Wife Swap seeking gamer families

by Mike Schramm Apr 16th 2008 at 2:00PM

WoW Insider has been contacted by a producer of the reality show Wife Swap -- apparently they're on the hunt for families who play WoW and other MMOs together, so they're sending out a casting call to the community. Any families applying should play MMOs together, have two parents and two children between 7 and 17, and live somewhere in the United States. If you're chosen for the show, you get a $20,000 honorarium, and anyone who refers a family that makes it on the show gets a grand for their efforts.

Of course, you couldn't pay me enough to appear on a show like this (and there is no guarantee, of course, that the show will competently portray a family that plays games together as a healthy, valuable thing), but to each their own -- maybe this is just the opportunity you've been waiting for. If so, drop an email to the producer: gaby dot wifeswap AT gmail dot com, with a family photo and a description.

It definitely sounds like an interesting experience, though. If you're willing to throw your family's hat into the ring, there you go -- throw away.

Tags: casting, families, honorarium, mmos, play-together, reality-show, wife-swap

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Virtual selves, Odds and ends

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Treima Apr 16th 2008 2:10PM

I wonder how many times they will refer to the family as "WORLD OF WARCRAFT ADDICTS". The over/under line is 15. Place your bets!

Verified Insanity Apr 16th 2008 3:02PM

I bet 3 times... But if you include "Video game addicts" too, then I'll bet 18-19.

Psychosis Apr 16th 2008 5:50PM

I'll put my money on it. also bet that the words noob geek and nerd come up in no particualr order

Kurmit Apr 17th 2008 11:29AM

They had a SWG wife swap. The SWG playing mom went to the other house and tried installing and downloading the patches. It said something like 90 hours to update via dial-up (never did get it up and running). She was referred to as an "Addict" no less than 10 times. But it wasn't referred by the game, but "You spend too much time on the computer".

CSCIGuy Apr 16th 2008 2:16PM

I wonder if they would allow gay families to partcipate.

JPN Apr 16th 2008 2:28PM

Yes, they've had gay couples on Wife Swap. I think it was lesbians.

Frunkis Apr 18th 2008 9:54PM

Wouldn't they then have contacted Eve subscribers instead?

Alchemistmerlin Apr 16th 2008 2:21PM

Hey everyone, let's go prance around on television like we're some sort of sideshow.

Shelby Apr 16th 2008 2:23PM

For $20,000 I'd do it, hell ya.

Prauche Apr 16th 2008 2:24PM

Why not add gamers to the list of losers who participate in crap reality tv like this.....thanks for the heads-up.

I think I'll hit up the wife and let her give me the Lorena Bobbit treatment for suggesting something like this for a mere $20k

Epiny Apr 16th 2008 2:24PM

Wow they are going to find that one extreme family who sacraficies everything to play WoW and portray us as lazy, fat slobs. This wont end well.

The family that balances MMO's with real life isn't entertaining so don't expect it to be a fair and unbiased representation of us. This will just go to strenghten the stereotype of gamers as shut in nerds.

Badger Apr 16th 2008 2:54PM

'Wow they are going to find that one extreme family who sacraficies everything to play WoW and portray us as lazy, fat slobs. This wont end well.'

QFT. This is exactly what is going to happen.

Verified Insanity Apr 16th 2008 3:06PM

I hate those people. I will bet you that that's EXACTLY what they're going to do. Shame that the contract with Wife Swap probably says the family can't sue for slander...

I'd actually watch something like Judge Alex/Judy/Whatever if they had an episode like: "Gamer Family vs Wifeswap - They ruined our lives!"

Zali Apr 16th 2008 2:25PM

Only if it is done fully in WOW Machinima dubbing in the family's voices.

Disco Ball Apr 16th 2008 2:28PM

Make Love not Warcraft FTW!!!

JPN Apr 16th 2008 2:27PM

Can't wait to see how they stereotype this family! And I'm sure WoW will never be mentioned..."This family plays computer games 24 hours a day!" in that stupid narrator voice.

Verified Insanity Apr 16th 2008 3:00PM

yeah, just what us gamers needed.

More stereotypes insulting us, saying that we all have no lives at all. They're probably going to take a quote from Jack Thompson for that episode "See how they fight? That's because violent video games make people violent! Yes, I know there is no proof that it doesn't actually prevent real world violence rather than provide it, but I'm on the tee-vee, so everyone pay attention to me!"

kenney Apr 16th 2008 2:27PM

WTB your dignity- $20k PST

chris Apr 16th 2008 2:29PM

I wonder what kind of family they will use to foil against with the video gaming family. I have a guess that they will use some fundamentalist dumb babtist (redundant lol) who rejected video games and fun as sinful pleasure. Well of course those people might play game like "Left behind" about killing people who are different from them. Who knows for one thing I know i wont' get on the showy anywhere because i'm no applying anyway.
Live long and prosper