Kotaku: billy mitchell

The King Of Kong Becomes 'Bones' Murder Mystery Fodder

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:40:00 MST

This week's episode of crime procedural Bones tells the tale of Billy and Steve, competitive gamers vying for the "perfect score" on a classic arcade game. But unlike documentary The King of Kong, one of these gamers winds up... murdered!

And unlike The King of Kong, gamers Billy Gabel and Steve Rifton—the less fortunate of the two video game proteges—play Punky Pong, an old-school arcade game that apparently features a giant monkey and a Pong-like interface, but no plumbers and bananas instead of barrels. But Punky Pong does have a "kill screen," which Bones' writers appear to have taken quite literally.

Fox's official description reads: Steve turned his success into a lucrative partnership with a gaming referee and charged fans to play on the very machine that gave him the perfect score. But between sour business deals and bitter competitors, the team at the Jeffersonian must work to narrow down the many suspects with motive for ending Rifton's reign as gaming king.

Well, that certainly sounds like 48 minutes of network television I'll be watching!

The show airs tonight in the U.S. on your local Fox affiliate if you're interested. See if you can spot some of the subtle, fall into a coma and you could miss it product placement for James Cameron's Avatar!

Infinite Bits: Miami's First Video Game Convention

Mike Fahey — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:20:00 MDT

Next weekend in Miami you can enjoy live music, tournaments, world record competitions, special guests, a costume contest, and a video game museum at Infinite Bits, South Florida's "first major video game convention."

Infinite Bits is definitely a consumer-oriented video game event. It's about the community and the gamers, rather than big-name publishers showing off their wares. It's about breaking records and friendly competition, with guests like Pac-Man champ Billy Mitchell and Twin Galaxies' Walter Day. Our favorite extreme console modder Benjamin Heckendorn will be there. They've even got concerts from chiptune artists Starscream and goatslacker, as well as video game cover band Random Encounter. It's basically a bunch of gamers getting together to have fun, play games, and buy stuff for an entire weekend, which sounds just fine to me.

Infinite Bits runs from October 23rd to the 25th at the Miami Mart Hotel and Convention Center, with tickets running you $30 for a weekend pass, or $35 at the door. I'd highly recommend ordering tickets beforehand, as wandering about Miami with cash in your hand is an invitation to get shot. Well, more shot than you'd normally be just wandering about Miami without it.

Infinit Bits [Official Website]

Pac-Man World Record Broken

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:40:00 MDT

The official Pac-Man world record has become a little less attainable, as the sixth person in history to achieve a perfect score in Namco's arcade classic is also the fastest to date.

The first perfect Pac-Man score was achieved by hot sauce mogul Billy Mitchell in 1999, and once the perfect score was achieved, there was no way to top it, unless you did it faster. Until recently, the top speed record was held by Chris Ayra, who completed the game in 3 hours, 42 minutes, and 4 seconds back in 2000. Now Ayra slips to the number 2 position, as the suspiciously-named David race has been confirmed as the world's fastest, with a time of 3 hours, 41 minutes, and 22 seconds, only 42 seconds faster than the previous record.

Achieving a perfect Pac-Man score requires the gamer to eat every dot, bonus fruit, and blue ghost possible across 256 levels, after which the game glitches out. The fact that people are still trying to beat records for doing this never ceases to amaze me.

Billy Mitchell Denies and Denounces Taunting Tweets

Owen Good — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:00:00 MDT

Some unsportsmanlike tweets attributed to Billy Mitchell are 100 percent fake, says the Donkey Kong world record holder.

G4TV has reported that Mitchell, via Twitter, taunted rival Steve Wiebe after his unsuccessful attempts this past week to claim the Donkey Kong world mark that Mitchell holds. "The day after #Wiebe could not pull it off feels even better. His three pathetic attempts at breaking MY world record were almost honorable," said one.

We talked to Mitchell, and he categorically denies it.

"Not to break anybody's heart, but I don't go on forums, I don't do this sort of thing," said Mitchell, whose reputation as the bad guy in "The King of Kong" has led to a bunch of forged comments forum posts about him, his hair, ties, and hot sauce empire. "You're talking about one needle in a large haystack (of forgeries)," he said.

Mitchell intends to contact Twitter and have the fake Billy Mitchell account removed. For those who are skeptical, and whatever you think of him, take a look at the posts. Only one predates E3, and one misspells the name of Mitchell's hot sauce brand, an error I doubt the man would make.

Iowa Town to Announce Plans for Game Hall of Fame

Owen Good — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:40:00 MDT

Billy Mitchell, the world record holder in Donkey Kong and one of gaming's original stars, will be in Ottumwa, Iowa today as the city announces its intention to create a video games hall of fame.

Mitchell, according to Walter Day of the Ottumwa-based video game sanctioning body Twin Galaxies, is lending his name and support to the Ottumwa movement. Mitchell has pledged to donate the Donkey Kong cabinet on which he set the world record in 2007 to the hall of fame, Day said.

The push to place a hall of fame and museum in Ottumwa, a hub of the 1980s video gaming craze, was first reported by Kotaku earlier this month. The movement has gained significant traction since then. Ottumwa's mayor, city council members, the director of its chamber of commerce, and representatives of the city's convention bureau and development council will all be present at a meeting today at 2 pm local time (1 pm MDT). All endorse the idea of creating a hall of fame as a tourism attraction and business development opportunity.

The city was self-proclaimed the "Video Game Capital of the World" by its mayor and Iowa's governor in 1982. At the meeting today, Ottumwa will reassert its claim to that title and state its hall of fame intentions on the record. Kotaku is covering this meeting and will update this story later today.

The League of Legendary Gamers Fight Hunger At E For All

Mike Fahey — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:00:00 MDT

By their powers combined, they are Captain Sitting Around In A Chair! Five of the country's "legendary" names in gaming are converging on the E for All Expo in the name of ending hunger, once and for a little while! Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, Billy Mitchell, Justin Wong, Todd Rogers and TriForce will be taking on all comers at E for All next weekend, with the price of admission being one perishable food item to be donated to the Los Angeles Food Bank for the upcoming holiday season. Each gamer is playing a specific game - FatalONEty has Doom 4, Billy "Hot Sauce" Mitchell on Donkey Kong, Justin Wong is rocking Marvel VS. Capcom 2, Todd Rogers will be on Gorf (hell yeah), and finally TriForce takes it tiny with Tetris DS.

It's actually a pretty sweet thing they're doing here, so if you're planning on attending E For All, bring along some canned food, and not the generic crap. It's for the holidays, dammit. Hit the jump for more info.

The League of Legendary Gamers

For perhaps the only time in history, 5 of the Nations most recognized gamers come together for one common cause, “Feed the hungry”. In an attempt to do what matters most and fulfill an obligation as productive citizens of the United States of America; Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, Billy Mitchell, Justin Wong, Todd Rogers and TriForce will work with E For All Expo in a joint effort to collect food for the Los Angeles Food Bank for the upcoming holiday. The 5 Kings of gaming will use their prolific gaming ability to raise food for the hungry at the E For All expo.

A League like no other

Attendees will be able to challenge The 5 Kings in gaming on the E for All Gamers Stage. Challenges will be set by each of the 5 gamers in their respective game. In order to participate in the challenge, attendees will need at least 1 perishable food good as entry fee to the challenge. Each participant will receive a raffle ticket which will be raffled on Sunday October 5th 2008 at 3pm to win a Nintendo Wii sponsored by GameExpress.com and autographed by all 5 gamers in the League of Legendary Gamers.

Challenge the Masters and their Games

* · Fatal1ty: Doom 4
* · TriForce: Tetris DS
* · Billy Mitchell: Donkey Kong
* · Todd Rogers: Gorf
* · Justin Wong: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2

Background of Featured Gamers

Billy Mitchell: Originally from Holyoke, Massachusetts, Billy Mitchell grew up in South Florida and began playing games at the age of sixteen. In 1982 the name Billy Mitchell has resonated throughout the classic arcade scene. As the gaming pioneer for the competitive elite, Billy has since become the ambassador for gaming world wide.

Justin Wong: Hailing from the Empire State, New York City; at age 22, Justin “Marvelous” Wong has competed in numerous fighting game tournaments, both domestically and internationally. His road to becoming the King of Fighters began at Double Perfect Productions LLC: “SRK” Evolution International Fighting Game Series originally called the B-series, where he subsequently went on a (8) year reign as the (6) time Marvel vs. Capcom2 world Champion. This established the young gamers rise to supremacy in the fighting game genre.

TriForce: Hailing from the Empire State, New York City; at the tender age of 4, TriForce has played videogames because of his love for adventure such as the Legend of Zelda. TriForce has always sought out new ways to master the games in which he plays. TriForce holds 30 plus world records in gaming, a 2 time Guinness World Record holder and also the first gamer to receive the Nintendo Wii from President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Amie who autographed his Wii.

Fatal1ty: Originally from Houston Texas, Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel is the most accomplished, professional PC gamer in history. As the world’s most famous PC gamer he spreads interest in PC gaming wherever he goes and, in the process, has become the sport’s worldwide ambassador. He presently reigns as the holder of 10 major championships, winning titles in 5 different games, a feat never before accomplished.
Todd Rogers: Has been setting world record high score since 1980. With the wide variety of system consoles that are out today you can only imagine what Todd is hard at work doing. Todd Rogers as a member of "The U.S. National Video Game Team" history's first team of professional video game players back in the mid 80's. Originally from Chicago now residing in Brooksville Florida, Todd Rogers who was crowned "The King of Video Games" by most media, and recognized world wide for his vast video gaming championship titles is featured in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records on page 155.

Billy Mitchell Manages to Make Himself Look Like an Even Bigger Ass

Brian Crecente — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:30:00 MDT

We've covered Donkey-Kong perfectionist documentary The King of Kong in painful detail, talking about Billy Mitchell's trash talking, the making of the movie
, we've even had top-notch movie critic review The King of Kong.

But G4 managed to dig deeper, to delve into the very psychie of Mitchell, unearthing an even bigger ass than the one seen on the big screen. It's too bad they didn't get around to asking the tough questions, question like: Where did you get that tie? Does your thumb ever get tired? Do you rent out the space under the front of your hair?

Check out the full airing of Mitchell's philosophy on Friday at 9 p.m.

K2: Billy Mitchell As A Hunter Killer Robot

Mike Fahey — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:00:00 MDT

If you thought The King of Kong was story of a desperate man out to protect his record, wait until you get a load of K2: The King, The Kong, and the Ugly, a G4 original production.

Sure it's a bit stupid, childish, hokey, and inane. Most of the time it isn't even particularly funny. What strikes me is how terrifying the thought of being chased around by Billy Mitchell with futuristic weapons actually is. I would be terrified, but practical, cutting off my own hands so the record could never come to pass. When a maniacal gaming hot sauce maker is ready to gun you down you have to think on your toes, people.

Major General Hammond Invokes Pac-Man

Mike Fahey — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:20:14 MDT

U.S. Major General Jeffery Hammond, delivering a press briefing on the progress of the 4th Infantry's efforts in Iraq, revealed the inspiration behind their current strategy for dealing with Al Qaeda operatives and Shiite extremists.

"I believe they have been degraded, we continue to PacMan, like the video game, away at their efforts, at their different levels," Major General Hammond said.

While it's nice to see a video game reference made by high-ranking military officers, I have to wonder exactly what this means. I get this bizarre mental image of an overhead view of the streets of Baghdad, fruit carts spilling into the streets and the military struggling to pick up the produce for extra points. Are we the ghosts, or are we Pac-Man himself? Are power pellets sanctioned under the Geneva Conventions? With so many questions, one thing remains quite clear - we need to air drop Billy Mitchell into the war zone immediately, hot sauce and all.

4th Infantry Update from Baghdad [KXRM Fox 21]

Arcade Gaming Making A Comeback

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:26 MST

I. Love. Arcades. Seems I'm not alone! Forbes has a short piece about the retro arcade revival going on in the States. While some Americans are content to play retro titles on emulators and whatnot, there is a growing number of gamers who want a realer experience. And with the US arcade scene limping along, some are getting their gaming fix by purchasing retro game cabinets for home use. Says Rick Kirby of coin-op supplier Betson Enterprise:

The last few years, we've seen an all-time high in sales of machines for home use... The buyers of these machines are families, husbands and wives who grew up playing the games in the arcades and today want them for their game rooms.

Of course, there are places in the States like Brooklyn's Barcade, which do a lovely job of preserving these cabinets. Shame there aren't more places like Barcade.
Arcade Games Make A Comeback [Forbes via Arcade Renaissance] [Pic]

The King Of Kong Is Now On DVD. If you missed...

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:00:00 MST

The King Of Kong Is Now On DVD. If you missed the theatrical release of the Donkey Kong score-off documentary The King of Kong, you now have a chance to catch it on DVD. The film, which chronicles the high score struggles of chronic weeper Steve Wiebe and the dastardly tactics of the ultra-patriotic Billy Mitchell can probably be had from fine retailers and/or Netflix as of today. It's a gripping, if somewhat manipulative, good time and a worthwhile primer for the Hollywood adaptation.

Kinnear of Kong

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:00:04 MST

The King of Kong was so good that it deserves a Hollywood remake. Or something. So, if we were casting the role of school teacher challenger Steve Wiebe who tries making a go at arcade hero Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong record, we'd say Greg Kinnear would make a fine choice. But what does Greg Kinnear think?

I saw that documentary. I loved it. I thought it was a very cool documentary. If they make that into a movie...I wouldn't want to play Kong. So that guy [Wiebe] would be better.

So that just leaves casting Billy Mitchell. Suggestions welcomed.
Kinnear in Kong [Multiplayer]

King of Kong Trash Talk

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:00:39 MDT

At the Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers (yes, I know), arcade champ Billy Mitchell posted the top Donkey Kong score. Previously, he lost it to unknown Steve Wiebe. But now that Mitchell has reclaimed his crown, what does Wiebe say?

I knew he wasn't going to take this lying down. And he knows I won't let him get the record and just go away quietly. So I'm going to start firing up the game again... So like I said, the saga continues. I know I can get a higher score than what he posted, and I plan on putting it to a level where he can't break it.

Take THAT!! Wiebe even offered Mitchell a chance to go head-to-head on the machines. We wait with bated breath.

Mitchell Reclaims Donkey Kong Record

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 22:00:35 MDT

The game? Donkey Kong. The location? The Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers in Orlando, Florida. Arcade champ Billy Mitchell has reclaimed the top DK score with a record breaking 1,050,200 points. This comes weeks before documentary The King of Kong gets released. The doc follows Steve Wiebe who claims the Kong high score.

There have been questions about the authenticity of the high scores and whether or not "doctored" arcade boards were used. Both claim that they haven't cheated. For example, Wiebe shot his high score with a handheld camera in his garage. He filmed himself installing the genuine arcade board, reaching his high score and then taking out the same arcade board. For his latest record, Billy Mitchell had his board verified by Nintendo of America and didn't take it out of its Nintendo of America packaging until the Brokers convention. As he placed it in the cabinet, Mitchell had a security guard, a notary public and a GameStop manager on hand. This was also filmed!

After Mitchell beat this high score, he let the clock run out. Mitchell still had one Mario life left. He says:

"I'm not Steve Spurrier," Mitchell said of the legendarily aggressive football coach. "I'm Billy Mitchell. I don't need to run up the score. I just want to put one in the win column. I want to make it competitive. I didn't want to make it too tough."

Your move, Wiebe.
Mitchell Back on Top [MTV]

King of Kong Speaks

Kim Phu — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:40:00 MDT

The King of Kong documentary has been making the rounds this year in various film festivals around the US and now there is a controversy over how one of the movie's "characters" was portrayed. In the movie, two men (Billy Mitchell and Steve Weibe) are trying to be crowned the King of Donkey Kong. Mitchell has held the title of the highest score in Donkey Kong up until recently, when Weibe and a documentary crew set out to challenge it.

Just from looking at the trailer, it's pretty easy to tell who the director thinks the real hero (come on, one possibly works at a fast-food restaurant and the other is a science teacher). Mitchell hasn't even seen the movie, knows that he has been casted the villain from reading the reviews and press. Now he is speaking out in an article by MTV along with friends and colleagues who have come out to clear the air. According to Twin Galaxies' top scorekeeper, Walter Day:

When I saw the film, I was very upset. I saw the dynamics of stress between Billy and Steve and all those other people. At first I was mad at the players, mad at me and mad at everyone. Then I went away and sent [the filmmakers] an e-mail and said, 'Look, you got the plot all wrong.'

Tales of tweaked arcade circuit boards, skewed storylines, and made-up plots are just the tip of the iceberg in this video game drama. It's definitely a fun read for anyone missing "The OC". Kim Phu

Ex-'Donkey Kong' Champ Finally Speaks After Getting Bruised By New Doc [MTV Movie News]

Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championships

Mike Fahey — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 09:20:06 MDT

Start cultivating your mullet and break out the American flag neckties, cause it's on baby! Microsoft and Namco have announced the first Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship, allowing gamers around the world to finally prove that the only sauce Billy Mitchell brings is teh weaksauce.

Sponsored by Quiznos, the contest will pit the highest leaderboard scores from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and Mexico, along with two finalists from Europe and the US against each other in what may come to be known as the ultimate Waka-off. Also joining them will be the winner of the Pac-Man Fanatic contest, a wildcard entrant who will most likely suck badly at actually playing the game.

The grand prize winner will be crowned Pac-Man World Champion and receive a custom Pac-Man 360, 100,000 Microsoft points good for a couple Guitar Hero II song packs, 26 years of one free Quiznos sub a week, and hopefully some sort of vomit capturing device. Quiznos is good and all, but $13,520 worth of Quiznos is not.

The contest begins on April 25th and runs through May 9th, after which the finalists will be chose and 'it' will officially be 'on'. Think you got what it takes (no life, a good memory, and a mullet)? Hit up the Xbox Live Tournament page on or after April 25th to register. Good luck, and godspeed. Michael Fahey

WAKKA ... WAKKA ... WAKKA
Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Create Video Game History With First-Ever Xbox 360 "Pac-Man " World Championship

"Pac-Man" fans to compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade for chance to be world's best "Pac-Man" player.

LONDON — April 18, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. today made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, presented by Quiznos. From 25th April to 9th May, fans of one of the world's most beloved video games of all time will compete on the classic arcade game via Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, evolving "Pac-Man" gameplay from the local pizza parlours and arcades of the '80s to the Xbox 360 and its online gaming community with more than 6 million members. The top finalists from participating countries around the world will be flown to New York City for the finals on 5th June, with the winner being crowned the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion by Toru Iwatani, the creator of "Pac-Man."

Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world, "Pac-Man," its host of ghosts and the famous "wakka wakka wakka" sound have become global pop culture icons. This arcade game played an instrumental role in establishing the video game industry in the '80s, while the launch of Xbox LIVE in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid growth in popularity of online gaming. Today, Xbox LIVE Arcade is the premier online destination for digitally distributed, high-definition games — with more than 25 million downloads — offering fans of "Pac-Man" across the globe a great opportunity to connect, compete and enjoy the fun through the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

"NAMCO BANDAI Games and I are proud to partner with Microsoft on the Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship, which celebrates how popular 'Pac-Man' remains to this day," said Toru Iwatani, creator of "Pac-Man" and currently a professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University. "The success of "Pac-Man" stems from its fun gameplay and host of characters that have been enjoyed by families for generations. It will be exciting to see 'Pac-Man' fans from around the world compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade to become the first-ever 'Pac-Man' World Champion."

"'Pac-Man' reached an iconic status in the '80s across multiple generations and cultures, so the Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship provides a great incentive for fans old and new to fall in love with the game all over again," added Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "We are thrilled to be partnering with NAMCO BANDAI Games and our sponsor, Quiznos, to invite 'Pac-Man' players from around the globe to join in the fun."

A total of nine finalists in the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship will advance to the finals based upon the highest Xbox LIVE Arcade leaderboard scores. There will be one finalist from each of the following countries and geographic areas: Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Mexico; and two finalists from Europe and the United States. This group will also be joined by the winner of the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest, a competition that will encourage "Pac-Man" fans from the United States and Canada to submit a video that demonstrates why they are the ultimate "Pac-Man" fan. The winning entry will be flown to New York as a wildcard entrant in the final round of the tournament. Details are available online at http://www.xboxlivetournament.com starting 25th April 2007.

The Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion will receive worldwide acclaim from being the first-ever Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion and gain a place in gaming history. The winner of the finals will also receive other great prizes, including 26 years of free Quiznos toasted subs (one sandwich a week for 26 years, a $13,520 (U.S.) value), 100,000 Microsoft Points for games, movies and other fun content available on Xbox LIVE, and a one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 featuring a special design inspired by "Pac-Man."

"Great food and entertainment go hand in hand, and we expect international gamers to connect with Quiznos food with the same passion that they bring to their gaming," said Steve Provost, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Quiznos. "The Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship promises to be a milestone moment in video game history, and we're thrilled that we can help make it into a reality."

Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, Presented by Quiznos

Participation Information and Timeline:

Gamers who want to start practicing can download "Pac-Man" (400 Microsoft Points) now from Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360.

Starting 25th April 2007, at 00:01GMT/ 01:01 CET, gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com to register and review full eligibility criteria, regulations and rules.

Also on 25th April 2007, at 00:01 GMT / 01:01 CET, the worldwide competition will officially kick off on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Previous leaderboard scores for "Pac-Man" will be deleted to provide a clean and fair slate for all gamers participating in the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

Concurrently, "Pac-Man" fans in the United States and Canada can also enter the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest and receive an invitation to compete in the finals in New York City. Starting 25th April 2007, they can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com for more information on how to submit a creative video that best illustrates their love for "Pac-Man."

On 9th May 2007, at 23:59 GMT / 00:59 CET, the competition will officially cease and nine finalists from the identified regions, based on the top leaderboard scores,* will advance to the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

Before 1st June 2007, the top nine finalists will be announced.

The nine finalists will also be joined in New York City by the winner of the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest, and compete for the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship title on 5th June 2007, in New York City.

For a complete list of participating countries and country-specific eligibility criteria, rules and regulations and to sign up for the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com starting 25th April, 2007.