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Someone's plan b paid off nicely

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    Someone's plan b paid off nicely

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...line-game.html

    Joe Chedburn, a self-confessed geek, was just 16 when he came up with the idea to write an online game focused on crime.

    Torn, which is text-based and has no graphics, grew quickly and now has around 41,000 active users with over 1.3 million account holders.

    Although the game is free to play users can pay £3 every month to receive extra points and status.

    Most players are willing to pay enabling the site to make around £50,000-a-month. Joe, from Frome, Somerset, is now a millionaire at the age of 21.


    Good luck to all the plan b'ers here.

    #2
    Anyone tempted to steal his idea?

    Wonder if the young man will consider moving abroad - 50% of his earnings will now go to the taxman. I believe some here regard that as theft.
    Speaking gibberish on internet talkboards since last Michaelmas. Plus here on Twitter

    Comment


      #3
      More like 60% when you include NI.

      He'd be mad to base his Internet business here.

      Comment


        #4
        Text based games...

        Anyone else remember or play the Infocom games such as Zork, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc?

        I first played a text adventure game in circa 1980, "You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building. Around you is a forest. A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully."

        xyzzy !

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Platypus View Post
          Text based games...

          Anyone else remember or play the Infocom games such as Zork, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc?

          I first played a text adventure game in circa 1980, "You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building. Around you is a forest. A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully."

          xyzzy !
          Plugh

          Comment


            #6
            Gandalf goes west. Gandalf arrives from the west. Thorin sings a song about gold...

            Even that had graphics.
            Will work inside IR35. Or for food.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by VectraMan View Post
              Gandalf goes west. Gandalf arrives from the west. Thorin sings a song about gold...

              Even that had graphics.
              But it didn't generate £50K a month did it?

              His brilliance was:

              1. Making the game free
              2. Letting people get a leg up for a measly £3 a month.


              It's a good model. Provide something free but charge a small fee for better options and hope you get a million people signing up.

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                #8
                All respect to him, the boy done good.
                ...my quagmire of greed....my cesspit of laziness and unfairness....all I am doing is sticking two fingers up at nurses, doctors and other hard working employed professionals...

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by DimPrawn View Post
                  It's a good model. Provide something free but charge a small fee for better options and hope you get a million people signing up.
                  It's a common model. IIRC, Travian also uses it - I expect there are countless others.

                  I expect what it making him money is that the game is good.

                  Also, he'd probably the richest person in the tulip-hole that is Frome, Somerset...
                  ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Platypus View Post
                    Text based games...

                    I first played a text adventure game in circa 1980, "You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building. Around you is a forest. A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully."

                    xyzzy !
                    The original sources to that have been found, bugs 'n' all. It was based on Colossal cave in Kentucky.

                    Further details here.
                    Last edited by Sysman; 7 October 2009, 11:53. Reason: typo
                    Behold the warranty -- the bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.

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