Some of you might have seen screenshots of this particular website making the rounds this week:
Suffice to say, it was interesting enough for me to pay a visit to egirl.gg see what it's all about. My friends and I have actually joked about creating a 'gamer escort' platform before, so it was quite surreal to see it come to life (dang it, we could've been rich!)
Right off the bat, it promises to provide 'professional game companions' who are pretty, gentle, and have sweet voices to soothe your inner gamer rage. However, the website may offer more than just the company of 'e-girls'.
Companions are neatly categorised and sorted
Companions are primarily sorted by the game they play, followed by their server, rank, and gender. Yes, you read that right - it seems that e-boys are also up for grabs on this website, meaning that it's not gender exclusive.
It's also worth nothing that you don't necessarily have to disclose your gender upon signing up, and there are already quite a number of openly transgender e-companions that have passed vetting - which is a positive sign that all gamers are welcome on the site.
Customers book the companion they like by making an 'order'
Once you select your preferred filters, you'll be shown a list of candidates who meet your criteria. Upon clicking into their profile, you will be able to view an album of their photos, as well as screenshots of their gaming prowess (or lack thereof).
You'll also be able to read a short description about the person and listen to a short clip of their voice to determine if they're a good fit for you - and trust me, this is absolutely vital. I've already listened to a few people whose shitty mic makes the random screeching pub in your Dota game sound like Sam Smith, and I'm not forking out my precious moolah to get ear cancer.
Once you've determined your companion of choice, you can then check their schedule to see their availability - if it all checks out, you can proceed to make an 'order' to reserve their time.
You can sign up to be an e-girl (or e-boy) as well
Since the website is relatively new, they are currently running an incentive program to encourage sign-ups. This includes zero lifetime fees for the first 500 vetted candidates, which suggests that the website will be collecting a cut of your profit or charging a service fee in the future.
There's also a leaderboard for referrals - the top 5 people who introduce the most friends will enjoy cool prizes such as a Nintendo Switch and a PS4 Pro.
'Never Battle Alone'
'Never Battle Alone' is the motto of the website - beyond providing a platform for people to buy companionship, they also run an active Discord channel with over 700 members and counting.
The channel is sorted by game title, which allows users to hook up and banter with like-minded gamers free of charge. There are also streaming, music and voice channels for people who just want to hang out and chill.
A social media platform for gamers
If you look past the catchy 'rent-an-egirl' marketing, the website actually serves as a sort of social media platform for gamers - LinkedIn or Friendster for geeks, if you will.
Firstly, there's a profile to showcase your game cred, a direct message function to chat with people for free, and a Discord channel to chill and hang out with other gamer geeks.
For people who throw money at Twitch streamers for a measly 2-second shoutout to fill the void in their friendless hearts, this is a more intimate option that might actually open the doors to a genuine friendship...or at least buy you an hour of feeling less alone.
As for those who play games and tolerate pubs on a daily basis anyway? This is a great way to potentially monetise your gaming sessions while opening up avenues to meet your new favourite gaming buddy.
Personally, I feel it's a great concept and I'm excited to see where it goes. The Salty team might even send one of our e-girls into the fray to do some *investigative journalism* cough cough - so stay tuned for that possibility ;)
