By Garrett Fuller, Industry Relations

We here at Ten Ton Hammer have covered Kwari in the past. A game that is skill based and involves gambling in a first person shooter style of play. Intent is an understatement when talking about Kwari. You do not bleed red liquid when shot, you bleed coins. Those coins may appear virtual, but they are real. Weapons, scenarios, fighting it out with other players all in the name of making money is the essence of Kwari. In June, Kwari is coming to the U.S. game market.

At GDC 2008 we had a chance to sit down with Al King who handles the marketing for Kwari. Al is a legend in the business and one of the best guys to interview, especially about a game of this caliber. Kwari pulls no punches, it hides nothing. You log in, buy your bullets, choose your weapons, and go fight for cash. There are several different weapons that players can choose from and away you go. As you shoot and fight it our, you will see the dollars and cents either going up or going down on your screen. It may sound crazy right, well Al was quick to tell us that the game has been doing very well over seas and player reaction has been overwhelming.

Ever watch a Football game? The Super Bowl perhaps, it is definitely exciting. Now put a twenty dollar bet on the game, has it become more exciting? Not only are you cheering for your team, you now have the chance to walk away with an extra twenty dollars. Are you good at shooters? Would you be willing to bet on it? That is the design that Kwari follows. Do not worry, starting up in the game is inexpensive and to be honest Kwari keeps the stakes low so you can have fun without losing the rent money. Also there is a free to play area that you can try out without spending a dime. What Kwari aims for is a fast paced intense game play experience enhanced by the fact that real money is involved.

Al explained that the game got permission from the thirty seven states that allow gambling because it is skill based. A similar legal journey that online poker sites have to go through, once it is determined that the game is balanced and skill would determine a winner can Kwari be compared to games like poker or blackjack. Trust me there is more to it than that, but basically that is the theory in a nut shell. Now that things seem to be balanced over here in the states, the game is set to launch in June. Players will be able to log in and check out the first person shooter interface. Get comfortable with the set up and buy the bullets they need to start out.

If you go to the Kwari web site you will see that Sinister tops the list of combatants. The reason his earnings are so high is because he won a twenty thousand dollar jackpot a few weeks ago. Kwari runs these jackpots on regular schedules to keep big winnings in the game for players. You can also shoot crates in Kwari to find keys that will also help you earn cash. So there is a way to make money through PvE, however, trying to do this while the battle rages on around you can get very tough.

Overall Kwari is good clean fun. It will be interesting to see the U.S. and European players face off once the game opens here in June. Although most people see the numbers, Kwari is a great shooter game that all players would enjoy checking out. This is the beginning of a new era in game play where the old school gambling of card games meets the fast paced skills of video games. Kwari even keeps your poker faces anonymous so that you are only known as your character. No personal information is given out at all in the game so players remain protected.

We would like to thank Al King for joining us at GDC to give us a look at a game that definitely breaks the mold of video games. There will be plenty of payment options available for players to enjoy shooting it up in the Kwari zones. More zones and weapons are coming in the future, for now, practice those shooter skills for June. It may just pay the rent one day.

Discuss how a gambling first person shooter combo will impact the U.S. game market HERE!