I want you to get an 1800 arena rating for me,” or maybe “I want you to flood the auction house with large brilliant shards at rock bottom prices for eight hours”.

But the other ideas about “find me 4 other players to get through this stupid 5-man quest I have” would probably get you a quote, too.

]]> By: IanB http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11802 IanB Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:28:51 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11802 There are (and have been for years at this point) raiding guilds that sell the 25th (used to be like, the 36th through 40th) slots in their raids for in-game gold to people, for content they have on farm, at least on my server. I expect many, if not most servers, have similar activity. There are (and have been for years at this point) raiding guilds that sell the 25th (used to be like, the 36th through 40th) slots in their raids for in-game gold to people, for content they have on farm, at least on my server. I expect many, if not most servers, have similar activity.

]]> By: Friday Hilarity, MMO Style | Random Battle http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11814 Friday Hilarity, MMO Style | Random Battle Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:53:19 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11814 [...] we have WoW’s first major “escort” service, courtesy of Lum. The service itself isn’t anything new, but it’s usually more of a Second Life thing. [...] [...] we have WoW’s first major “escort” service, courtesy of Lum. The service itself isn’t anything new, but it’s usually more of a Second Life thing. [...]

]]> By: Viz http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11813 Viz Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:50:21 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11813 "about why PVP shouldn’t be based soley gear." It's not; race and class also play roles! “about why PVP shouldn’t be based soley gear.”

It’s not; race and class also play roles!

]]> By: Wanderer http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11812 Wanderer Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:04:29 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11812 There are times (mostly when I'm kissing floor for the fifth time in a row on the same boss) that I've fantasized about winning the lottery and hiring the 24 best WoW players out there to raid with me. Sometimes you just want to play in godmode for a while. But ... God help us all ... <i>hiring</i> someone to be your gaming buddy? That's all the jokes about us being anti-social loners living in basements made flesh, right there. What they want, though, isn't a buddy. Buddy-hood is a two-way street. I'm reminded of the helicopter parent who insisted, before sending her precious snowflake to another snowflake's birthday party, that someone be present whose sole purpose for being there was to entertain her child. Mutuality has been lost. It's not about people having fun together; it's about people having fun alone, with other people hired to entertain them. The sad part is that some of the most fun stuff I've done in WoW (and many other games) has been helping <i>other</i> people on quests that I didn't need myself. Instead of the stress of "I've got to get this thing done or I'll never get my Thingie of Uberness" it's just kicking back, kicking ass, and not bothering to take names. There's a bond of friendship between people who have done things together, even if it's just killing Hogger, that's a big part of the fun of the game. And that's something you just can't buy. There are times (mostly when I’m kissing floor for the fifth time in a row on the same boss) that I’ve fantasized about winning the lottery and hiring the 24 best WoW players out there to raid with me. Sometimes you just want to play in godmode for a while.

But … God help us all … hiring someone to be your gaming buddy? That’s all the jokes about us being anti-social loners living in basements made flesh, right there.

What they want, though, isn’t a buddy. Buddy-hood is a two-way street. I’m reminded of the helicopter parent who insisted, before sending her precious snowflake to another snowflake’s birthday party, that someone be present whose sole purpose for being there was to entertain her child. Mutuality has been lost. It’s not about people having fun together; it’s about people having fun alone, with other people hired to entertain them.

The sad part is that some of the most fun stuff I’ve done in WoW (and many other games) has been helping other people on quests that I didn’t need myself. Instead of the stress of “I’ve got to get this thing done or I’ll never get my Thingie of Uberness” it’s just kicking back, kicking ass, and not bothering to take names. There’s a bond of friendship between people who have done things together, even if it’s just killing Hogger, that’s a big part of the fun of the game. And that’s something you just can’t buy.

]]> By: LanTheWarder http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11811 LanTheWarder Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:31:08 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11811 I could see it being useful. I'm sure it costs way more than you could ever get out of it, but I don't doubt that someone with more cash than sense would pay 19 other people to come raid with him. Luckily I replaced my free money with a wife :-P. I could see it being useful. I’m sure it costs way more than you could ever get out of it, but I don’t doubt that someone with more cash than sense would pay 19 other people to come raid with him.

Luckily I replaced my free money with a wife :-P .

]]> By: Freak’s Blog Pot #4 « The MMO Freak http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/comment-page-1/#comment-11798 Freak’s Blog Pot #4 « The MMO Freak Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:56:42 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2007/12/13/medium-pimpin/#comment-11798 [...] Medium Pimpin’ [...] [...] Medium Pimpin’ [...]

]]>