Second place was, apparently, a separatist nation-state known as "BioWare Community," with Canada and Poland in third and fourth place, respectively. Good ol' U.S. of A finished ninth, not lasting past stage three. BioWare Community was in the lead through stage four, when it was overtaken for good by Hungary.

Here's your full results. The main site has team interviews and stats.

1. Hungary
2. Bioware Community
3. Canada
4. Poland
5. UK
6. Netherlands / Belgium
7. France
8. Spain
9. USA
10. Czech Republic / Slovakia

Dragon Age: Origins Wardens' Quest [Official Site, via VG247]

Five years ago, Sobe, now 36, was the three-time defending national champion in Golden Tee - the bar and bowling-alley golf simulator that's one of the last arcade cabinets in America people are willing to drive somewhere to play. He parlayed his notoriety into a stable gig as a consultant and goodwill ambassador for the game's maker, Incredible Technologies, giving up his eligibility in the lucrative tournaments they sponsored.

And just two months ago, Sobe shook hands with his colleagues at IT and said goodbye, to return, more or less, to where his career began - as the owner of the restaurant in Mount Airy, N.C. where he first played the game.

"It is neat to be back here playing Golden Tee with someone again. When I left here, I never thought I'd be back - and I never assumed I'd be back at Backstreet Pavilion again," Sobe said, of the restaurant his parents owned for a time, and where he first learned the nuances of Golden Tee's notorious trackball, and how to make it pay off for him.

Sobe's parents owned the business in its first incarnation during the late 1990s, when its name and Mount Airy - which is literally the Mayberry of Andy Griffith lore - dominated nationwide Golden Tee leaderboards alongside establishments from Houston and the Chicago suburbs.

At one time, 10 Backstreet golfers made the national Golden Tee finals in Las Vegas, out of a field of 64. From his first tournament in 1997 through his third national title, Sobe won somewhere around $150,000 - not a living by itself, but a very nice supplement to his income.

"We had 10 really good, world-class players around that time," Sobe said. "Some have moved on, some are still around here. Some of the guys have come back around, we're going to give it another shot and see if we can do well again in the tournaments."

But over his five years with Incredible Technologies, Sobe had been somewhat out of practice. He still played the game nearly every day, but by now it was a job, and not something that he sought out in his spare time. Officially a products and services rep for IT, Sobe's job involved flying to Golden Tee locations, playing against local competitors, giving virtual golf lessons, playtesting new course designs, the works. He was even giving in-game golf advice with the press of a HELP button. He just wasn't playing in the types of events where he'd made his name, and he missed that.

"In the world of Golden Tee, the live events are really where it's at," Sobe said. "A lot of players can play well by themselves at their machine, but when you get to a live tournament, nerves become a factor, and the pressure's on."

So when his father called earlier this year to say the old Backstreet Pavilion building, which had different tenants since the family shuttered the business in 2002, was now vacant again, Sobe saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with his roots, in more ways than one.

"One day, Dad called me in Chicago and said ‘the Backstreet Building is vacant again.' We got into a discussion and he asked, ‘Do you want to do this all over again?'" Sobe said. "It was a good opportunity for me, looking into the future, and to have something for myself. And I can play Golden Tee again. I missed it. I missed playing at a high competitive level.

"For the last five years, I still played it, it was my job after all," Sobe said. "But I'd be lying to you if I said I'd be going out and playing Golden Tee when i didn't have to. In some regards I didn't want to play Golden Tee. I wasn't at the top of my game, and I wasn't putting in the work I needed to be there."

Golden Tee is a different game now - of course, it's a different game every time it's played, notorious for changing pin placements, tee box locations and environmental effects when IT updates all machines in the network at midnight. But opportunities to win real money in its online mode are more plentiful - including nine-hole scrambles and daily tournament events. The games's 2010 model can be attached to any size monitor, now, rather than fixed to an arcade cabinet. When Backstreet's new machine arrives, Sobe will hook it to a 42-inch panel so that everyone can see the action.

"You can make a lot more money now in Golden Tee than you could five years ago," Sobe said. The purse payouts may be smaller but there are more paying events than ever. "If you can shoot even par, you can play for money, playing against people at your own skill level."

For Sobe, taking over the mantle of a family business brings him full circle in another way. His father, Larry, serviced amusement machines for some 30 years, Sobe said, often taking him on overnight jobs. "I've been around gaming all my life," he said. "I can remember times when Dad would have to go cover pool tables at a bowling alley, and he'd bring me along. He'd say, ‘Bring a pillow, you're going to be sleeping on a pool table." No way, Steven would say, and he'd play Donkey Kong or Galaga all night on free credits, at no time then or later ever thinking he'd be standing at an arcade cabinet for a living.

"By no means did I ever think I'd get to where I did with Golden Tee, nor did I really try, it just kind of happened," Sobe said. "Everything lined up and went that way for me, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity. I got to do great things and meet interesting people, and do a lot of interesting things.

"But now I'm seeing if we can get us back on the map, and seeing if I still have it," Sobe said. "A lot of these guys around here, they still want to beat me. I'm anxious to get back at it."

Stick Jockey is Kotaku's column on sports video games. It appears Saturdays at 10 a.m. U.S. Mountain time.

The most charitable response came from U.S. downhill skier Lindsey Vonn (pictured), one of two athletes identified as gamers (she loves her DS) before the interview.

"I think gaming should definitely be considered a competitive sport. It's like anything else. If there are people that want to compete, there should be a sport. Whether it should be in the Olympics or not, I don't know. [...] Maybe they can have their own Olympics; I'm sure they have their own world championships and stuff like that. Each sport has their own elite level of competition. [...] If gaming was an Olympic sport and a skiing game was one of the events, I would definitely try to win an Olympic medal in virtual skiing."

Probably more representative of how athletes feel is Kristina Groves, a Canadian speed skater.

"I would say that I don't agree with (gaming being included in the Olympics) just because sport is a very physical domain. You can't just imitate the sport; the whole idea of sport is doing it."

Snowboarders Matthew Morison (Canada) and Seth Wescott (U.S.) also weighed in on t
the idea.

Videogames in the Olympics? Olympic Athletes Sound Off [Wired] [image]

All times are U.S. Pacific Daylight, which means the broadcast has begun right now. Here's your lineup, per the Evo 2009 site:

9:00 - 10:30 Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike 2on2 - Finals (top 8)
10:30 - 12:00 Guilty Gear XX:Accent Core - Finals (top 8)
12:00 - 12:15 Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion Tournament Finals (top 2)
12:15- 1:30 Soul Calibur IV - Finals (top 8)
1:30 - 2:00 Combo Video Exhibition
2:00 - 3:30 Marvel vs. Capcom II - Finals (top 8)
3:30 - 4:00 The Dog Face Show: Live!
4:00 - 5:00 One Hour Dinner Break
5:00 - 5:15 Blazblue Exhibition Tournament Finals (top 2)
5:15 - 6:45 SSFIIT: HDR - Finals (top 8)
6:45 - 7:00 Special Words from Ono-san (Yoshi Ono, Street Fighter producer)
7:00 - 9:30 Street Fighter IV - Finals (top 8)

If for some reason the stream stops working, try Evo2k.com and follow the fighting there. That site also has a chat if you want to participate in that.

Evo 2009 is sponsored by Capcom, Namco Bandai, and Sony PlayStation.

Evo 2009 Live Broadcast [site, thanks Roderick H.!]

UGO is reporting that Stride Gum is offering the one-time Donkey Kong champ $10,001 in quarter if he's able to beat Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong high score. The current score sits at 1,050,200.

"Steve Wiebe is an inspiration to gamers everywhere, and we believe he truly deserves the title of Donkey Kong world champion," said Gary Osifchin, marketing director at Stride. "This is exactly the kind of long lasting endeavor that we here at Stride appreciate, and we have full confidence that Wiebe will once again surpass the million points mark and avoid the kill screen for long enough in the process."

Weibe will be at E3, hopefully wheelbarrow on hand, to try and break the record live on G4.

EXCLUSIVE: Steve Wiebe to Win 10 Grand in Quarters if he Breaks DK Record[UGO]

The two longtime nemeses are noted for locking up in that epicRyuKen/Chun Li comeback from Evo 2004, with Daigo getting the better of Wong. He did this time too, blanking him 4-0 in the finals of the international competition.

Leading up to that showdown, Wong thrashed his American competition and emerged as a clear crowd favorite. According to Kineda:

The journey to the top definitely wasn't easy. Littered through the list of finalists were legendary adversaries like Mike Ross (E.Honda), Antawn Ortiz (Balrog) and Jason "A-Dhalsim" Cole (Balrog). Matches we're extremely close at times, but Justin Wong dominated with the pressure of a super offensive Rufus. Often finishing off opponents with his arms shooting up in the air on cue with the finishing hit of Rufus's Ultra. The crowd loved it, and raised their hands to the roof as well.

In the internationals, Wong faced Daigo and Korean champ Poongko (as Ryu) and Japan's Iyo (Dhalism). The four dueled round-robin style, with Daigo prevailing in a shutout.

The tournament was the culmination of a few months' worth of satellite events sponsored by EVO Championship Series, and cosponsored by GameStop and Capcom. Capcom VIPs present at the finals, held in San Francisco's Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, included Yoshinori Ono, the producer of Street Fighter IV, and Capcom community manager (and former champion) Seth Killian. Pics and play-by-play at the link.

Justin Wong Wins SFIV National Tournament and Daigo Wins International Title [Kineda]

The New York Times covered the match for yesterday's edition, describing the genesis of the league and dropping in some comments that should make a few tuition-paying parents recoil.

"We're looking to get more people off the athletic field and into the gaming room," said Peter Liu, who is also described as having an A.P.M. (actions per minute) of 200. Korean pros go upwards of 500.

The Collegiate Star League seems to have gotten its start at Princeton, where the concept was initially laughed out of the room. But a match against M.I.T., and some well produced hype videos leading up to it, brought people around to the idea.

The League is currently in its playoffs - Princeton, having been eliminated earlier, took on Tsinghua in a friendly on Friday and took at least one victory in a five-round match. The Times calls the action:

The match began as green (Princeton) and beige (Tsinghua) drones, fluttering triangles with tails, and jellylike spawning pools, started filling up the screen.

"Here we go, here we go," Liu said excitedly as Princeton's legions of green-winged Zerglings started attacking Tsinghua's half-built defenses. Flames shot up from Tsinghua's bases. Standing now, the audience hooted and clapped. It was Princeton's first win of the evening. A few moments later, Zhang came back in, a broad smile on her face, and double high-fived a few teammates.

Every time I want to say the idea of gaming as a spectator sport is flat-out absurd, I remember that it's a million-dollar business in South Korea. And that a friend and I once set a point spread, over-under line, and bet on both while watching the computer play itself in Madden.

Princeton Goes International for StarCraft E-Competition [The New York Times]

The New York Times profiles some those ultra-hardcore gamers who made it their job—or "job," if you prefer—to play video games like Counter-Strike and Dead or Alive 4 better than 99.9% of the world's population, folks left without income after the closure of leagues like the Championship Gaming Series.

It's not all gloom and doom, though, as at least Major League Gaming is still thriving. And it's expected to turn a profit this year, according to league president and chief executive Matthew Bromberg.

Sure it's hard out there for a guy whose primary skill set involves aiming a mouse extremely well, but pro gaming hasn't quite yet given up the ghost.

Virtual Leagues Fold, Forcing Gamers to Find Actual Jobs [NY Times]

The segment of Fifth Estate aired last night and is now available to watch on their website. It is as frustrating as you might expect it to be.

Top Gun [CBC]

Crisp, 15, ran away from his home on Oct. 14, 2008 after his parents took away his Xbox 360. He had been playing too much Call of Duty 4 and his grades were slipping.

After being told he would lose his gaming privileges, the teen told his father he was running away. His body was discovered in November. An autopsy later determined that he died of chest injuries sustained in a fall, likely from a tree.

In Top Gun, The Fifth Estate looks at the "dark side of what many thought was harmless entertainment." You hear that librarians? Gaming has a dark side!

From the show's site:

When Brandon Crisp's parents took away his Xbox, they had no idea that their attempt to restrict their son's video gaming would lead to tragedy. In retaliation, Brandon ran away. His body was found three weeks later. His disappearance, and death, became a national news story as it revealed a dark side to what many thought was a harmless entertainment. Gillian Findlay investigates how a video gaming obsession can turn to addiction and a pro gaming circuit with thousands of dollars in potential winnings, experts say, can fuel the need to play.

I hope the Fifth Estate doesn't stumble upon this thing called professional sports, they could really blow the lid off that scandal.

Coming up on the fifth estate: Friday, March 6, 2009 at 9 p.m.

I don't know MLG's financials but, usually, you don't get another round of funding because you're insanely profitable. At least it's from one of MLG's original partners, Oak Investment Partners, which gave them $25 mil back in 2006. But it is growing — even if the three- and four-figure growth percentages it quotes mean it was starting with comparatively small numbers.

Here is MLG's full press release. Note the leet online broadcast audience growth:

Major League Gaming, the professional video game league, announced it has received a $7.5 million follow-on investment from Oak Investment Partners. MLG’s explosive growth in online and live audience, as well as its continued success in attracting major sponsors, has made it the premier competitive video gaming property in the world.
“MLG has become a cultural phenomenon, and the management team has made competitive gaming really matter for pros, fans, and marketers,” said Ed Glassmeyer, managing partner, Oak Investment Partners. “We have great confidence that the company will continue this path to success and that the challenging economic environment will provide new opportunities for investment and growth.”

“We set out to build the first digital sport the world had ever seen. From the beginning, Oak has been there to provide the capital and expertise to enable us to create a global, cross-platform business to support that vision,” said Matthew Bromberg, president and CEO of Major League Gaming.

2008 was a breakout year for Major League Gaming as its sports media business saw triple- and-quadruple digit growth:

• 1337% year-over-year growth in its online broadcast audience, with 503,000 unique men under 30 watching the Dallas Playoffs in early October

• 4.4 million online matches played in 2008, up 625% over 2007

• 7.0 million unique users each month according to Google Analytics, up 109% over 2007

• An average of 15,000 attendees at each of the live competitions in 2008, up 500% over 2007.

Major League Gaming

Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company exclusively represents the best professional gamers and gives millions of aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online competitive community and live Pro Circuit competitions. MLG sponsorship partners include Dr Pepper, GameStop, HP, Old Spice, Ballpark, Panasonic, Stride, Ubisoft, Bungie and Xbox 360. For more information: www.mlgpro.com.

Major League Gaming Secures Additional Funding [Daily Games News]

Excellent timing.

Major League Gaming’s Tom “Tsquared” Taylor’s visage will appear on about 175 million 20-ounce bottles of Dr P from January to April, the New York Times reports. That’s about 80 percent of the bottles rolling out during that time period.

The New York Times doesn’t go into the money behind the deal, nor does it explain both the importance and odd-timing of the announcement. With the Championship Gaming Series flat-lining earlier this week, it joins the CPL and World Series of Video Games in the morgue of pro-gaming competitions.

This deal with Dr Pepper, it seems, could be the opening volley in pro-gaming’s Alamo. Maybe it’s time for the World Cyber Games and the Electronic Sports League to hustle down to Texas and get into that fort before the gates swing shut. It’s better to make a heroic last stand, I think, then go out with a whimper and a website announcement.

A Drink Backed by a Sports Hero (Wielding a Mean Game Controller) [New York Times]

The CGS focused on competitive gaming in titles like Counter-Strike: Source, Dead or Alive 4, FIFA, World of Warcraft and more. It joins the CPL and World Series of Video Games as failed attempts to garner profitable interest in watching other people play games really, really, really well.

AN IDEA WHOSE TIME CAME TOO EARLY [The CGS]

Perhaps they don't even realize it, but these few, these champions of a dying bit of pop culture, come to Las Vegas to scream into the approaching long night of arcade gaming.

Each year EVO gathers the best among fighting gamers to celebrate arcade culture, to stave off, at least for one week, the creeping death that has turned arcades into family fun centers, filled 7-Elevens with console games and not cabinets, swept public gaming from the face of America.

"Arcades have gone away but the culture is not gone," said Seth Killian, one of the group's founders. " It was such a great experience that we’re not willing to say it’s gone."

It's no surprise that a shared passion for fighting games is what sparked the EVO Championship Series.

In the early 90s games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter replaced pool as a viable way to shark for money. Most college arcades had its own Street Fighter muscle, Mortal Kombat expert.

In 1995 a group of top arcade fighters, sick of arguing over a newsnet who the player was, decided to gather at an arcade on Broadway in New York City to finally decide it.

"We all came from the street fighter arcades," said Seth Killian, director of EVO and community manager at Capcom. "Everyone coming to that thing was like the kingpin of their local arcades."

There were 40 people at that first throw down. It was played on Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

But turns out that didn't settle things permanently. The one-off gathering of cabinet gamers turned into an annual pilgrimage. They met in Boston, they met in California and finally the settled on Las Vegas as venue best suited for the match-up and inevitable side bets.

As the meet-ups grew each year it coalesced into something more formalized. Now the the group is run mostly by the community that gathers each year to play. Though a few like Joey Cuellar (administrator of the fighting mecca at shoryuken.com and former manager of famous Southern Hills Golfland arcade), Vik Steyaert (founder of Tekken-zaibatsu.com and elite French chef), Tom and Tony Cannon (aka “the Cannon twins,” shoryuken.com cofounders, and Tony created the amazing GGPO.net), and Killian help keep things in order.

"It was all completely organic," Killian said. "The structure was born out of "Shit we have way too many people showing up to these things."

So they started introducing more traditional tournament rules, finally settling on double elimination, to help determine who the best Street Fighter was. The annual gathering also grew in reputation, soon attracting gamers from around the world looking to cut their teeth on a tournament known for it's skilled players.

With the growth, the group of gamers behind EVO have had to make some tough decisions. Because they run tournaments that require more cabinets than exist on the whole continent the group decided to start using consoles for game play four years ago.

"It was an extremely hard decision," Killian said.

The tournament, which used to hold four qualifiers a year in the U.S., last year held qualifiers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Sao Palo, Brazil and London. Its from these tournaments that famous moments, like the Daigo full-parry video, are born.

And the meet up each year in Las Vegas isn't just about competitive fighting games, it's also a chance for gamers to hang out, have fun and celebrate quarter on the cabinet arcade console.

"We’ve recreated this experience," Killian said. "The arcade experience is so awesome. People become friends. That’s part of why we started throwing this tournament.

"Its about fighting games and competitions, but arcades are the crucible that sparked the awesomeness. I don’t know what awesome is made up of, I don't know the physics behind awesome, but I know it when I see it."

Fighting games, in particular, are about direct confrontation, Killian points out, and playing in person magnifies that feeling, gives it more personality.

"If Street Fighter only came out on consoles and never were in arcades I don’t think it would have been as popular," Killian said. "EVO isn't about bringing back arcades, but preserving this fire, this passion, this connection.

"The arcade machine is such a ziggurat, you have to engage with it. It’s not disposable, it’s a statement.

Not according to Gamer Grub which just announced that they have been named the official snack supplier of the World Cyber Games USA 2008. That means they will be providing their brand of snack-things to the players in the Tournament Area and Player Lounge at E for All in LA this week.

Gamer Grub comes in three (atrocious) flavors:

Action Pizza: Which is a jar of Pizza Cashews & Pitas, Tomato Sesame Sticks, Tomato Almonds, Cheese Pitas and Mozzarella Peanuts.

Racing Wasabi: Which is Wasabi Soy Almonds and Peanuts, Wasabi Peas, Honey Mustard Sesame Sticks and Pita Chips.

Strategy Chocolate: Which is Almonds, Chocolate Raisins, Cherries, White Chocolate Chips.

and

Sports PB&J: Peanuts, Peanut Butter Chips, Strawberry Jelly Chips, Bread Cubes.

OK, so I'd be down with checking out Action Pizza and Racing Wasabi, and maybe, maybe the chocolate one. But Bread Cubes and Peanut Butter Chips? Sounds like the business end of a peanut butter and whiskey all-nighter.

GAMER GRUB(TM) BECOMES OFFICIAL SNACK SUPPLIER FOR WORLD CYBER GAMES USA 2008

SAN DIEGO, CA – October 2, 2008 – Biosilo Foods today announced that Gamer Grub™ has become the official snack supplier of the World Cyber Games (WCG) USA 2008 (www.wcg.com/usa). Through this partnership, Gamer Grub will supply its great tasting, healthy line of performance snacks to the gamers participating in WCG USA at E for All in Los Angeles, CA from October 3 – 5, 2008.

Additionally, Gamer Grub will sponsor the reception for World Cyber Games USA players and VIPs during E for All to honor the top WCG USA competitors that will attend the WCG 2008 Grand Final, held from November 5 – 9, 2008 in Cologne, Germany.

“World Cyber Games USA is extremely excited to partner with Gamer Grub and introduce it to America’s and the world’s elite gamers,” said Michael Arzt, general manager of World Cyber Games USA. “We believe that this new innovative performance snack product is a great asset to pro and recreational gamers alike and can become a ‘must-have’ new accessory in the market.”

Designed for hungry gamers who want to continue playing games while consuming snacks, Gamer Grub is a great tasting, healthy line of performance snacks. With a patent-pending formulation to support cognitive functions, gamers will have the opportunity to boost core gaming systems and speed reaction times for maximum gaming performance. The ergonomic packaging design maximizes fast-action dispensing of the snack—eliminating the potential of keyboard crumbs and greasy fingers.

“We are honored to have this opportunity to become the official snack supplier for WCG USA 2008. We believe we have tapped into a whole new category of peripherals with Gamer Grub and will help gamers reach a new level of performance,” said Keith Mullin, founder and CEO of Biosilo Foods.

Gamer Grub is currently offered in four tasty flavors; Action Pizza, Sports PB&J, Racing Wasabi and Strategy Chocolate. Gamer Grub will be available online and at retail stores beginning in 2009. For more information on Gamer Grub, visit www.gamergrub.com.

About the World Cyber Games

The World Cyber Games (www.WCG.com) is the premier blue chip global video game tournament and festival. First founded in 2000 to promote global harmony through e-Sports, the WCG has grown steadily ever since and often been referred to as the “Olympics of Gaming” by several notable media outlets. Behind the slogan "Beyond the Game" and with more than 1.5 million contestants from over 70 countries expected to participate in this year's Grand Final event in Cologne, Germany, the World Cyber Games has developed into a true global phenomenon with unquestioned prestige and arguably the largest annual prize amounts at stake.
Gamer Grub

The idea is that the special glasses cut down on glare, and reduce distracting external light to reduce eye strain. The wrapped frames and lenses are crafted, I was told, to create a "microclimate" around your eyes, blocking out dry air and slightly increasing humidity around the eyes.

Initially it sounds a little silly, but the more you think about it the more sense it makes. I know my eyes are usually pretty worn out after a day of blogging and gaming. The company recently started selling their glasses and have already started plans to craft glasses designed specifically for gamers, in particular PC gamers.

The gamer glasses will have offer all of the same benefits, plus special stems designed to be more comfortable under headphones. I plan on checking out a pair and writing up my impressions in about a month.

I can see gamers getting behind the idea, even if only for the look of the glasses.

Gunnar Optiks

Blake convinced his folks (that is, "We couldn't take the complaining anymore," said his mom) to let him drop out last September. They hired in-home tutors to continue his education there, at least, but there's no doubt priority number one is Guitar Hero. There's a vaguely defined goal of Blake playing it professionally, either through Major League Gaming or by winning prizes in a national and international competitions. But so far he's only made about $1,000, most of that value realized in meals and other freebies won at local competitions. The other pro gamer the reporter contacted for this story said he's cashed in about $25,000 in his entire career.

The description of Blake's room, his interests (or lack thereof) , and his folks' decision to let him do this just ... well, they don't make anyone look good. It would be one thing if the guy was a bona fide music or athletic prodigy. However quixotic a career in either field might be for the majority who pursue it, at least there's a long history of it paying off if you are that good enough. But Blake's never touched a real guitar (cue up the get-a-life bait). He didn't seem interested in much of anything in high school (a Christian academy where his parents had enrolled him) and wheedled his way out of going by complaining that it was a waste of time. (That line should sound very familiar to my folks. If only playing Master of the Lamps on the Commodore 64 could have won me some free Chik-Fil-A. I might have had better luck.)

You gotta read it to believe it, and nearly three weeks after it was first published, it is still one of The News & Observer's top e-mailed stories. Try to keep it civil in the comments, gang, especially if you aren't a parent. I'm not, but I'll admit this blows my mind.

Update: Reader yoagner. points us to an .mp3 of an American Public Media feature on Blake. The story's page is here.

'Guitar Hero' Whiz Aiming Higher [The (Raleigh N.C.) News & Observer, via davelozo.com, thanks tooji]

(Also: Don't tip me on my commenter page, as I check it infrequently. If you've got a tip, send it to me at owen@kotaku.com on the weekends, or tips@kotaku.com for the rest of the staff midweek.)

Even if you know all about Chike — iamchris4life — put down your urge to dismiss his fame and read the story. It is a very, very positive portrayal of a young video gamer, something we rarely see in mainstream media, much less The New York Times. The best we usually get are condescending features on local news, read over by with-it reporters faking lingo. Writer Dave Itzkoff goes to Rochester, Minn. to get the full story, and then expands on the future and potential opportunities for super-expert or professional gamers.

Chris Chike is Guitar Hero's Hero [The New York Times, thanks Yeliab]

World’s Top Gamer “Fatal1ty” will not be at the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)

PAX is proud to announce that they will not be welcoming E-sportsman Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel to the event.

“There is no one else in the video game industry quite like Fatal1ty and we’re thrilled that he won't be attending our show” said Gabe, Chief Executive Officer of the Penny Arcade Expo, the greatest video game festival in the universe. “Seriously, if he even tries to come we'll kick him out.”

Fantastic news! Hey, I wonder if Gabe and Tycho will let me submit a list of other people who won't be welcome at PAX... let's see...

Penny Arcade

“There is no one else in the video game industry quite like Fatal1ty and we’re thrilled he’s returning to E for All,” said Mary Dolaher, Chief Executive Officer of IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows and events around the globe. “He’ll bring much excitement and attention to the show and we’re eager to see him interact with the fans, which is what he does best.”

I had always assumed gaming was what he did best, but there you go. Are there actually people out there who would go to E for All specifically to meet this guy? I can understand going for the games, the camaraderie, the excitement, and perhaps the games again, but just to meet a guy with a number in his name that doesn't rap? I just don't see it.

World’s Top Gamer “Fatal1ty” Returns to the “Entertainment for All Expo” (E for All)
E for All will once again welcome E-sportsman Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel to the event

E for All 2008
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—IDG World Expo and Auravision, Inc., master licensor for the Fatal1ty brand, announced today that the world’s most famous professional video gamer, Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, will be teaming up again with IDG World Expo to be the face of the 2nd annual Entertainment for All Expo® (E for All®), scheduled for October 3 – 5, 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“We are excited to be back participating again at E for All this year,” says Steve Gould, CEO of Auravision, Inc. “Last year’s E for All was a great experience and we expect this year’s to be even better.”

“There is no one else in the video game industry quite like Fatal1ty and we’re thrilled he’s returning to E for All,” said Mary Dolaher, Chief Executive Officer of IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows and events around the globe. “He’ll bring much excitement and attention to the show and we’re eager to see him interact with the fans, which is what he does best.”

Fatal1ty will once again bring his incredible mastery of games to the E for All show floor. As the holder of twelve world championships in five different games, Fatal1ty is known as a worldwide ambassador for the sport of gaming. On-site, he will engage with his fans, challenge enthusiasts in head-to-head exhibitions, conduct hands-on gaming demonstrations, sign autographs, and share his vision of the future of pro gaming. Those unwilling to succumb to the wrath of Fatal1ty can meet him personally at his prominent floor booth location.

“The second E for All will be even bigger and better than the first one held last year,” said Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel. “This show is for the gaming public and getting to meet lots of gamers face to face is what it’s all about for me.”

To view E for All Expo photos, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eforall/.

About Johnathan “FATAL1TY” Wendel

Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel became the world’s first full time professional video gamer in 1999 after accepting an invitation to represent the USA at an international tournament in Stockholm, where he went undefeated with a perfect performance. He has continued to dominate in competitions all over the world, competing on 6 continents throughout his 8-year professional career and winning unprecedented 12-world titles in 5 different games. In his competitive gaming career Fatal1ty has placed 1st in 65% of all the competitions he has entered and top 3 in 90% of them.

In honor of his contributions to the advancement of competitive video gaming, Johnathan was awarded the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award in the four-year history of the eSports-Award for “showing exceptional sportsmanship, taking part in shaping eSports into what it is today and for being the prime representative of this young sport. He has become the figurehead for eSports worldwide.”

Johnathan has joined forces with Championship Gaming Series (CGS) as exclusive on-air analyst, global spokesperson and gaming ambassador maintaining his ongoing efforts to establish competitive video gaming as a 21st century sport. Catch Johnathan and all the action on DirecTV’s channel 101, Sky, Star, or EuroSports and G4.