Market research conducted buy one of the world’s most recognised gaming brands, Atari, for its forthcoming online blockbuster, Neverwinter Nights 2, has uncovered some telling facts about Britain’s online gamers.

Online gaming is booming thanks to faster broadband, new super-consoles, and WiFi- enabled handhelds, and with this growing global gladiatorial arena comes a seedy underground movement of ePimps cashing in on those prepared to flaunt the rules and cheat their way up the league tables.

Most online games require a significant commitment from the player in building their character’s stats, or obtain the best kit, upgrades, weapons or reputation. In some cases this can mean thousands of hours of online dedication. However, high-tech groups located in third-world countries, nicknamed ePimps, are openly offering fast-tracks to the leader board by selling fully-loaded characters created in overseas gaming sweatshops.

Kids and students are paid a pittance to slave over a PC for days churning out over-ready avatars by performing mundane in-game tasks to artificially boost a character’s stats. These then find there way onto auction sites like eBay and bulletin boards, and can change hands for hundreds of pounds.

The research conducted by Atari in the UK found that 92% of British gamers would never consider purchasing a prostituted game character. In fact, only 6% of those questioned admitted they have done so in the past, and 2% have tried to sell a game character online.

Luke Newcombe, from one of the UK’s biggest online gaming portals, news0r.com, said, “This is a growing and unfair practice, particularly in Role Playing Games (RPGs), where a gamer can spend years developing their online persona. It’s more prevalent in the US, but it’s good to see that us Brits are more inclined to play by the rules.”

PR Manager, Lee Kirton for Atari, added, “We know that when Neverwinter Nights 2 released at the beginning of the month, a plethora of oven-ready characters went on sale off the back of it. We certainly don’t endorse it, but we’re powerless to stop this unscrupulous trading.”

For more information contact:

Waseem El Tanahi waseem@indigopearl.com

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