Nerd For Hire (Business Idea)

[alchemyprime]

Idea in spoiler block.


Okay, so in this economy, people aren't too willing to spend extra cash unless they know they can afford it.

But Americans are known for being lazy and for needing help.

So I suggest you hire your very own Nerd.

Yes, with Nerd for Hire, you'll never be caught in a horrible situation again!

Have you been here? Its your turn to host a D&D session but the DM can't make it. What do you do? Call Nerd for Hire! At their easy hourly rate, you can still have a DM and get all the experience you need!

Need a raiding partner? Our crack team of characters, from level 1 to 80 at varying degrees, will help you get through that quest!

Your campaign at the table not going well? Have a rules dispute? Give us a call and we'll see if we can reach an unbiased verdict!

For all your RPG, anime, comic and movie needs, Nerd for Hire has your back!

Nerd for Hire: We do the hard part for you.


So, what do you guys think? Could this work as a business strategy, offering table-top RPG, MMO and comic book/movie help for people? Essentially being a KGBKGB with GMing skills?

[GoC]

:smallbiggrin:

[DamnedIrishman]

Idea in spoiler block.
So, what do you guys think? Could this work as a business strategy, offering table-top RPG, MMO and comic book/movie help for people? Essentially being a KGBKGB with GMing skills?

I think that the only people who would ever need to hire a nerd are nerds themselves, which is a bit like a plumber hiring a plumber...


Your main rival would be the assembled hordes of the internet. Can you show that you're more able?

[Mr. Mud]

I guess this could work... but I'd really depend on the rate. I'd actually be kind of cool to help people game, or level, or what have you. But if we are talking MMORPG's, (e.g. World of Warcraft) don't you think blizzard would have a problem with a company powerleveling people? Not just a player's friends? You coudl also like loan out D&D monster manuals, and give gaming advice... Not sure I'd last... But you guys could like team up with Geeks on call :smallbiggrin:.

Heh, oh and your guys will all have to drive Toyota Priuses, and drinking Earl Grey Tea out of a batman thermos. :smallamused:

[Hazkali]

I wish this would work, but unfortunately it would not, at least not as generally as you've said. DamnedIrishman puts it, no one person can stand up to the internet.

For a question-and-answer type service nobody will pay for one person to try and answer their question when they could post it on a busy forum and get probably a better answer for free.

For MMO assistance, it would take an extremely socially backwards (read pitiable) person who would pay someone to play with him as opposed to finding someone in the public areas (or however it works, I don't really play MMOs).

The only part that would work would be running a pay-for-play game, but I would consider that dangerous territory. The addition of money will, I can imagine, change the DM-Player power balance. The player might expect you to be more lenient, or let things slide, or have more control in the direction that the campaign goes in. I can't see every player having these expectations, but then you must remember that you'll be playing against people who cannot find a DM, and many unfortunate personality types lend themselves to that predicament, especially if you put on a game for groups of individuals, instead of existing gaming groups.

Unfortunately I just don't think there's a market for something as intangible as this, which is fortunate for the world. After all, if all of the future doctors and scientists found they could make money by just being geeks, then we'd all be in trouble. :smalltongue:

[Rutskarn]

I really want to live in a world where a different sort of Nerd for Hire exists.

Namely, the sort that talks to writers and executives to explain nerdy concepts before said concepts are made a hash of by the clueless media.

"No, no, see, you don't have a sword of +1 orc smashing, you'd, like...I dunno, have a +1 sword of orc smashing. The +1 applies to the attack and damage, not to the actual..."orc smashing", whatever that does. Oh, and it's not like a series of tubes at all."

Oh, for a world that actually cared enough.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Sorry to be a spoilsport, but I don't think there would be very much demand for such a service. I mean you could try it out as a part-time hobby/business but I doubt you could make a living out of it.

The thing is, DamnedIrishman is right. The only people who would want to hire a nerd would have to be nerds themselves.

Something that might work better would be doing the same thing but with "cool stuff" e.g. teaching people what's cool, what's not cool and how to be cool... More people want to be cool than to be nerds. However, you'd be competing with psychotherapists and DJs and chances are unless you have special training (read - a psychology background) it would be very difficult to pull it off and actually make someone cool.

[DamnedIrishman]

However, you could make money by having nerds pay you to be their friend.

[GoC]

However, you could make money by having nerds pay you to be their friend.

:smallbiggrin:

[Eldan]

I would use that GM hiring thing. I mean, I'm probably a decent GM in PbP, but at the table, I'm pretty bad. And the rest of my group is worse. Also, we are only three people. And two of those three people moved to other countries.

Short version: I'd consider paying people to play some real DnD with me.

[Mr. Mud]

I would use that GM hiring thing. I mean, I'm probably a decent GM in PbP, but at the table, I'm pretty bad. And the rest of my group is worse. Also, we are only three people. And two of those three people moved to other countries.

Short version: I'd consider paying people to play some real DnD with me.

Nothing wrong with at... since that's basically what World of Warcraft is (to some extent) right?

[DamnedIrishman]

unless you have special training (read - a psychology background) it would be very difficult to pull it off and actually make someone cool.

Pssh. Any child can do it. Have you never seen Back to the Future?

[Serpentine]

Isn't this what, you know, friends are for? :smallconfused:
But if we are talking MMORPG's, (e.g. World of Warcraft) don't you think blizzard would have a problem with a company powerleveling people?They already exist, mostly in... was it Japan, Korea or Thailand? One of 'em. Thriving business. They have people working shifts.

[Raistlin1040]

It's Korea, I believe.

[Innis Cabal]

I guess this could work... but I'd really depend on the rate. I'd actually be kind of cool to help people game, or level, or what have you. But if we are talking MMORPG's, (e.g. World of Warcraft) don't you think blizzard would have a problem with a company powerleveling people? Not just a player's friends? You coudl also like loan out D&D monster manuals, and give gaming advice... Not sure I'd last... But you guys could like team up with Geeks on call :smallbiggrin:.

Heh, oh and your guys will all have to drive Toyota Priuses, and drinking Earl Grey Tea out of a batman thermos. :smallamused:

All popular MMO's have them, and they are in fact against the terms of agreement



Isn't this what, you know, friends are for? :smallconfused:

Isn't this a little narrow minded? What if none of your friends -like- D&D. Or simply refuse to DM? What then? Sit around and wallow in it? Or call a guy, shell out a pizza and some money for a little legal fun and be done with it....how is this any different then an arcade?

[Serpentine]

I was mostly trying to make a funny :smallsigh:
But... I don't quite get how this is like an arcade :smallconfused: