Aargle Zymurgy - Online Gaming Pioneer

When life (real or virtual) takes a detour from our intended plans, as in a career change, global recession or even a virtual world gaming ban, we are likely to find solice in those who have had a similar experience so that we may also find a way to muddle through.  Aargly Zymurgy is a virtual world game maker with an interesting story. I featured him in our book, 'The Unofficial Guide to Building Your Business in the Second Life® Virtual World' because of his impact on the thriving gaming industry in Second Life®. I think his story may serve as inspiration to those nervous about real world industry. Aargle was on the verge of losing everything he had built as a game maker in Second Life® when the gambling ban was enacted in 2007. Because of his quick actions and determination, Aargle came through a potentially debilitating time, saving countless businesses in the virtual world at the time and for years to come.

‘Aargle’ is pronounced like ‘gargle’ but with an ‘A’ and Zymurgy is the study of fermentation, as in beer. So, translated, ‘Aargle Zymurgy’ means ‘Gargle Beer’.  Also, ‘Argle’ means ‘nonsense’ and is a sort of puzzle in that it represents A to Z. Clever, huh? That’s what I expect of a seasoned game maker.

In real life, Aargle Zymurgy loves to make his own beer. So, when the avatar-name opportunity was there, he took it. That’s another good example of a critical choice of name for your avatar. I especially like the ones with some deeper meaning.

During the same time of the end of the nineties ‘dot com’ era, Aargle set up a home office where he’s been ever since. He is now 46. His four children became beta testers to an educational computer game he created for them.  He presented that game to a company he had consulted and they took him on as a partner, saving their company from the brink of ruins. He won’t say which game it is, yet, but he divulged it is an educational learning tool used in schools for K-6 students.


Aargle knows what he’s doing when it comes to games. He came into ‘Second Life’ to do exactly what he is doing. When I asked him if he based his pursuit on a business plan, he retorted, “I was too busy being successful to stop and make a plan”. I laughed.

Nasus Dumart: Did you have a business plan or make it up as you went?
Aargle Zymurgy: You: the latter. :-)
Nasus Dumart: :)
Aargle Zymurgy: I had one solid goal: I would never put money from RL to SL.

Like every newbie, earning L$ in the first three months is usually by way of ‘camping’ and gaming. Eventually taking on projects that require skill, which earns you more money.

“One day, (while gaming) I think I lost half what I had and got very frustrated.
I set out to find out how to beat the games here.
In the process, figured out how to start making my own games.”


Aargle is a talented ‘Second Life’ game maker. Even through the abrupt gambling ban that took place in ‘Second Life’ in 2007, he figured out how to make better games that are ‘Second Life legal’, and he sells plenty of them.

Up until the ‘gambling bust’ of 2007, ‘Second Life’ casinos were among the most successful businesses opportunities available. Then, as ‘Second Life’ grew in popularity, big questions were raised about money trading hands, taxes and legalities of virtual world operations. The laws of California, where Linden Lab is based, states online gambling is illegal which threatened to end all operations. When approached by the federal government, Linden Lab immediately complied and prohibited all gambling activities in ‘Second Life’.

This was a shock to the gaming businesses. Many casinos just shut down and left. Aargle decided to investigate the legalities further.

“The games where a player does not influence the outcome of the game are banned.
We design the games where it's about skill, not luck,
and we've done empirical tests to demonstrate that.”

Aargle states. “I've not gone to school for law, but I've studied a lot, had my name on a handful of patents (wrote some primary white papers), and handled a few court cases pro-se.” He proved that there is a difference in legalities with games of chance and wager and games of skill with monetary reward. His games were in compliance, being games of skill. The only challenge was in getting the governance team to understand that his games were not money-hungry slot machines.

“It took a couple months and a lot of aggravation on everyone's part....
but, the work paid off.”


It really did pay off. Through the gambling bust, September and October of 2007 were Aargle’s only months with declines in sales. He has since recovered his sales and then some.

“As SL has grown, so have I.”
Aargle came into ‘Second Life’ with the intent to start a business, though, he admits, his direction changed entirely as he better understood SL.

Aargle kept his goals simple. He recalls, “Well, I had another goal not long after arriving. Until I made my first L$1000, I was going to basically dress like a bum. At L$10,000 dress business casual. At L$100,000 - business formal. At L$1,000,000 - get a tux. In the first weekend of Zyngo's release, I never got to celebrate the $10,000 mark. It happened too fast.”

Aargle credits his sales success to a chance encounter with Athena Sterling, she runs Solo Junkies Skybox. “In fact,” he said, “that's where I used to play games to get my initial stake.” He approached her when he was ready to demonstrate his newest creation, ‘Zyngo’. “She told me she was driven crazy by noobs bugging her that one day. I approached her on her last nerve.”  He later found out that she almost told him to shove off, but decided to wait one more moment.

“I put out the game and she said, "you're going to make a fortune."

Athena was the only one at the time to recognize Zyngo's potential. Within a few minutes, she cleared him floor space for the games and since that time, they've become best of friends. One plan Aargle mentioned is that he plans to meet Athena and her family along with his family at the SLCC this year.

Aargle has made a fortune. He has hit the million Linden mark and then some. He’s used to hitting the million mark. In fact, he had a RL project he wouldn't mention for anonymity's sake, but says, “it was pretty major. A few million people knew it and about me.” It started over coffee one day with a friend saying, "let's make _____". And they did.

‘Second Life is the only virtual world Aargle is currently in. He can’t imagine having time for any other virtual world and keeping up pace here. He says part of his problem, or perhaps advantage is that he likes to socialize a lot. He spends eighty hours a week logged into SL.

A lot of that time is dedicated to customer service. This is a global market place. The language barrier takes time. In fact one non-english speaking customer will take him the time of ten. But, he gives his time. That’s probably one of the ingredients to his success.

Aargle’s games are signature games. He hasn’t the need for advertising beyond SL classifieds. His games are his ads. And they’re everywhere.

“I try to promote SL as much as I promote my own work here.”

Aargle Zymurgy Systems (AZS) is a serious start-up group of SL Game Designers. This is a group of seven collaborating game professionals that create, test and share code in some instances all in the name of a better a better game experience.

“In a way, this is a better environment for creating games than RL is.”


One of the challenges Aargle notes is the constant instant messaging. People expect him to be available 24/7.

“The challenge is to stay ahead, you can't rest where you are.
I've got to keep wondering what the next major thing is here.

I asked Aargle what's to stop someone from doing what does. He said, “Nothing, really, except small things, like skill, ambition, experience and combinations of those.” Aargle relies on a close network of good friends to keep him informed about his market. People talk to Aargle. He’s very social.

“I get told about nearly everything people are doing. The frauds, hackers, developers, competitors, etc. One person made a faked multi-player Zyngo demo some time back and was
shocked to see me show up at the unveiling. She thought it was a total secret.

The bottom line with that is, he has friends who have looked out for his interests. A dozen attempts were made to do what Aargle did with Zyngo, but he says, “They never got anywhere”.

One of his closest SL friends and business partners is talented game maker, Lamorna Proctor, whose board games, including chess, checkers and backgammon are unmatched in form an function anywhere throughout SL.

He doesn’t over-rate what support he’s had from friends and tries to return the same treatment.
And then Aargle Zymungy went off to grade RL mid-term papers. He certainly has a lot of irons in the fire. Nothing he could have ever planned for.

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