Gaming "Social Networking"

I posted this on another forum. Would love some input from you folks as well.

Hi,

For those of you who don't know me, I am Mike (in case you couldn't tell by my name). I am a guy who loves to create projects, and design, as well as do some HTML and a bit of PHP work in my spare time (huge noob in PHP).

I was making a project with Chrisdothtml that was going to be a gaming marketplace, where people could buy/sell/trade games, consoles, gold, items, etc. That project fell through due to an argument, but I'm thinking of getting back on track with that but taking a slightly different route.

There are no current successful "gaming social networking" sites, unless you count IGN and Gamespot, which I wouldn't because they're a bit different than what I'm about to describe. What if, there was a website, where when you first visited, it was like the Facebook login but with a darker theme to it (and completely different obviously), and when you login, it takes you to your profile, where you can add fellow gamers, change your status for everyone to see, write reviews for games (like the "Notes" section on Facebook - but more controlled), have a "gamer rep", where other gamers can add or take away from your reputation, have a wall for people to post on, and be able to send messages. It would be basically the Facebook for gamers who want to meet other gamers.

There may be a minor marketplace area where you could buy/sell/trade all kinds of things, a minor forum where you could discuss with other gamers, and stuff like that.

Basically, if this were to happen, who would join? Who wouldn't join? Why? Have an opinion you'd like to add?

If I did this, I would invest a few hundred dollars in hiring Chris back to do this (or another developer if he declines), and a lot of time designing a revolutionary layout. We already have the marketplace and forum custom coded, as well as profiles. We just need to add a few more features to start this.

 

[Laptop65]

Essentially Facebook but with XBOX Live features added. Seems pretty pointless to me.

 

The idea that I have in my head is actually much different than Facebook. But it just seems like it will be similar by the way that I described it.

The features won't be exactly like that, it's just a rough idea right now.

 

[Bubba Fuzz]

I wouldn't. I love the internet for NOT knowing who your talking to. I mean if you get closer then you just add them on facebook but when I'm playing xbox I don't want those people to know who I am unless I'm doing it with people I know irl.

 

[oxodium]

Wouldn't be personally interested, I couldn't care less what the people on xbox looked like.

 

What are you talking about? You wouldn't need to "to see other gamers". There wouldn't be a photo uploading thing... There would just be avatars like on Sythe.

I earned lots of support on the other two forums I posted this on, they liked the idea. Oxodium, that makes no sense. It'd be basically like an extremely well developed forum. That's like saying you wouldn't join Sythe because you don't want to know what Runescape players look like.

 

[Rawrasaurus]

I think the above people assumed you would have your real name and picture showing - I guess that's what you get for comparing it to facebook.

I'd be interested to see how it turned out.

 

I think the above people assumed you would have your real name and picture showing - I guess that's what you get for comparing it to facebook.

I'd be interested to see how it turned out.

Yes that is probably what they thought.

But no, you would use a username, like a forum. You would have an avatar, not a big profile picture. Several things different from Facebook.