Pay to play at Tournament.com and turn your frags into funds.

By Tom Chick


You ready to put your money where your mouse is? UK-based Tournament.com plans to launch a service this month that will let gamers pony up an entrance fee, play a first person shooter match, and then divide the money among the winners. After the house gets its cut, of course.

At launch, you'll only be able to play Counter-Strike and Half-Life 2 deathmatches. Tournament.com founder Marcus Pearcey wouldn't comment about any publishers who might have declined to participate, much less any upcoming deals. "We look forward to signing new companies in the very new future," he said, stressing that this isn't gambling and therefore shouldn't be objectionable to any of the larger publishers. "Gambling rewards a player based purely on luck, while Tournament.com is a service that rewards players based on their skill. They're two very different models."