You Talk a Good Game, So BringIt!

Written by Tom Tuesday, 23 June 2009 02:23

You Talk a Good Game, So BringIt! | Editorials - Loading Reality

I can recall that back in the good old days I found myself standing in many an arcade lamenting with my friends the fact that, in spite of our obvious skill, we always ended up leaving poorer than when we walked in. To be sure, we understood that arcades were in the business of taking our money, but it always seemed to us that there should be some kind of reward for the truly excellent. You see, my circle of friends was big on competition. So much so, in fact, that one summer, we even went so far as to set up a ranking system for our street football and driveway basketball “leagues”. Admittedly, this system collapsed as soon as I began running my excellent D&D campaigns, but given our ages, it was impressive, nonetheless.

For some reason we never went so far as to set up a system of ranking for our console gaming, which was no less competitive. But we did occasionally play for the last soda or slice of pizza or, when times were good, a big fountain drink from the nearby convenience store. That it never occurred to us to increase the stakes can probably be chalked up to our youthful naiveté and our meager financial resources. Had my group of friends persisted into the present day, however, I have no doubt we’d be competing more seriously than ever and with more on the line than just some snacks and our egos. It’s hardly surprising, then, that it was with no small amount of interest that I took the opportunity to learn more about the competitive gaming community known as BringIt.

Do you think you’re a gaming badass? Are you not at all modest when describing your gaming prowess? Would your friends consider you a talker of nonstop smack? Well, how cocky would you be if you were playing for keeps? The folks at BringIt might just offer an answer to this last question. BringIt offers gamers the chance to pit their gaming skills against those of the competition with real money on the line. And in an increasing connected gaming world where competition is around every corner, it promises to separate the wheat from the chaff.

We at LR recently had the opportunity to perform a Q&A session with BringIt’s VP of Marketing, Austin Smith. We’ll leave it to the readers to decide whether they have what it takes to step up to the competitive plate, but for those who think they have the moxy to put hard earned dough on the line, the following should be an interesting read.

Loading Reality: Tell our readers about BringIt. What gave you the idea to facilitate competitive gaming for cash?

BringIt: In college at U-W Madison, the winters were cold and we were often cooped up in our rooms gaming well into the night. At that time, like most competitive youngsters, we all thought we were the best at Goldeneye, Mario Kart, Madden etc.. We had to up the ante to see who could put up or shut up when something real was on the line - like pizza, beer, or cash. When I graduated I continued to play video games, but missed the competitive feeling I’d get when I’d play someone for something real. I wondered if there was some way we could do it over the internet. After some research and a lot of testing and talking to the gaming community, BringIt was born.

LR: To date, which games have been most popular among the BringIt community?

BI: Well, it’s cool to see so many different games going down at any given point on the site. But, like you might imagine, Madden, NHL, FIFA, both Call of Duties, UFC, and Halo are all HUGE.

halo

LR: On your web site you’ve wisely put a customer service program in place to aid in dispute resolution. How often are you confronted with conflicting accounts of game outcomes, and how much difficulty does your customer service department have in resolving them?

BI: Issues do arise from time to time, but we knew they would. That’s why we have a well thought out dispute resolution system, 24/7 live support, and member feedback. We also have ASR, or Auto Score Reporting which the users really enjoy – the ASR system sends the scores of the game directly from the user’s consoles to BringIt upon completion. Members who may try to break the rules are fined and will be banned from competitive play on the site.

We also focus on member satisfaction and that is why we have the 24/7 live support as a resource for anyone with questions and inquiries. We have created the safest and securest gaming environment possible. I think that’s the only way it can work, and I know we offer that to our members.

LR: EA already provides an Auto Score Reporting feature. Can you see a day coming when such a feature will be commonplace? That is, can you see game developers actively cooperating with organizations like yours?

BI: The ASR is an awesome feature and something we have built it to make the user experience the best it can be. I am not really sure if the Auto Score Reporting will become commonplace. The eBay-like player feedback system which we have created really allows the community to police itself and weed out any bad apples. We have an open dialogue with the game developers and are continuously talking about how we can work together to give the consumer the best experience.

LR: One thought that comes immediately to mind when I think of playing games for money is that it might take the fun out of gaming. Do you think this presents a problem, or is the average BringIt gamer simply the type who goes in for putting a bit of skin in the game?

BI: All you have to do is ask one of our users who spends on average four hours a day on the site if there is any fun left! Gamers who have spent countless hours honing their craft at a video game, which takes time, intelligence, wit, and skill, deserve a chance to make this REAL like any other sport. There is no better feeling than being victorious and having something to show for it! I’ve played games for fun since I was five and this is just how I prefer to play now: with a little money on the line. It takes it to the next level, and in many people’s opinions makes it even more fun.

LR: In spite of some attempts to reach out to the other half of the population, gaming still seems to appeal mainly to males. Do your customer demographics follow this trend and do you believe competitive gaming can hold the same appeal for women as it does for men?

BI: We have seen a surprising amount of female on the site, particularly in the First Person Shooter genre. Look at Ubisoft’s Frag Dolls: they have helped bring females to front of competitive gaming. If getting a fair match is a concern, we have our proprietary algorithmic skill ranking system which, much like the BCS Rankings, creates transparency and levels the playing field so that users can match up against their opponent. We also just added a “badge” system based off your BringIt Ranking which allows users of different abilities to play in specially locked tournaments just for novices, rookies, pros, veterans, and experts. It’s great because casual gamers like me can get in on the action and still have a chance to win.

LR: I noticed while perusing your site that in a few states, including my home state of Florida, competitive gaming for money is not allowed. Is there any way for you to reach out to gamers in these states, or do the legal hurdles simply make it impossible?

BI: As of right now, if you live in one of those 11 states, you can’t compete in ANY skilled based gaming – chess, backgammon, etc. These laws apply to skill based games on the internet of any sort, not just video games.

florida

LR: Will you some day host tournaments where many gamers pay into a pot and the top performers walk away with large prizes from that pot?

BI: You bet. We are always getting creative with our tournament prizes. We actually have a Madden 09 tournament open right for entry right now for an iPod touch. We also run free tournaments for our members from time to time for really cool BringIt swag.

LR: Would you consider cooperation with competitive gaming venues such as arcades and LAN gaming centers? For example, say I owned a gaming center and I wanted to hold a Street Fighter IV tournament, but I didn’t want to deal with all the organization. Could I turn to BringIt to handle the pot for me and so on?

BI: We help out at different tournaments all the time – Major events, LAN centers, universities, fraternities, charity events. People have really attached themselves to the brand, so we love to donate gear, cash prizes, etc. to help beef up the prize pool at tournaments. We are also partnering up with large websites and organizations to host tournaments online for unique prizes. We make it real easy because we already have the NCAA style brackets, challenge population technology, safe and secure transactions, 24/7 live support, and the full back end.

LR: Have you considered a gift card program? It’s funny to think of handing a gift card over to one of my friends with a note attached reading, “Don’t get too attached. I’ll be taking this back on Saturday.”

BI: We are launching a BringIt store that will allow our members to purchase exclusive BringIt gear, giftcards, dogtags, hats, bags... you name it.

LR: In the future, can we look forward to BringIt playing host to special events, perhaps coinciding with big game release dates?

BI: We will always be hosting huge events on the site with game releases. When UFC Undisputed launched, we partnered up with several different MMA companies and offered dirt cheap tournaments for awesome MMA apparel. As far as huge LAN, broadcasted, mega tournaments… let’s just say we have a close relationship with Konvict records and something could be right around the corner.

With a presence and user base that is established and growing, BringIt offers a great opportunity gamers with a competitive streak the chance to earn some money at the expense of those over whom they dominate. So if you find your friends refusing to play with you anymore on account of your untouchable level of skill with a certain game, maybe it’s time to step it up to a new level of competition. If you think you’ve got what it takes to compete more seriously, we at LoadingReality urge you to join the BringIt community. If the idea of parting with cash makes you squirm, however, maybe you should think twice next time before talking trash.

Registration is free and painless. Set up your account over at BringIt, via the link and image below, and start playing.