Edalgiere
New member
BY JONATHAN MUMMOLO
STAFF WRITER; Staff writer Daryl Khan contributed to this story.
July 25, 2005
Some people would kill for a break from their daily routine.
That's why Franz Aliquo, a securities lawyer by day, created StreetWars: Team Killer, a "24/7 water gun assassination tournament," in which participants try to hunt each other down in the five boroughs.
The game, set for its third run in New York on Aug. 1, is likely to raise eyebrows during this time of terror alerts and heightened security citywide.
Aware of the potential for backlash, Aliquo, 30, of Long Island City, said he called the Police Department before launching this edition - for which 150 people have already signed up - and has taken precautions, including bans on realistic-looking weapons and on gameplay in public-transportation areas. "The first thing they said ... was 'Oh God,'" Aliquo said of his Friday phone conversation with the NYPD. "Then they were like, 'All right, we'll spread the word. We'll let people know.' What are they gonna do, really? It's not like I'm breaking any laws."
The NYPD had no comment yesterday on the game.
Aliquo, who recently received two e-mails saying his game glorified violence, said the contest is well intentioned. "When you get into the work world, the whole kind of fun stuff that you do as a kid gets lost, and I don't think that's necessary," Aliquo said. "It's about helping people to foster creativity and break out of their day-to-day routines."
Given the risks involved with playing easily misunderstood games in public, players sign a disclaimer. "Aside from the fact of not wanting to get sued, I just generally don't want people to get shot or hurt playing the game ... I don't think it's likely at all," Aliquo said of potential hazards.
Players pay a $10 entry fee and are then given a dossier on their target, who they must find and "kill" with water guns or water balloons. If a player eliminates a mark - a task that has led some to hold stake-outs and pose as flower delivery men - he or she acquires the "slain" player's target, and the game continues.
Winners of Aliquo's game, which debuted last year, receive cash prizes, which have been around $500 in the past.
Aliquo said he understands why the game's premise might concern some. "It's not really the best time in the world to have a game like this," he said.
Aliquo said he plans to cap the upcoming game at 200 participants. The deadline for signup is today before 5 p.m.
Despite potential outcry over the game, veteran players said it offers an escape for adults, as well as a glimpse into a world usually confined to fictional spy movies. "You feel what it's like to stalk somebody and also know that you're being stalked," said Diana Mandelare, 34, of Fort Greene, an ex-player who now helps Aliquo organize the game.
"You kind of live in paranoia for a while," she said.
Staff writer Daryl Khan contributed to this story.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
STAFF WRITER; Staff writer Daryl Khan contributed to this story.
July 25, 2005
Some people would kill for a break from their daily routine.
That's why Franz Aliquo, a securities lawyer by day, created StreetWars: Team Killer, a "24/7 water gun assassination tournament," in which participants try to hunt each other down in the five boroughs.
The game, set for its third run in New York on Aug. 1, is likely to raise eyebrows during this time of terror alerts and heightened security citywide.
Aware of the potential for backlash, Aliquo, 30, of Long Island City, said he called the Police Department before launching this edition - for which 150 people have already signed up - and has taken precautions, including bans on realistic-looking weapons and on gameplay in public-transportation areas. "The first thing they said ... was 'Oh God,'" Aliquo said of his Friday phone conversation with the NYPD. "Then they were like, 'All right, we'll spread the word. We'll let people know.' What are they gonna do, really? It's not like I'm breaking any laws."
The NYPD had no comment yesterday on the game.
Aliquo, who recently received two e-mails saying his game glorified violence, said the contest is well intentioned. "When you get into the work world, the whole kind of fun stuff that you do as a kid gets lost, and I don't think that's necessary," Aliquo said. "It's about helping people to foster creativity and break out of their day-to-day routines."
Given the risks involved with playing easily misunderstood games in public, players sign a disclaimer. "Aside from the fact of not wanting to get sued, I just generally don't want people to get shot or hurt playing the game ... I don't think it's likely at all," Aliquo said of potential hazards.
Players pay a $10 entry fee and are then given a dossier on their target, who they must find and "kill" with water guns or water balloons. If a player eliminates a mark - a task that has led some to hold stake-outs and pose as flower delivery men - he or she acquires the "slain" player's target, and the game continues.
Winners of Aliquo's game, which debuted last year, receive cash prizes, which have been around $500 in the past.
Aliquo said he understands why the game's premise might concern some. "It's not really the best time in the world to have a game like this," he said.
Aliquo said he plans to cap the upcoming game at 200 participants. The deadline for signup is today before 5 p.m.
Despite potential outcry over the game, veteran players said it offers an escape for adults, as well as a glimpse into a world usually confined to fictional spy movies. "You feel what it's like to stalk somebody and also know that you're being stalked," said Diana Mandelare, 34, of Fort Greene, an ex-player who now helps Aliquo organize the game.
"You kind of live in paranoia for a while," she said.
Staff writer Daryl Khan contributed to this story.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
