Dating site for gamers launches Shag a Gamer in UK

The people behind dating site Date a Gamer have launched a new site in the UK: Shag a Gamer.

Apparently it "fills the gap left for horny geeks who aren't necessarily looking for dating or a long-term relationship, but who are interested in scouting for sex online and meeting up for no-strings nookie".

Date a Gamer chief Tom Thurlow said members of Date a Gamer had been using the site to search for sex rather than relationships. Thus, Shag a Gamer. Already hundreds of members have defected, Thurlow claimed.

"Over the past few months we noticed that instead of looking for love, many of the members were using the site purely to meet up for sex - it's not something we were expecting, but obviously gamers get urges too.

"It got us thinking that, perhaps by providing a platform where geeks and gamers over the age of 18 could arrange to meet up and get it on, we could help people who may feel uneasy in social situations, find someone and get some action.

"People were using the Date a Gamer site to meet up for sex anyway, but this way they have a space where they can do this more openly in an arena they are comfortable in, in other words, online."

He added: "We realise this concept will raise more than a few eyebrows. But we're all adults and by using this platform all members know what they are there for and the activity is far more transparent. We're hoping it may even become self-regulating because of this."

After the launch of Date a Gamer back in February Eurogamer received reports that its 150,000 strong database was largely comprised of members of other dating websites who had been added without them knowing.

Thurlow admitted to Eurogamer this afternoon that he used a site called Global Personals that helps dating site creators get an initial starting base to lift Date a Gamer off the ground.

"Only members that specifically express an interest in 'computers' and 'computer gaming' were selected to be displayed on Date a Gamer for our members to meet," he said. "Global Personals allow partner sites (such as mine) to hard niche membership. As the site owner, I wanted members to have the best chance to find a successful date, so by working with a larger company I could be sure to achieve this."

Thurlow said since Date a Gamer launched, its membership had swelled to 260,000 members. "This is a result of direct marketing to gamers who have been coming to the site since launch in February and as a gamer myself, I'm genuinely happy that I've been able to build this niched community of single gamers. "

He denied users from Date a Gamer will be automatically signed up to Shag a Gamer.

"Our initial 'starting base' of members for this site will again be determined by user interests 'computers', 'computer gaming' and ones who are purely only interested in no-strings rendezvous," he said.

"But members from Date a Gamer are already joining the new site in large numbers and I'm very hopefully going to replicate the success I achieved with Date a Gamer on Shag a Gamer."