The new game I'm working on includes Bitcoins and incorporates social media actions as part of the leveling up process.  Which made me wonder, does Bitcoin have a Facebook account?

I did a search on Facebook and found a bunch of different pages.  So then I had to figure out which was the "official" one, which is what prompted this post.  Then I felt stupid and just went to bitcoin.org and sure enough there was a link to their Facebook page right at the bottom of the home page.

But that begs two other questions.  First have you liked Bitcoin yet?  I don't really put a lot of stock in Facebook and don't use it any more than strictly necessary.  However, some people do and seems to me like an easy way to support Bitcoin.  Plus it posts to your page somewhere so there is some added exposure.

My second question is about this guy.  Some how this app has 243K likes to the official pages 7K likes, but it has very few updates.  Has anyone used that app/know anything about it?  Is it really more popular than the official page or did they just buy 243K likes?

Second that.  As I said...

I agree with you within existing society.  But I also just saw http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/680276743/learn-game-programming-codeschoolorg?ref=category over at Kickstarter.  I couldn't fathom why he would get over 5 times his stated goal, especially since you figure once the tutorials are up you get access to them either way.

My only explanation is there is a trend towards investing in the commons, and this trend is self perpetuating.  The more people invest in the commons, the more commons people can take advantage of, the more people want the commons to grow, the more people invest in the commons.  I am in no way suggesting that existing forms of investing will disappear.  I'm only suggesting that as a mechanism for growth and development we may see a day in the future when popular support and crowd funding becomes an equal if not greater driver of growth then traditional investors.

OK so that headline isn't exactly accurate.  I read an article about Bitcoin Friday where the founder or organizer or whatever said that 78% of Bitcoins weren't being used and something had to be done about it.  Hence Bitcoin Friday.  I'm glad at least that the "something being done about it" was encouraging people to act of their own free accord to spend Bitcoins as opposed to suggesting we rewrite the code to create a use'm or loose'm type system.

But here's my point.  Isn't savings a good thing?  I understand why it's bad for the group.  It's better for the spread of Bitcoins if more people spend them because it encourages businesses to accept them etc.  If you like to use the GDP as a measure for the quality of a country, then again spending and consumption are good things.

But on an individual level isn't savings better.  It allows you to provide for yourself if something happens to you.  It allows you to retire when you want to.  It allows you to make decisions based not on what they cost, but on what's best for you.

This is one of the great benefits of Bitcoin.  Bitcoins tend to increase in value over time compared to U.S. dollars which depreciate over time because of inflationary production of money.  This means there is added incentive to save Bitcoins for the future, because holding them is not risky and they will be worth more later.

The one potential downside of this is that it reduces incentive to invest in growth.  If your Bitcoins will increase in value just from holding them, then the return from an investment has to be that much higher to make the risk worth it.  But that may be an old world way of looking at investments.  People on Kickstarter and Kiva and sites like that choose to invest in things they want to see created, not in things that give them a financial return.  Maybe that's the way investment should work.

Back to my original point, it seems to me that the nature of Bitcoins encourages people to make better life decisions for themselves.  It encourages people to save instead of consume.  I'm not saying don't spend Bitcoins.  Let's get this economy booming.  But we should also celebrate, not being frustrated by, the fact that Bitcoins don't encourage us to act against our own self interest the way other currencies do.

Just a thought.

Daybyter, thanks for the info.  I'll take a look.

Also the JS version of the game play is now up.

Mushroomized, I appreciate the vote of confidence.

Daybyter, I actually already ported it all to JS.  The map design demo is already up and the game play demo will be up shortly.

For the web JS has the advantage of being cached which makes the initial load time faster for every load after the first.  People don't like waiting for something to happen so this is an advantage.  Also some people seem to be having trouble getting the applet to load.  That being said I appreciate the feedback.  I was originally just going to port it, but now I'll probably use both and let players decide which they choose to play on.  I used Processing to write the game and Processing.JS to port it to Javascript so from a development standpoint it's not a lot of extra work.  I don't know what Java webstart is so I'll have to look into that as an option.

As for mobile, Processing is supposedly useable for Android apps but I haven't looked at it yet.  The problem is the way the game is designed now it follows a mouse and uses the space bar to stop.  I'm not sure I could find a way to do something similar for mobile devices.  I'm going to have to look into it more and see what my options are.

Yeah.  It's an applet.  I'm looking at transferring it to a javascript format in the future though.

So let me preface this with a brief disclaimer.  I think Bitcoins are awesome and every time I come back to take a look at what's going on I'm amazed by all the cool new stuff happening in the community, but I don't spend nearly as much time here as the many you that are really dedicated to Bitcoins.  So if it seems like I'm missing something, feel free to clue me in.  That being said whenever I'm working on a project I try to look at ways to incorporate Bitcoins, and I found a way to incorporate them into my latest project.

The project is an online social game where a you lead your character, Robit, through a custom maze to find Bitcoins and reach the end point.  Also players are able to make custom mazes to share with their friends.  For all you hard core gamers, prepare to be very underwhelmed.  The game play isn't very sophisticated and the demo graphics that are in the game right now make 8 bit look good.  That being said it's a social game so the entertainment is more challenging your friends than burning up your graphics card.

You can check out the demo of the game at http://socialrosity.com/robit_demo/. Your Beta testing, comments, questions, etc. are appreciated.  Also anyone that has some recommendations on graphics, I'm very open to suggestions.  I can follow a Photoshop tutorial like it's cool, but character and setting design aren't necessarily one of my strengths.

For anyone interested in promoting Bitcoins, and I assume most of you are, you'd probably agree that putting the Bitcoin image in a game is nice and all but when they have no real correlation to the way actual Bitcoins work the promotional benefit is weak at best.  I agree.  This is where Phase 3 comes in.

Phase 3 of development for Robit Coin Raiser involves creating real world missions that players complete to gain upgrades in the game.  For example when going through a maze you must find all the Bitcoins before the end point appears and you can complete the mission.  The default number of Bitcoins a player can put into a maze they design is 2, but by completing missions they can get upgrades that would allow them to increase that number up to say 5 Bitcoins per maze.

These real world missions could be things like watching a YouTube video, liking something on Facebook, or putting a tweet on Twitter.  Or in the case of Bitcoins, setting up a wallet, getting some free Bitcoins, and sending them to the game.  The end result is easily trackable.  Send .0001 BTC or whatever to the game and get the upgrade.  There are already services that offer free Bitcoins to get people started.  For the mission we'd just direct people to one of these sites, and then donate back the BTCs we get so it creates a continual loop.  Obviously some people will just complete the mission and never think about Bitcoins again.  But if the mission before it is watching a video about Bitcoins, a certain percentage of people will get interested and get involved.

This is still in the development phase, but I full expect to be able to have Phase 2 (see the demo site) completed before Thanksgiving and maybe have a couple of missions completed before the end of the year.  So I'm interested in what those of you much more involved with Bitcoins think and any suggestions you might have.  Thanks.

LOL I was actually thinking something along that lines.  Instead of the Go to Jail space, have You've Been Hacked space and instead of Jail have Server Down or Offline.

Instead of Go have Genesis Block.

Instead of Free Parking have Community Bounty.

I honestly think this could be an awesome game if we can throw it together in time.  I'm going to start contacting businesses on Monday to see if I can put enough people together.  And I get what you're saying about a digital version as opposed to a physical version.  We're actually working on an online game for Bitcoins that is completely unrelated to this project.

But ctoon6 kind of has a point.  We still live in the physical world and there is something about having a physical item in our hands that makes it more valuable to us.  I think the physical game could be a really good thing for the community.  It is a great way to start a conversation about Bitcoins.  Invite people over for game night and inevitably they're going to ask what Bitcoins are.  Obviously the game isn't an accurate representation of how Bitcoins actually operate, but that's not really the point.  Instead it's more about tying a subject we want to tell more people about to a game they already know and enjoy.  The rest is sort of self fulfilling.

Of course if I don't get the game made that's all irrelevant  Like I said, on Monday I'll start pounding the pavement so to speak.

OK so one more time.  This is completely legal as long as we don't use anything that is copyrighted by Hasbro.  A LOT of people have done this before.  We're not treading on new ground.  We're just doing what has already been done except with Bitcoin which is obviously way cooler. 

Hasbro has copyrighted many aspects of the monopoly game, however as long as the aspects are not duplicated there is no infringement.

If you want to create an alternative set of rules for the game, I'd consider including them.

Reasonable concern (sort of).  It isn't the "bitcoin community" but 32+ businesses that get advertising in exchange for the upfront cost.  I'm not asking them to donate the money.  It's a business transaction.  Also, you're using my highest figures to do your math, so you're going out of your way to make your numbers the highest possible.  So, while you're concern is reasonable, maybe a friendlier phrasing of the inquiry next time would be agreeable.  However, given the circumstances of recent events in the community, I suppose it can be forgiven.

To address your concern, your numbers are based on faulty assumptions which reflects a failure to be clear on my part.

1.  The boards are not black and white.  They are four color which obviously requires much higher printing costs but looks much better.  The logos are black and white, but that might change. (See #2)
2.  The printer I've contacted is probably priced high.  I'm looking into alternative options that would be cheaper.  The $400 - $500 amount is consequently also probably high. However, it obviously makes sense to get commitments at a higher price and lower it, rather than the other way around.
3.  The price wasn't for 500 games it was for between 750 and 1000.  I don't know if that many would sell which is part of the reason for this poll.  However, once again, start high and work your way down.
4. The $30 per game is about the going price for the game, but again it is also probably a highest estimate.

Finally yes I will make a decent profit for three months worth of work.  I'm not going to retire off of it, but I'll consider it a decent Christmas bonus for myself and the workers that help me pull everything together.  But I also think this would be a pretty cool contribution to the Bitcoin community, and I think a decent number of people agree with me.  I also had some ideas on other ways I could use the profits to contribute to the Bitcoin community, but I'd like to save those for later on.

I hope that answers your question.  If not or you have additional questions, please feel free to post them.  I am at your service.  I assume your concern over the pricing means you're looking into sponsoring one of the spots, so I look forward to you joining the board as well.

So I saw the post about Bitcoin Monopoly and decided to do a little research.  I found a printer that will make a Bitcoinopoly game.  The problem is they would need the design information by the first week in October in order to have the game ready by Christmas.  Obviously this would be best because the game would make awesome Christmas presents.

In order to accomplish this I would need at least 32 Bitcoin Merchants willing to sponsor a spot on the board.  Cost would be between $400-$500 see below (US not Bitcoins).  Sponsorship would include your company name, BW logo, and a copy of the game.  If I can get 32 merchants to step up in time I’ll get production underway.  If not, we’ll just have to try again next year.

I also need an idea of how many people would want to purchase the game.  Cost would be approx $30 plus shipping. See below

If this doesn’t take off, no big deal considering the short time frame.  However, I thought it would be pretty cool  if we could accomplish it.

Comments and thoughts welcome.

UPDATE:

I’ve found a different printer to produce the game.  I need to print a minimum of 1000 games to make it cost effective, but they are about 15% cheaper and will start production with a 50% deposit and the remainder due before delivery.  Also their production quality seems better and is more flexible so now all sponsorship locations on the board are full color and we can get more creative with the board.

Aside from the custom look of the board, the only significant difference from a normal monopoly game that I can tell is that they use regular plastic pawns instead of pewter pieces.  The extra cost for pewter pieces is significant enough as to put the whole production into jeopardy, so I elected not to include them.  There are places online to buy your own custom pieces if you feel like you really want them.

New sponsorship prices:
(All sponsors must be confirmed by Oct 1. PM me immediately.)
Locations sold on a first come first serve basis.

All Properties include corresponding deed cards -
20 Regular Properties $325
4 x Railroads $375
2 x Utilities $375
Park Place $400
Boardwalk $425

Locations on board without deed cards:
2 x Tax Sites $325
Go to Jail $400
Jail $425
Free Parking $450

Community Chest or Chance Card Sponsorship
32 x $150

Special Mention on back of game box $75
“Bitcoinopoly was made possible through contributions by:”
Followed by listed names

Now obviously if you add all those numbers up it greatly exceeds the production cost, but the reality is I don’t think I’m going to come anywhere near filling all these spots by Oct 1.  My goal is to sell enough of them to cover the first 50% deposit and maybe some of the rest of the cost, with the remaining cost coming from preorder sales.  If we end up getting close to the amounts needed, I will cover the difference because I assume I’ll recoup the cost, but if we don’t get close then I have to assume there isn’t great enough demand.  Also, once I put the first 50% deposit down, I’m still on the hook for the remaining 50% deposit regardless of whether I make enough preorder sales to cover it or not so I am taking a certain amount of risk in production.

Cost of the Game:
(Tentative)
Preorder before Oct 1 will be $17.99
Preorder before Dec 1 will be $22.99
All sales starting Dec 1 will be $27.99
All costs plus shipping

I will setup order forms as soon as I can, but anyone looking to do sponsorship should PM me immediately.  Again sponsorship must be confirmed by Oct 1.

As always questions and comments are welcome.

bit·stake [bit-steyk]  noun - an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment that you would not have made in every day life but was caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc. through it's association with Bitcoin

 

I stole this list of examples from the other thread.


And to go along with this I'd like to offer a counter point.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tim_harford.html

My point is we as a community have probably made a lot of bitstakes and there probably are a lot of scammers out there taking advantage of that.  But that doesn't change the value of Bitcoins as a currency (value being its usefulness as an nonfiat psuedo anonymous medium of exchange, not the exchange rate in USD.)  And mistakes aren't bad as long as we keep making them in the right direction.

Just a thought.

The way I read it is, the bill doesn't create a gold standard, it simply allows it to be used as currency.  Also I would argue that the depression had more to do with the federal reserve shrinking the money supply which had nothing to do with the money supply.

That being said, I would say there is nothing more detrimental to an economy than an unregulated and unelected body that can print money out of thin air on a whim and that's what the Federal Reserve is now.  The Federal Reserve is no more a part of the government than Federal Express is.

Yeah I've played around with different ideas for different amounts to make it more universal.  What I've come up with is the idea of having your balance at the ASR to customizable to higher amounts.  So for example you could set your balance at the ASR to 25 BTC.  Then if you want to make a 19 BTC transaction, the ASR immediately sends the 19 BTC.  Then over the course of a certain time like and hour or whatever, your client would automatically send 5 BTC transactions to the ASR to refill the balance.

If done this way then you could have transaction sizes of 5 BTC and maybe 50 BTC for people that do large transactions amounts.  It's really determined by the volume of traffic.  If only a few people are passing blocks of 50 BTC at a time, then there really isn't any anonymity for them.

It should really be stressed that mixing services aren't enough.  Every bitcoin that comes in and every bitcoin that goes out of your possession needs to be obfuscated for true anonymity.  To accomplish this right now you could theoretically use a mixing service to accept all your coins and a mixing service to send all your coins. 

However, you still run into the amount tracking method.  It's pretty easy to look at the public transactions and say 5.93407 BTC when in here and 5.93407 BTC went out there.

To fix this problem you could have an "anonymous" account on an exchange or an online wallet accept and send all your transactions and only release 5 BTC to yourself at a time.  Of course how safe and reliable the exchanges and online wallets are still remains to be seen. 

However, now you run into the traffic problem.  If you're the only person doing this the 5 BTC transactions stand out pretty clearly.

There is also the problem of convenience which is tied to the traffic problem.  Doing all this manually is a pain in the a$$.  What is really needed is a client that will do it all for you.

This post doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention, which is interesting considering anonymity is one of the best features of Bitcoin.  Part of the problem might be that you're explanations seem kind of technical and are hard to follow.  That being said, I've been thinking along the same lines as this for a while.  This is the working theory that I've come up with.

1. You have user clients and an ASR as you said.
2. All transactions between the clients and the ASR will be for 5 BTC.
3. If a user wants to send 6 BTC to a third party.  They will send 5 BTC to two separate addresses controlled by the ASR.  From any other addresses the ASR will send a total of 6 BTC to the third party.  The ASR will then log the balance of 4 BTC under a unique address.
4. If a user wants to receive 6 BTC from a third party the ASR generates a unique address for the user.  After receiving the 6 BTC, the ASR sends 5 BTC to the user and records the balance of 1 BTC under a unique address.
5. The user can as necessary draw from the balance to cover transactions less than 5 BTC or withdraw 5 BTC at a time if the balance exceeds this amount.  In this way the ASR will have control over a maximum of less than 5 BTC for any given user.

With enough traffic this should significantly conceal the connections of any transactions entering or leaving the ASR.

Other safety measures I've considered.

1. Have the ASR broken into programs split across multiple servers, so that hacking one server will not allow for control of the entire system.
2. Require that all transactions be confirmed by multiple servers independently.
3. Have all database entries double encrypted with one key being held on the server and one key being held by the user client.  In this way no database entries would be readable without the client that created them.
4. Have all programs making of the ASR sufficiently obfuscated and rewritten on a regular basis.  In this manner, even if someone hacked the server and gained access to the software, by the time they deciphered the software new software would be in place.

I've been playing around with how to implement this already, but it's kind of a big undertaking.  The user client would have to control all the tracking of funds behind the scenes so that it is easy for the user and the least amount of information possible is available to the ASR.  Then you would also need to create the ASR broken into multiple parts, and create an obfuscation program that could randomly replace variables and insert code to properly disguise the functioning of the program.

I agree with you that this is an issue that needs to be addressed and that current systems don't work.  But based on the attention this thread has gotten so far, I'm not sure the community actually takes this that seriously.

It looks like they only accept credit cards through paypal and they don't recommend sellers do this.  Have you bought a lot of bitcoins this way?