Net Games FAQ
This page answers the basic questions about net games. If you still have some things you want answered, or have comments on this page, please e-mail me at rbmst12@pitt.edu and I'll do my best to help you.
"Net games are Internet versions of our favorite game shows of the past and present, faithfully recreated and modified as necessary by their hosts," says Jamie DeVriend, host of the second edition of Net Tic Tac Dough. Adds Chris Jaunsen, "As a board game can transcribe a game show for home usage, a net game can transcribe a game show for internet usage."
Are All Net Games E-Mail Only?
No, they're not. Some games give players the option of viewing some things in HTML, such as Net Price is Right or Net Blockbusters. Other games were tried using IRC. For a period of time, several net games were played on the ICQ network in real time, but they are not included here, because this was only done for a brief period of time. If there is renewed net game activity on ICQ, it may be included at a later date.
The time you spend playing is totally up to you. Some games take less than one e-mail per week, while others require several strings of correspondence over the course of a month. If you are really dedicated, it will take longer. It also depends on the type of game. A trivia game such as Net Joker's Wild is going to take longer than Net Press Your Luck, where you are just messaging "spin" or "pass." Generally you've never going to spend more than about five to ten minutes a week, and that's if you play almost every net game there is. Certain weeks, I have only one or two e-mails, and other days, I am rifling messages back and forth with the hosts. I usually base how many games I play on how much time I have. Spend as much or as little time as you like. If you run into time conflicts, the worst thing that will happen is that time expires, and you don't win. (Just keep in mind that if you are playing a team game, your teammates may be counting on you.)
Of course! However, it makes more sense if you wait until you have been playing net games for awhile before you try to start your own. I've been participating for over a year now, but I still have no game of my own. From observing which net games have succeeded and which haven't, however, I can offer a few suggestions:
Why Would Someone Want to Host a Net Game?
To be honest, I'm a little curious myself. Let's see what they have to say:
"I host 'Net Outburst, which is based on my proposal, which is based on the popular board
game...I guess the inspiration had something to do with the thinning out of the 'net game
schedule. I just felt that the time was right to debut a new game, so, around July 1, 'Net Outburst was born."---Ryan Bugaj, Net Outburst Host
"Im not entirely sure what drove me to do this, I think I just wanted to catch a piece of the action and keep net games going. After I started to host one, I found that I really enjoyed doing so at my leisure. Anyone can host a netgame, the key to hosting however, is that you must enjoy what it is you are doing."---Bill Neuweiler, host of Net Now You See It
"My inspiration was 'Net Match Game (the first net game of them all, created by Aaron Solomon). That's basically it. I've wanted to give up a number of times but the joy and happiness it seems to bring to other people make it worthwhile to me. Most comedians tell you that the laugh is the TRUE payoff, as opposed to the check. The same feeling applies to me personally."---Jay Lewis, MC for Net Price is Right and moderator of the Net Games mailing list
Obviously, this varies from person to person. For myself, I play for several reasons, including getting to interact with friends, playing adaptions of some of my favorite game shows, and the thrill of winning. (Yes, no money is involved, but just wait till the first time you win...the adrenaline rush is unbelievable!) I'm also a gamer in general. I enjoy playing games, so even if I didn't enjoy watching game shows, I'd probably still participate! This also applies to others. I asked Eddie Timanus (a two year net game veteran) why he played, and after noting we all need to seek therapy, he said, "I like games of all sorts from cards to boards to TV to sports to casinos. And a part of me just likes showing off my vast (cough gag) knowledge."Jay Lewis notes that playing net games is a chance to share in what we see on TV: "It's a 'surreal' break from the real world. Most of us will never get the chance to appear on a real game show and this gives us a faux-opportunity. This especially applies to those games that have long since left the airwaves."
"...if the networks arent going to show them, this is the next best thing."---Bill Neuweiler
"I enjoy watching Rob lose!"---Mike Klauss
Of course, according to Chris Jaunsen and Ryan Bugaj, it's just something to do when you're bored!
These are just a few opinions. Some people play for intense competition, others to practice for the real thing, and I know some that only play the game for laughs. It's all up to you to decide how and why you play the games.
This is for the benefit of those who are immediately thinking that this has to be the geekiest thing invented since the pocket protector. If you're not interested in games or game shows, this isn't going to appeal to you. However, there isn't much difference between this and people who sit around all day analyizing every episode of 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' or even those numbskulls hanging around in alt.comedy.three-stooges. As Jamie DeVriend puts it, "It's no more stupid than any other of the occult hobbies you can find on the Internet. To each their own."
"To be honest, it may sound a little silly at first, but, once you start playing, you're hooked."---Ryan Bugaj
"Some might think [net games are stupid]. But there are probably some other activities or web pages out there that we think are stupid. That's the beauy of the Internet--there's something out there for everybody."---Eddie Timanus
Okay, I'm Interested! How Do I Play?
There are several ways you can join in the fun of playing net games. One way is to use the listing to locate the host of a game you are interested in play, and contact him or her. Another is to subscribe to either the game show newsgroup or one of the mailing lists. I've included directions for each option here.
Jay Lewis's Net Games List
This is the official net games mailing list. If you want to play net games, it is a good idea to subscribe to this list. Certain games, such as Net Match Game, can only be found here and on the newsgroup.
Subscription Info: Go to Onelist (http://www.onelist.com), click on 'Find a List' and search for 'netgames.' From there, Onelist will help you with the details of how to subscribe. It is very important that you use the syntax I have provided for the search.
alt.tv.game-shows
This is, obviously, the game shows newsgroup. Not all of the net games are featured here, as some hosts do not have access to newsgroups. Because of Deja News, however, this is rapidly changing.
Subscription Info: Use your news reader (either a client or Deja News) to subscribe to alt.tv.game-shows. Simple as that.
Game Show-L
Administered by Stan Ryckman, this was the original home of net games, along with the newsgroup. The list is often down, but some games (like Net Battlestars) are run only on this list.
Subscription Info: Place "SUB GS-L Your Name" (without the quotes, of course!) in the body of a message to LISTSERV@vm.ege.edu.tr and follow the instructions that are sent to you.
Mr. Jaunsen has a request:
"I implore you all to refrain from playing net games. That'll be the only way I can win!"
Back to the Net Games Home Page
This page was last updated on August 26th, 1998
My thanks to Randy Amasia, Ryan Bugaj, Tim Connolly, Jamie DeVriend, Chris Jaunsen, Jay Lewis, Bill Neuweiler, and Eddie Timanus for their help with this page. Special thanks to Mike Klauss for letting me tag him with a joke quote. Mike notes that he doesn't like it when I lose because that means I get to hit him with Show Down dice!