Online: Games

Online fantasy videogames like World of Warcraft typically involve spending hours on battles and quests in a virtual universe. But buzz is building online for a Web-based battle game designed to be played in short bouts -- each battle takes about 60 seconds -- in other words, possible to play at work.
[Duels]

The game is called Duels and it is free to play. In it, players build their own character, or avatar, purchase weapons and then can start challenging others who have registered online. The Web program determines the outcome of each duel based on the characters' skill levels, armor and weapons, taking into account a measure of luck; the players simply watch the duel unfold.

Players say the hands-off fights are surprisingly addictive. Though you can't influence the outcome of a duel mid-fight, the anticipation is a bit like watching the screen on a slot machine. The strategy lies in choosing how to build up a character's weapons cache and powers (winners of duels gain virtual coins and "experience points" for this purpose) and picking well-matched opponents for dueling. It's an appealing diversion for those who don't have hours of time for virtual sword-fighting practice.

Soon after the game was launched online last week by the company Oxygen Games, popular sites such as Digg and TechCrunch reviewed it positively, sending thousands of people to the game. As a result, the Duels site has experienced a few outages due to high traffic.

Currently, there are no female avatars available, though Andrew Busey, CEO of Oxygen Games, says they are forthcoming.
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