"Canadian winners are required to successfully answer a time limited mathematical skill testing question, administered by mail in order to receive their prize." -from the contest rules on the aiononline.com website regarding the launch party contest.
 

I usually browse through contest rules that I already have or want to enter (I "pre-ordered" Aion....doesn't break my personal rule since for me it's just buying the game in my country....anyway). So I entered the contest by getting a Sorc up to 13 on Sunday for funsies since I was bored and was testing out my new comp. Side note on that I run ~120 fps on average out on any map, ~180 on enclosed areas and about 50-60 through heavily populated sections of Sanctum (Elyos capital) then back up to ~110 in lightly populated areas with everything maxxed ^_^.....not that the game is terribly system-heavy.

Annnnnywhoooo back to my point. Was that a joke in the contest rules or is that normal? I haven't ever noticed that stipulation in contest rules before and I wasn't aware you could even do something like that. So is this a law in Canada or does NCsoft West (basically) not like Canadians? Or is it something else entirely?

Oh yeah, I don't live in Canada so this isn't a complaint or anything of the sort. Just a curiousity that I thought I'd share.

Originally posted by Lord_Ixigan

"Canadian winners are required to successfully answer a time limited mathematical skill testing question, administered by mail in order to receive their prize." -from the contest rules on the aiononline.com website regarding the launch party contest.
 

I usually browse through contest rules that I already have or want to enter (I "pre-ordered" Aion....doesn't break my personal rule since for me it's just buying the game in my country....anyway). So I entered the contest by getting a Sorc up to 13 on Sunday for funsies since I was bored and was testing out my new comp. Side note on that I run ~120 fps on average out on any map, ~180 on enclosed areas and about 50-60 through heavily populated sections of Sanctum (Elyos capital) then back up to ~110 in lightly populated areas with everything maxxed ^_^.....not that the game is terribly system-heavy.

 

Annnnnywhoooo back to my point. Was that a joke in the contest rules or is that normal? I haven't ever noticed that stipulation in contest rules before and I wasn't aware you could even do something like that. So is this a law in Canada or does NCsoft West (basically) not like Canadians? Or is it something else entirely?

For NCsoft's sake, they better hope it's a joke.
 

Originally posted by Zorvan

Originally posted by Lord_Ixigan

"Canadian winners are required to successfully answer a time limited mathematical skill testing question, administered by mail in order to receive their prize." -from the contest rules on the aiononline.com website regarding the launch party contest.
 

I usually browse through contest rules that I already have or want to enter (I "pre-ordered" Aion....doesn't break my personal rule since for me it's just buying the game in my country....anyway). So I entered the contest by getting a Sorc up to 13 on Sunday for funsies since I was bored and was testing out my new comp. Side note on that I run ~120 fps on average out on any map, ~180 on enclosed areas and about 50-60 through heavily populated sections of Sanctum (Elyos capital) then back up to ~110 in lightly populated areas with everything maxxed ^_^.....not that the game is terribly system-heavy.

 

Annnnnywhoooo back to my point. Was that a joke in the contest rules or is that normal? I haven't ever noticed that stipulation in contest rules before and I wasn't aware you could even do something like that. So is this a law in Canada or does NCsoft West (basically) not like Canadians? Or is it something else entirely?

For NCsoft's sake, they better hope it's a joke.
 

Hehe, agree. Poor Canadiunz have to put up with a lot of abuse from down south. Also ... since Obama is president and Palin resigned they don't have easy preys to get the U.S. back with anymore. As a European I am bothered by the same problem; now I can only focus on taze happy cops and hypocrit laws and some cultural tendencies to get my anti-US rocks off; stupidity has lost it's face and it got replaced with the face of compassion and understanding.

*sighs and looks elsewhere for a country to hate*

;-)

If we win a National lottery here we have the same stipulation.

It is a canadian law.  Blame Canada.

The addition of a math problem (easily solvable) makes this a game of skill (vs chance). This meets the legal requirements set by many countries (Canada included).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYSYipouABI

Originally posted by Superman0X

The addition of a math problem (easily solvable) makes this a game of skill (vs chance). This meets the legal requirements set by many countries (Canada included).

You're friggin' kidding me. I have heard it all now.

Originally posted by Zorvan

Originally posted by Superman0X

The addition of a math problem (easily solvable) makes this a game of skill (vs chance). This meets the legal requirements set by many countries (Canada included).

 

You're friggin' kidding me. I have heard it all now.

Lol agreed. Really silly.

You can have the people who wrote this law run your health care too!  Buy now for low low prices!!

Originally posted by Lord_Ixigan

Originally posted by Zorvan

Originally posted by Superman0X

The addition of a math problem (easily solvable) makes this a game of skill (vs chance). This meets the legal requirements set by many countries (Canada included).

 

You're friggin' kidding me. I have heard it all now.

 

Lol agreed. Really silly.

...Wow, I'm speechless.

Online gaming and prize giving has to jump through a myriad of loopholes hence the teams of lawyers that are generally larger than a games art department.

By a player paying* to get a preorder code to get into beta and then potentially winning RL prizes it is deemed as Gambling in many countries Canada and the UK for eg.

To circumvent this ridiculous law the simple math ? comes into play so it is then player skill rather than chance and is no longer deemed as gambling.

*money may not have yet transferred but its inferred that a fee has been paid.

I've seen these contests before: The problems are usually trivial, so it gives people a false sense of confidence when they answer it correctly; it still ends up being a lottery.

Originally posted by //\\//\\oo

I've seen these contests before: The problems are usually trivial, so it gives people a false sense of confidence when they answer it correctly; it still ends up being a lottery.

 

Well there is a reason its called a "confidence game" and not a "you are not real bright game".  Unfortunately politics is a Con game too.