Out Of This World Prizes For Skill Games

Published: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 Online-Casinos.com

OUT OF THIS WORLD PRIZES FOR SKILL GAMERS

Here's one for the high fliers!

Media reports just in are suggesting that the ultimate grand prize in cross marketing could be coming from Virgin Games as a result of its parent group's involvement with a private spaceship venture.

A journey into Space would normally cost out at a cool $20 million for the man in the street, but sometime in the next month or two, Texas-based SpaceShot and the British Virgin Group are both planning to independently unveil online skill games that offer an exhilerating trip into space as the grand prize.

SpaceShot is partnering with Rocketplane Ltd., an Oklahoma company that is planning to begin suborbital service to outer-space altitudes in 2007. Virgin Skill is developing a space-themed skill game that could land the top winner on Virgin Galactic's "SpaceShipTwo" rocket plane beginning in 2008.

On the Virgin skill games site, participants can pay as little as 0.50 cents to compete against each other for high scores in Solitaire, Bejeweled, trivia quizzes or other games of skill. Prizes are deposited into winners' accounts, and can be withdrawn as real money.

Virgin's spaceship-themed game, called Virgin Galactic Quest, is being fine-tuned for a debut later this month, said Stephen Attenborough, vice president of astronaut relations at Virgin Galactic.

The game apparently puts the player in control of a spaceship's progress with different levels posing an escalating series of challenges culminating in tournaments and a grand finale where the winner gets to head for Space.

The SpaceShot game is scheduled for launch by the end of this year and is distinct and independent of the Virgin offering. A $5 or less entry cost will apparently be levied, leading to multiple tournaments and Rocketplane space trip prizes.