Games Journalist Goes Undercover to Explore Gamers' Shameful Secrets

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Games Journalist Goes Undercover to Explore Gamers' Shameful Secrets

What really goes on at pay-to-play-games-with-a-girl site GameCrush? One games writer went undercover to find out.

When we a lot of people [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99350-Gamecrush-Pay-To-Play-With-Gamer-Grills-NSFW].

But how did the site actually work? Could the girls (and guys) who signed on as PlayDates actually make money doing it? How long did it usually take for some lonely guy gamer to ask his female PlayDate to take off her shirt? genuinely fascinating look [http://www.gamingangels.com/] at one of the most uncomfortably fascinating sites for gamers online.

[blockquote]Today, if Player 3 had any cash, I think he would've been forking it over. (Yeah, I'm good.) I regaled him with incredibly-embellished stories of my college youth (which was actually two years ago) and he finally said, "I wish I wasn't broke." I knew he was. I used him for practice, I'll admit it. I'm sitting here in my pajamas with my hair a mess and no makeup on. I'm not going on camera like that, even if you do pay me.

But thanks for the practice.

Actually, wait. He just agreed to a chat minus camera on my end. I know where this is going. We meet up, and then ... well, to quote Elaine from Seinfeld:

He took it out.

I'm really too shocked to do anything. So, he does his thing. For 45 minutes. No one else was talking to me, so I let him, for lack of a better verb, use me.[/blockquote]

The full thing is a pretty long read, but it's also a very informative one, examining the economics of the situation - and comparing it to genuine amateur pornographic webcam shows - and interviewing other PlayDates of both genders.

If you're interested, and you really should be, check out the full story over at Gaming Angels [http://www.gamingangels.com/2011/02/do-you-want-to-be-my-playdate-undercover-at-gamecrush/]. And prepare to feel severe second-hand embarrassment.

(Gaming Angels [http://www.gamingangels.com/2011/02/do-you-want-to-be-my-playdate-undercover-at-gamecrush/])

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Sleepingzombie

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Dec 7, 2009
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This sound like an "escort" firm.
Though I can see a point in having a service where you pay to find friendly people to play some matches with. Like that "platinum membership" that were joked about. The concept of "playdates" sounds either like prostitution (stripping in front of a webcam) or being an "escort" (being hired to play a game becuase your a pretty face).

But hey, I am swedish maybe this is just a cultural divide.
 

Verlander

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Apr 22, 2010
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Brotherofwill said:
Wait so he masturbated for 45 minutes?
There's money in that skill

OT: the whole thing is pretty sad, but I can't fault people for spending their own money anyway they want. It's their lives.
 

cairocat

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Oct 9, 2009
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If there was ever a 'gateway' into the sex trade for desperate geek girls, I think this would be it.
 

RA92

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Jan 1, 2011
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Flash games?

Really?

Also, didn't anyone learn anything from Chatroulette? This is pretty much a given.

*Goes off alienating people by taking it out. Gets tazed.*
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Wait, so we don't have to go on camera?

$5 says most of the women who don't go on camera are dudes.

Brotherofwill said:
Wait so he masturbated for 45 minutes?
I don't care what anyone says, thats damn impressive if true.
 

Fappy

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Jan 4, 2010
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It's not often you hear "video game" and "investigative journalism" in the same sentence. I'm going to have to check this out.

EDIT: Just read it the article and was just as surprised as the reporter as to how the whole affair turned out. I'd probably never consider a service like this, but the whole "women in control" this was a pretty interesting concept.
 

Stevepinto3

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Jun 4, 2009
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I'm not sure if I actually want to know all about this, but now I'm intrigued. For better or worse, I will open Pandora's box and read this article.

Slightly off topic, does anyone else think this isn't just a game-related thing? I bet that you could make an equivalent service for just about anything and get people to go for it. The fact is that this works because of human nature, not because all gamers are lonely nerds. For instance, Football Crush. Watch your favorite football team with a chick. Now that may not sound convincing because the stereotype of jocks is to be social and pick up chicks, but I'd bet good money that it would be just as successful. Hell, you could do it with anything. Movie Crush. Sports Crush. Audio-book Crush?
 

DaHero

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Jan 10, 2011
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Stevepinto3 said:
I'm not sure if I actually want to know all about this, but now I'm intrigued. For better or worse, I will open Pandora's box and read this article.

Slightly off topic, does anyone else think this isn't just a game-related thing? I bet that you could make an equivalent service for just about anything and get people to go for it. The fact is that this works because of human nature, not because all gamers are lonely nerds. For instance, Football Crush. Watch your favorite football team with a chick. Now that may not sound convincing because the stereotype of jocks is to be social and pick up chicks, but I'd bet good money that it would be just as successful. Hell, you could do it with anything. Movie Crush. Sports Crush. Audio-book Crush?
Yeah but since it's game related it's also the only thing the media will bother with.
 

Bretty

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Jul 15, 2008
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There are some truly lonely and ill-mannered people out there.

Stay away from the internets if you want to avoid the crazies 8)
 

Dogstile

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Jan 17, 2009
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Brotherofwill said:
Wait so he masturbated for 45 minutes?
Actually, that's exactly what I thought :p Isn't the stereotype that it takes 5 minutes for, you know, /them/.

Still, this site is horrible. A site where you can play with someone is fine, but reading the article, they advertised it as a dating site, which is false advertising, which is not cool.
 

Eleima

Keeper of the GWJ Holocron
Feb 21, 2010
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This is so many kinds of disturbing, I'm not sure where I should start....... Nevermind that it's not doing anything to help against the stereotype of gamers being a sad, lonely and all male population...
 

Zagzag

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Sep 11, 2009
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The page just 403s when I try to view it
EDIT: In fact so does the site's main page. Am I the only one getting this?