GameCrush: oh, why not.

When I read about it in Business Week the other day, my first response was surprise that it had taken someone so long to come up with the marriage of gaming and dating. After all, love’s a game and all that.

But GameCrush – now in beta – will let gamers (a.k.a., Players) sign up to game away with PlayDates, and pay $4 for 10 minutes on Xbox Live, and $4 for 6 minutes on online version of less intensive games, such as Connect Four. (Pricing subject to change: this is beta.)  I don’t know how the former translates into $30 an hour, but I do have to remember that it’s “up to $30 an hour”.

Also, knowing absolutely nothing about gaming beyond what I know about playing TaiPei, I would have thought that playing on Xbox – where the skill level required is, presumably, higher than that required to play Solitaire -  would have cost more. But then I thought about it, and the thing is that Xbox gamers are likely serious enough about what they’re doing that there’d be little time for social niceties, like what’s-your-major, and would-you-mind-opening-that-top-button. Playing Connect Four may leave more focus, time, and energy for the getting to know you, getting to know all about you stuff.

Although any one can sign up as a PlayDate, most of them are (or claim to be) female. (Remember, on the ‘net you’re free to be anything you choose…)

GameCrush cannot and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, safety, timeliness, legality or applicability of anything said or written by any User. There are risks of dealing with underage persons, or persons acting under false pretenses.

Personally, I’d advise gamers who want to meet girls to only play with those willing to go on webcam. The lure of making “up to $30 an hour or more” playing games may be too great for some boy gamers, who might just be tempted to check that Female box next to gender.

GameCrush is a nifty work form home – or even on your lunch break – scheme:

As a GameCrush PlayDate, you set your own schedule and hours. Work as much or as little as you want: you're the boss!

Sure  beats addressing envelopes or stringing beads. Plus the start up costs are less, since – if you’ve got what it takes to be a PlayDate -  you probably already have a webcam, Internet connection, and game console.

It will certainly help your cause if you actually know how to actually play games.

The more games you are available to play, the more GameCrush Players will want to play you!

I may be wrong, but I don’t think that there’s any competitive versions of TaiPei – although I suppose you could do a timed contest against someone else solving the same puzzle.  But I gotta warn you: I’m pretty good for an old, non-gaming lady. Not that I’m thinking of signing up as a PlayDate, mind you. And not that they would want me, mind you. The oldest year of birth on the pick list option when you go to sign up is 1960. I guess they just don’t trust anyone over 50 to be a gamer. (Sniff, sniff.) Maybe the joystick reflexes are the first to go.

Anyway, because I didn’t want to have to lie about my age, I didn’t sign up and, thus, didn’t get to see what you get to put in your profile, including any list of the types of games I’d want to play. I do know from the BW article that I’d have to check whether I wanted to play “Flirty” or “Dirty,” so perhaps it’s just as well that I didn’t get any further in.

This may not be my idea of an ideal business, but it’s contributing, if not exactly job growth, then income-producing opportunities for denizens of the new economy. Plus making it easier for boy to meet girl.

Only a matter of time before there are a few smiling I’ve got a GameCrush on you, sweetie-pie couples to rival the eHarmony brigade. (“Grand Theft Auto is the most important thing in my life, so it was important to find a girlfriend that shared my values and passion…”)

It certainly doesn’t make me want to be young again. And it certainly presents big time opportunity for big time raunch. But that be the Internet for you. GameCrush, why not?