Bingo!
by SealWyf, HSM Editor
We didn’t have to wait as long as I had feared. After only two weeks, we know what is behind that sheet-plastic curtain. Paradise Springs is getting a Bingo parlor!
Few of us are really surprised. We knew that the Casino was expanding, and the possible choices were limited. The most likely content was a new game, one not yet represented on the Casino floor. And Paradise Springs pretty much has casino gaming covered. Short of an expanded slot parlor (something I hope they’ll consider in the future), the logical choices were either more poker varieties or Bingo. I’m glad they went with the innovative choice.
Since this is Digital Leisure we’re talking about, this story is more interesting than the simple addition of another game. Some real ground is being broken here, in technical, gaming and social role-play directions.
The most interesting part of this, from a techno-nerd’s view, is that this will be a 60-person game. You read that right — up to 60 people can play Bingo at once! Contrast this with a Texas Hold’Em table, which can host six players. It’s true that the poker room holds seven tables, for a total of 42 players, but computationally they’re separate games, accessing separate server sessions. A single game session with 60 players is incredible.
But not everybody is a techno-nerd. From an avid gambler’s viewpoint, the story here is massive jackpots. Digital Leisure has already told us that the jackpots in Bingo will be proportional to the number of players, and that the top prizes will be the largest ever offered in the Casino. How large could they climb? Well, the current top jackpots are 40,000 chips for a Royal Flush in Video Poker, and 28,000 for a single-number win with a maximum bet in VIP Room Roulette. So, the Bingo jackpots will be larger than that. We shall have to wait to see how the payouts are actually structured to know for sure.
The third story here is the humorous role-play elements implied by the tier rewards. Real-world Bingo is a game that appeals to older gamblers. Not to put too fine a point on it, it’s a game beloved by little old ladies, though there are certainly male players, as well as younger ones. But the stereotypical Bingo player is a sweet-looking white-haired grandmother with a walker, whose ladylike demeanor vanishes in the heat of the game. And the stereotype is fully acknowledged in Digital Leisure’s array of hilarious rewards
For instance, the Tier One reward is an IV stand, and the Tier 2 reward is a rolling oxygen tank. Is the oxygen tank an ornament or a companion? It would be ideal if it were the latter, and could follow you around the Casino. Other “old people” rewards include a “hideous sweater”, a sewing machine, a wood-case CRT TV, and a plastic-covered sofa. There are some “silly” prizes as well: Bingo Wings and a Bingo Ball Head for Tier V and VI, respectively.
How will the game be played? Again, we’ll have to wait for the actual release to see the details. But it’s likely that players will be marking multiple cards, as they do in real games. Six cards are shown in the video. This is presumably not automated — a fully automated Bingo game would play a lot like Keno, and be just as boring. So, one assumes that numbers are announced, and it’s up to us, the players, to mark our cards and signal when we’ve matched the pattern.
How will we announce it? I’m imagining using the “Over here!” emote while typing “BINGO!”, but I’m sure it’s not quite that primitive. What would be great fun, though, is if the game could lend our avatars a specialized “Bingo!” emote, with full-caps text and enthusiastic arm-waving while jumping up and down. Again, we’ll just have to see how they actually do it.
I’ve played Bingo a few times in tournaments hosted by real-world casinos. And, although I didn’t win anything, it was a fascinating experience. The Bingo world is definitely a distinct subculture within the gambling population. I got the impression that these were not the property’s regular players — they were Bingo fans who traveled from tournament to tournament, hoping for that one big win. In other parts of the country, casinos include full-time Bingo parlors. And, of course, Bingo is the game of choice for charity fund-raisers, such as churches and fire stations.
All the signs indicate that this is going to be a lot of fun. Some Homeling Generals have already pointed out that the Bingo parlor provides a great opportunity for a huge club party, filling as many of the 60 seats as possible with smooth-pated avatars in shining Echochrome. I’m sure the same thing has occurred to other club leaders. I can see Bingo clubs forming; after all, Home already has Poker clubs and Bowling leagues.
And, above all, I foresee some really good role-play, as Home’s inhabitants dress up as what they imagine are typical Bingo queens and querulous old men. Once again, Digital Leisure has given us a great new place to play.
December 5th, 2012 by SealWyf_ | 1 comment
SealWyf is a museum database programmer, who has been active in online communities since before the Internet, and in console gaming since the PS1. In games, she prefers the beautiful and quirky, and anything with a strong storyline. She is obsessed with creating new aesthetic experiences in PlayStation Home.
The fact that this is a sixty-player game is truly astounding. That’s a quantum leap beyond anything we’ve seen in Home before. And considering that online bingo is *huge* business elsewhere on the internet, it’s a very smart move by Digital Leisure to get in on the action.
(Those rewards, btw, are hilarious. The Casino might just be the most tongue-in-cheek environment in all of Home.)