MTV Wooes Gamers Into Coughing Up Their Cash

MTV and game publishing partner Stone Creek Entertainment recently launched a new Facebook game that takes online dating to a whole new level. Instead of sifting through pictures of real people, in ‘I Woo You‘ users sift through avatars. There’s no first date, no deciding you like a person and ultimately – if Match.comers could be so lucky – no falling in love. At least not in the real world.

However, if you feel like dating a cast member from The Real World, ‘I Woo You’ is the game for you. In addition, users can take out cast members from other MTV titles such as Downtown Girls and Disaster Dates if they feel like hitting the virtual town VIP style. However, gamers shouldn’t expect to woo their favorite reality stars for free. The game charges a few (real) dollars for a (fake) date with a familiar MTV face.

However, for those less inclined to open their wallets for the sake of holding Sahar’s — from “The Real World: New Orleans” — little CGI hand, there’s also a wide variety of your average, everyday avatars to date instead. Each one has their own set of interests, accolades, flaws, and a slew of engineered answers to a long list of compatibility questions. Only after both the user and their chosen avatar have proven their compatibility can they date.

Strange as the concept may seem, ‘I Woo You’ is catching on quickly. Instead of having to experience the awkwardness of meeting face-to-face, users can now keep things casual (and completely impersonal) by simply logging on to Facebook for a romantic dinner and a movie. While gamers get the chance to feel like they’re sharing a deep connection with someone, — let’s forget for a moment this someone isn’t real and has neither thoughts nor opinions other than what his or her computer programmer has preset — MTV gets the chance to promote its shows in an integrated and ostensibly user-controlled setting.

MTV’s VP of Marketing, Damon Burrell, explains why the network is thoroughly confident and committed to ‘I Woo You’: “Expanding our shows’ reach through social games is an excellent way for fans to get to know our shows’ casts, stay engaged and interact with their favorite MTV characters…We’ve worked closely with Stone Creek to ensure the MTV touch is in all of the game editions within I WOO YOU….” Mr. Burrell isn’t kidding either. The real cast members of each show apparently answered all 648 compatibility questions themselves to make the game seem more true-to-life. And when a user so much as shares a spoon full of ice cream with their avatar other, they’re presented with the opportunity to share the news with all their friends via Facebook.

In short, everyone wins with ‘I Woo You,’ while both gamers and MTV executives alike achieve instant gratification for one of two reasons. Either they (the gamer) is suddenly under the impression they’re compatible with their all-time celebrity crush, or they (the MTV executive) is validated in just how far some people will go — and pay — to live out their fantasies in any which way they can.

Tagged as: Facebook, I Woo You, MTV, Stone Creek Entertainment, The Real World