Most of our readers have probably never heard of Pennergame, a controversial German game that asks players to rise from virtual homelessness to great wealth, by any means necessary. The text-based game has proven immensely popular in Germany, where it sees 1.8 million unique visitors a month and 1.5 billion page impressions, and is the third fastest growing website according to Comscore (falling just behind Facebook). With subject matter like animal-fights, tramps, and a “blood alcohol level management system”, the game has also raised the ire of a number of activist groups and politicans for its deragotory portrayal of the homeless.
Today the two young men behind the game are launching an English version called Dossergame, which retains the same gameplay as the original with a London-themed slant (the creators may released localized US versions in the future). Once again gamers are asked to “beg, collect junk and to form gangs with other players” in the quest to rise from tramp to “castle owner”. So will Dossergame be able to capture the huge success of the original?
As far as I can tell there isn’t anything particularly unique about Pennergame or its English sibling. Both games are primarily text-based, allowing gamers to rise in power and reputation by boosting their stats and interacting with other players. If that sounds familiar, it’s because games like Mob Wars and iMob are very similar, just with a different set of art and characters. And other text-based games have existed for many years, long before Mob Wars and its ilk.
Pennergame has succeed not because of its technology, but because it became a social phenomenon, allowing kids and co-workers who know each other in real life to band together in virtual gang wars. Dossergame may be able to ride the coattails of its German counterpart to popularity, but it will have to rely primarily on word-of-mouth, which is hard to force.
The small team who built Dossergame and Pennergame are also behind Verwandt.de, a German clone of Geni.
Cool to hear the guys are also successful with a game now, even though it’s simple and text-based. There have been other browser based games around like Pardus who were just as simple but also very successful in some countries. So I think flashy or not doesn’t matter.
We’ll see if Dossergame takes off.
Verwandt.de was a pure clone of Geni but quickly overtook it in terms of functionality.
Weird. But hey, if it works. Congrats to my German fellas to the launch
.
“a controversial German game that asks players to rise from virtual homelessness to great wealth, by any means necessary.”
Isn’t that what Hitler did?
http://en.wikip...l?curid=3572637
Kicked little dogs and everything…
Geez….
Like the German version of the game bully!
“a controversial German game that asks players to rise from virtual homelessness to great wealth, by any means necessary.” …
Isn’t that what Hit1er did?
http://en.wikip...l?curid=3572637
Kicked little dogs and everything…
Geez….
Like the German version of the game bully!
At Wacken metal fest a couple years ago, bands like Cannibal Corpse were free to sing their lyrics for the first time since the Berlin wall was built.
sorry about the double post. Varnish reverse proxy that TC uses is really tricky! It caches in mysterious ways.
Cannibal Corpse is the WARST. Get with it and stop listening to bad metal you idiot. You’re stupid. I hate you.
I hate myself for being such an addict to pointless text-based RPGs.
I have to say it looks damn good. Simple, yet elegant.
I hope this one doesn’t spoil my work.
This is popular for the same reason GTA is. People like to do things in games that they can’t do in real life. I say if they get it out of their system in a text based game instead of IRL society is all the better for it.
As far as it being text based, it is low-fi enough to work well on a mobile phone? That is why it is getting so popular so quick.
at first i was like wtf do people see in these text game. but i have been playing mafia wars and having a blast .
btw svd is recruiting members for my mafia family on yahoo
Jason, in the sentence: “…and is the third fasting growing website according to Comscore…” I think you meant to say fastest
Cheers
Stan
intriguing concept but likely wont be as successful in the US
Do you use spell checker on a regular basis?
“portrail”?
-
Anyway, you can expect anything from Germans, as someone has already said, they have a long tradition of “using any means necessary” to do whatever they want. But wait a second… aren’t they now teaching other countries how to comply with human rights? Do these guys believe that 60 years erases their barbarianism?
From an american perspective, that is the pot calling the kettle black. To quote wikipedia:
>>…David Cesarani states that “in terms of the sheer numbers killed, the Native American Genocide exceeds that of the Holocaust”…<<
Link: http://en.wikip...ates_of_America
I use the built-in spell check on Safari (the red underline squiggles). Unfortunately sometimes it doesn’t work 100% properly with WordPress, especially when we save drafts and the page refreshes.
It is so predictable. Germany is mentioned, and the stupid American is thinking: “bla bla bla Nazis bla bla bla Hitler bla bla bla Autobahn bla bla bla Dankeschön bla bla bla Beer bla bla bla Bavara bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla”.
The U.S. is the country, the whole world hates, isn´t it? You caused the worldwide terrorism and you caused the global financial crisis. Such as Germany, but in the 21st century. Congratulations.
I had a look at it and I give it a try! Think it’s an interesting idea!
Want to find out what makes this game that popular in Germany so far!
although I am not familiar with this game,If this game now speak English I will give them a try.who know they could be as famous as Warcraft,I just don’t want a miss that possibility
I don’t think it will catch on here. People are too busy trying not to become homeless.
Sounds like an interesting game. I think the game will be a success in the US like it is in Germany.
Looks amusing
Gimme some change!
http://change.d...please/2421768/
Nice article! Check out my site too at http://macmaniapodcast.com
Thanks for the heads up. Hard to tell unless you try it out. It might just be that damn fun.