This year's show goes down the weekend of July 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara. Ticket prices are $60 for the whole weekend, $35 for Saturday and $30 for Sunday (kids under 12 get in for half-price). Once inside, all the games on the floor are free-to-play. So, by my amateur calculations, I only need to play Galaga 240 times to cover the cost of a weekend pass.

Tournament organizer Bown Kerins tells me that they're hosting a Guitar Hero Arcade championship tournament, sponsored by arcade gaming developers Raw Thrills and Betson. The grand prize winner gets a Wii, full band kit and four Guitar Hero games (Smash Hits, World Tour, Aerosmith, Guitar Hero III). The top 16 players score various games on systems of their choice, plastic guitars and drum kits included.

You can check out California Extreme's site here. A quick glance at their list of games expected at the show in 2009 reveals a ton of classics that are so hard to find, plus my beloved Galaga.

I'll be hitting up the show Saturday, July 11. I can't give you a prize if you spot me, but I will totally buddy up with people for Gauntlet II.

California Extreme [Official Site] [Image Credit]

An excellent way to sell their newest title, the U.S. leg of the 2009 Pokémon Championships requires that players participate using the newly-released Pokémon Platinum. 128 players for each age division (young and far too old to be playing Pokémon) will be selected to participate at each of the 6 U.S. regional tournaments. Players will battle it out in "2-on-2 Double Cup" battles, with the winners snagging trips to the Pokémon Video Game National Championships in St. Louis on June 27 and 28. There they will compete for invitations to the Pokémon World Video Game Championships in San Diego, California. It's a long road to travel, but with a trip to New York, Tokyo, or Hawaii and bragging rights on the line, it's totally worth the blood, sweat, and tears. Heck, since everyone who even registers walks away with a 50 Shiny Milotic, it's probably worth it to register and simply hope you don't get chosen.

Check out the region schedule below, or visit the event's official website for details on how you can show that little punk Ash how it's done in the hood.

Tournament Schedule

May 9 - Seattle, WA
May 16 - San Francisco, CA
May 23 - Phoenix, AZ
May 30 - Dallas, TX
June 6 - Philadelphia, PA
June 13 - Nashville, TN
June 27 - St. Louis, MO - The Nationals

Teams of up to four from around the country can compete in the open challenge system for a slot in the tournament. Registration for the ladder part of the tournament starts December 22 and ends February 28. From there, 64 teams will go into single-elimination rounds and duke it out over the month of March.

Winners will be announced March 31. Here's what the top slots will get:

1st Place (1 team) - $9,000
2nd Place (1 team) - $3,000
3rd Place (2 teams) - $1,800 per team
5th Place (4 teams) - $1,200 per team
9th Place (8 teams) - $750 per team
17th Place (16 teams) - $600 per team
33rd Place (32 teams) - $450 per team

Sony hasn't said anything about consolation prizes – so I can only assume it would suck to be in 4th Place.

The grand prize? $2,500 dollars in cash, which actually doesn't sound all that overwhelming as far as prizes go. Still, a free trip to San Diego is nothing to sneeze at, unless of course you live in or close to San Diego. Bragging rights are always nice? Anyway, head over to http://www.gamestop.com/codworldatwar for the details on how you can win a modest chunk of money and a trip of varying lengths.

GameStop Hosts Call of Duty®: World at War National Tournament

Players Compete in Newest Edition of Award-Winning Franchise for the Opportunity to Win $2,500 and A Chance to Play on the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier

GRAPEVINE, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—GameStop, Corp. (NYSE:GME), the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host a national tournament featuring the hit title from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Call of Duty: World at War. Players will initially compete at approximately 2,000 U.S. GameStop locations for a chance to win cash and prizes and battle in the finals aboard the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier.

The tiered tournament will kick-off Friday, November 14, 2008, and provide players with an opportunity to test their skills in the year’s biggest war epic one-on-one with other contestants in a single-elimination tournament. Many of the participating GameStop locations will begin their tournaments at 9 p.m., local time; however, customers are encouraged to contact their local store to confirm the exact time of the tournament. All contestants must check-in at least thirty minutes prior to the start of play and you must be at least 17 years old to attend or participate in the event.

The nearly 8,000 round one winners will advance to a series of District semifinals on January 16, 2009; winners of these competitions will advance to the Regional finals, which will take place on January 23, 2009. The 32 Regional finalists will move onto the championship event, to be held on February 27, 2009, on the deck of the USS Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego, CA. The Grand Prize winner will receive $2,500 in cash.

For additional tournament details and to obtain a list of official rules, visit http://www.gamestop.com/codworldatwar.

Call of Duty: World at War completely re-defines WWII by thrusting players into the ruthless and gritty chaos of combat like never before, challenging them to band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles of The War that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and Pacific fronts. Built using the Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War provides an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through all new cooperative gameplay.

Call of Duty: World at War is now available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo® Wii™ and Nintendo DS. The title has been rated M for Mature for blood and violence by the ESRB. The Nintendo DS version has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB. For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit www.callofduty.com.

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.

The championship tournament is set to take place at the Tokyo Game Show in October, and is open to players from North America, Europe, Japan and Greater Asia. Those four territories will hold regional championships, and the top teams therein will get a free ride to the Tokyo finals.

The tournament kicks off at San Diego Comic-Con, where players can register and compete for prizes. Details for the regionals themselves in North America will be announced soon.

Full details after the jump. Anyone here tournament-worthy?

KONAMI ANNOUNCES THE
METAL GEAR ONLINE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2008

The Best Players From The North American, Europe, Japan and Greater Asia Regional Championships To Descend On Tokyo Game Show This October For the Title of Best MGOnline Team in the World

Konami Also Reveals First Details for the MGOnline™ Expansion Packs That Will Be Available
For Download Starting July 17

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. is excited to share with you the first details of the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008. Taking place at Tokyo Game Show this October, the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 is open to the best players in North America, Europe, Japan and Greater Asia. The top teams from Regional Championships in all four territories will receive all expenses paid trips to the MGOWC08 Finals in Tokyo, Japan. To kick off the event Konami will be hosting an exhibition tournament at this year's ComiCon in San Diego, CA. Gamers attending ComiCon can register to enter this exhibition and compete for prizes. More details on the North American Regionals will be announced at a later date.

Additionally, Konami will release MGOnline™ expansion packs - Gene Expansion and Gene Expansion Plus — available for download beginning July 17. Available at an SRP of $11.99, Gene Expansion will contain a vast amount of new content including new maps, two new special characters, the ability to play as a customizable female character, and more. Available at an SRP of $14.99, Gene Expansion Plusinc

The Star Soldier R "Shoot Now, Win Prizes Later" kicks off today and runs through June 24th, when players with certain scores in five-minute mode being awarded prizes. The reason I say certain scores, is that Hudson, attempting to be crafty, is awarding prizes to 1st, 10th, and 16th place, with ten users chosen at random out of the remaining players who register to win random prizes.

Up for grabs? The grand prize is 16,000 Wii points and "Hudson's Top 5 Wii Games", which pretty much equates to 16,000 Wii points, give or take a few bucks. Head over to Hudson's web page to sign up for the festivities, and don't be afraid to use the death blossom maneuver if you find yourself in a pinch.

Star Soldier R Tournament and Sweepstakes Announced
Sign Up Today on Hudson's Website

“SHOOT NOW, WIN PRIZES LATER”
TOURNAMENT & SWEEPSTAKES FOR STAR SOLDIER R ANNOUNCED

Players Can Sign Up on Hudson’s Website Beginning May 27

REDWOOD CITY, CA – May 27, 2008 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, today announced that registration for both a tournament and a sweepstakes for the recently launched galactic shooter, Star Soldier R for WiiWare™ on Wii™ begins May 27, 2008 and will go through June 24, 2008, concurrent with the contests.

For players who want to see if they can achieve the highest score in Star Soldier R in the nation, Hudson Entertainment is hosting the 'Star Soldier R "Shoot Now, Win Prizes Later" Tournament & Sweepstakes', beginning at 12 a.m. May 27, 2008 and runs through 7 p.m. on June 24, 2008. Gamers will have one month to vie for the high score in Star Soldier R’s “5-Minute Mode” where the top players on the ranking leaderboards have the chance to win prizes. Two rounds of tournament prizes will be awarded based on players' scores. To sign up, players must register on the tournament registration page, located at (http://hudsonentertainment.com/tournament_register.php?tournament_id=2).

The first place winners will receive Hudson's Top 5 Wii Games along with 16,000 Wii Points™, 10th place winners will receive 10,000 Wii Points, and the players in 16th place will win 4,000 Wii Points. For the sweepstakes, 10 users will be picked in one random drawing to win prizes. For more information about the contests please visit the registration page.

"Pokémon strives to create fun products and events for players of all skill levels and interests," said J.C. Smith, director of marketing for Pokémon USA, Inc. "The Pokémon Video Game Showdown provides the most skilled Pokémon players an opportunity to determine who is truly the best."

POKÉMON ANNOUNCES VIDEO GAME SHOWDOWN BETWEEN U.S. AND JAPAN

The Most Talented Pokémon Players Will Compete in Los Angeles and New York for a Chance to Battle the Best Players from Japan

Bellevue, WA - May 15, 2008 - Pokémon USA, Inc., has announced the first-ever Video Game Showdown, pitting the most skilled Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl players from the United States and Japan in a battle to determine the ultimate champion. The Pokémon Video Game Showdown will take place August 16 in Orlando, Florida and will feature 32 of the most talented players from each nation.

To win a seat in the Pokémon Video Game Showdown, players must compete and win at one of two Qualifier Tournaments taking place in Los Angeles and New York on July 12 and July 19, respectively. A total of 256 players in each city will battle for sixteen paid trips for two to Orlando to compete in the Pokémon Video Game Showdown. To enter for a chance to play in the Qualifier Tournaments, players must register and complete a Pokémon online quiz at http://showdown.pokemon.com.

"Pokémon strives to create fun products and events for players of all skill levels and interests," said J.C. Smith, director of marketing for Pokémon USA, Inc. "The Pokémon Video Game Showdown provides the most skilled Pokémon players an opportunity to determine who is truly the best."

More information, including prizes, tournament locations, times, and rules, can be found by visiting http://showdown.pokemon.com.

Lucky for us, we weren't the only ones permanently scarred by the sight of a singlet-wearing, gold-dipped high school wrestler. The assistant manager of a EB Games said he and his fellow employees broke into gales of laughter when they unboxed the trophy at their story. Fortunately, they figured out a way to make the trophy more SSBB "appropriate."

I like it!

[Thanks Brett]

UPDATE - PRGuitarman failed to tell us that the picture was taken by Travisto and submitted originally to GoNintendo. If you're going to send us a picture from another site, just send us the link. Thanks!

GameStop's Brawl trophy is...well... [GoNintendo]

GameStop to Host Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournaments and Launch Events Nationwide

Players Prepare to "Duke It Out" in the Largest In-Store Tournament Event to Date

GRAPEVINE, Texas, March 6, 2008 - GameStop, Corp. (NYSE:GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host Super Smash Bros. Brawl video game tournaments at 2,500 of its U.S. GameStop and EB Games locations on Saturday, March 8, 2008. The tiered tournament program, which represents the largest in-store tournament event to date, is one of several events that GameStop will host surrounding the launch of Super Smash Bros. Brawl by Nintendo, available March 9, 2008.

Each round one tournament will provide players with an opportunity to "duke it out" one-on-one with other contestants in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2,500 store winners. Many of the participating GameStop and EB Games locations will begin their tournaments at 10:00 p.m., local time; however, customers are encouraged to contact their local store to confirm the exact time of the tournament. All contestants must check-in at least thirty minutes prior to the start of play.

Store winners will advance to a series of District tournaments on March 15; winners of these competitions will advance to Regional tournaments, which will take place on March 29 (visit www.gamestop.com/smash for District and Regional tournament location details). The top eight scoring Regional winners will be declared the Semifinalists for that region and will advance to the Finals event, to be held on April 12, 2008, at the GameStop tournament store in San Jose, CA. Semifinalists will "brawl" against one another in a series of matches until one player with the best of three rounds score is declared the Grand Prize Winner.

The Grand Prize winner will receive one Vizio 37" LCD-TV, an entire Nintendo Wii Software Library, one Nintendo Wii console and selected accessories, and $5,000 in cash. Prize packages in the form of GameStop gift Cards will be awarded to the second and third place players.

For additional tournament details and to obtain a list of official rules, visit a local GameStop or EB Games retail location or www.gamestop.com/smash.

Midnight Brawl Events

To continue the Super Smash Bros. Brawl celebration that all fans can enjoy, GameStop will also host Midnight Launch Events on Saturday, March 8, 2008, at more than 2,500 locations. Most participating GameStop and EB Games locations will begin their countdown to launch at 10:00 p.m., local time; however, customers are encouraged to contact their local store to confirm the exact time of the event. Fans can also check out GameStop's inventory of special Super Smash Bros Brawl add-ons including extra controllers, charge kits, and skins.

"eSports is one of the most exciting facets of online gaming today," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased to expand World of Warcraft's tournament options for players who want to focus mainly on the competitive aspect of the game."

Blizzard Entertainment® Announces New Global World Of Warcraft® Arena Tournament Format

2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournaments to feature competition on dedicated regional tournament realms and more than $200,000 in cash prizes

PARIS, France. - Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans to launch a new type of tournament competition using the Arena System in World of Warcraft®, its popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The tournaments will take place on special realms that allow competitors to instantly create level-70 characters with epic equipment, placing the focus on tactics and execution rather than normal adventuring.

"eSports is one of the most exciting facets of online gaming today," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased to expand World of Warcraft's tournament options for players who want to focus mainly on the competitive aspect of the game."

The tournaments are scheduled to start in April with two rounds of online qualifiers in Europe, South Korea, North America, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Each qualifier round will have a per-competitor entry fee - 15€/£12 in Europe; 20,000 won in South Korea; $20 in North America; and NT$450 in the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau - and will run for six weeks. During this time, teams will play 3-vs.-3 matches on the tournament realm in their region, with the top four teams from each round advancing to the regional finals to compete for more than $27,000 in cash prizes. Winners from each region will then be invited to a global championship event to compete for $120,000 in cash prizes, including a $75,000 grand prize.

Target and E for All are teaming up starting today to host a $3,000 Guitar Hero 2 tourney at the public gaming convention in LA.

The tournaent will run from today through Saturday with the winner taking home more than $3,000 in cash and Target gift cards. Gift cards? Like 2,000 $1.50 cards?

Hit the jump for the full release and the South Hall of E4All to see it in person. Say Hi to McWhertor if you see him hanging about... and then poke him and tell him to get back to work.

WHAT: Calling all self-professed Guitar Hero® experts! E for All attendees are invited to bring their axes to compete as Target presents the first-ever Guitar Hero event at E for All. During the event, hundreds of competitors will showcase their shredding skills at one of the Guitar Hero® II kiosks on the show floor to qualify for the final showdown Saturday on the main stage. Gamers will even get the chance to play Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock before its release on Oct. 28. By out-rocking the competition and impressing the expert judges, the true Guitar Hero will walk away with more than $3,000 in cash and Target gift cards.

WHO: Target is giving consumers the chance, courtesy of Activision and RedOctane, to rock at E for All as industry experts judge for scoring, accuracy and performance.

WHEN: Guitar Hero Event
Oct. 18-20, 2007
Finals will take place Saturday on the main stage.

E for All
Oct. 18-21, 2007

WHERE: Guitar Hero Event Area - South Exhibit Hall
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015

NEWS/VISUALS:

- Guitar Hero fanatics on stage dressed the part, rocking out for a large audience.
- Expert judges playing the game and interacting with fans.
- Ultimate Guitar Hero being presented with more than $3,000 cash and Target gift cards.
- Fierce face offs between event finalists on the main stage in South Hall.
- Perfect opportunity for broadcast outlets to film general video game footage in preparation for the holiday season.

Lexus brings Virtual Open to Rockefeller Center New Yorkers can participate in ultimate tennis experience for chance to win a one-year lease on a new Lexus IS F NEW YORK —As the world's professional tennis players vie for greatness at the US Open, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to share the experience at the Lexus Virtual Open at Rockefeller Center during the second week of the tournament. Participants can compete on a scaled down version of a tennis court for the chance to win a one-year lease on a new Lexus IS F and tickets to the US Open finals.

Tennis and gaming enthusiasts will take to the virtual courts at Rockefeller Center, in the heart of New York City, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 4-6. Professional tennis player and ESPN on-court analyst Luke Jensen will instruct participants and provide commentary as they compete on Nintendo's Wii console. For each serve hit during the virtual tournament, Lexus will donate $1 to the Andy Roddick Foundation (up to $30,000).

"As a sponsor of the US Open we created this event to bring the excitement of Flushing Meadows to Manhattan," said Steve Jett, Lexus national marketing communications manager. "There's nothing like the thrill of competing in the US Open, and while tennis enthusiasts may never experience the roar of the crowd and feel the courts beneath their feet, the Lexus Virtual Open at Rockefeller Center gives them the opportunity to get a taste of it—and win a one-year lease on a new IS F performance sedan, the same vehicle Lexus is awarding to the Men's Singles Champion."

The top two scorers will compete on Sept. 6 for the chance to win the grand prize, a one- year lease on a Lexus IS F and two tickets to watch the US Open finals in the Lexus Luxury Suite on Sunday, Sept. 9. The runner up will receive two tickets to watch the US Open semi-finals on Sept. 8 in the Lexus Luxury Suite.
The event is open to the public. For more information about the Lexus Virtual Open at Rockefeller Center, participants can log on to myownpursuit.com.

Unlike other tournaments where a player is judged on his skills in a single game, the Iron-Man tests a player's skills across all eras and all genres. Player will be awarded points on six games- three classic and three current. Each game is weighted equally and the player with the most total points will be declared the Iron-Man winning $1000 cash and the Iron-Man championship belt.

The games being featured in the competition are:

• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Pac-Man Championship Edition
• Halo 2
• Madden 2008
• Dead or Alive 4
• Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition

All games will be played on Xbox 360's provided they don't fail during the tournament. To see a couple of videos on the event including a commercial and a breakdown of how the competition will be scored, head on over to ScrewAttack.com

Grand Prize
• 50" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
• Theater System with Progressive-Scan
• Xbox360 Elite
• Extra Controller
• 4X Xbox Live Gold Membership
• Wing Commander Arena + 11,200 Microsoft Points

Four Runners-up will each receive:
• 1 Xbox360 Elite videogame and entertainment system
• 11,200 Microsoft Points

Da Rules
Qualifying Rounds: Qualifying rounds will begin at 8:00PM PST on 7/30/07 via Xbox Live Arcade.
A. This tournament is a free for all, and editors are allowed to choose what ships they want to use.
B. The Tournament will start with 2 rounds of 16 person free for all up to 25 frags. The 8 editors with the
highest frag count at the end of those rounds advance to the next round which will be 1 round up to 25 frags.
The 4 editors with the highest frag count at the end of that match go to a 4 man free for all up to 25 frags.
The 2 editors with the most frags go to a hosted "bear pit" match to see who can get to 20 frags first. There
is going to be a splinter bomber ship in the pit with you and frags against him count as well. The editor who
gets to 20 frags first wins the prize!
C. In the event of a tie, there will be a sudden death match between the two tying parties in a 1 vs. 1 match
with the rogue bomber in the bear pit. The party with the highest score at the end of the match will be
declared the winner.

After the smoke cleared, only four were left standing (except of course for the BMX winner. The winners were Chris O'Reilly for skate vert, Louie Lopez for skate park, Copy Porsche for inline skating, and Kyle Kelsey for BMX. Each winner received $5,000 and a scholarship to Woodward for next season.

Stories like these make me remember the good old days of my youth, when my parents would actually have to tell me to come inside and watch television. . .back before outdoors became what I passed through on the way to Wal-Mart. Michael Fahey

PlayStation AM JAM Finalists Selected [Playstation.Blog]

A handful of companies have teamed up to throw together a team and singleplayer Resistance: Fall of Man tourney starting next month.

The tournament, sponsored by SCEA, the Global Gaming League and GameStop, will be broken into 1V1 and 3V3 bracketed matches that will run from July 7 through July 28 (hey, that's my birthday!). The 26 finalists will be flown to New York City to compete in the semifinals and finals from Aug. 10 through Aug. 12.

If you're interested hop on over to GGL to register and for the full set of rules. The prize list, though, is on the jump. Brian Crecente

Prizing - 3v3 Competition:

* First Prize (3 players) Platinum DVD Dream® System, $500 GameStop gift card per player, and $500 cash per player, ARV: $3,000.00 per player
* Second Prize (3 players) Ultimate PSP® Prize Package, $300 GameStop gift card per player, and $250 cash per player, ARV: $1265.00 per player
* Third Prize (3 players) $150 GameStop gift card per player
* Fourth Prize (3 players) $100 GameStop gift card per player
* Fifth Prize (6 players) $50 GameStop gift card per player
* Top six (6) teams win a Resistance: Fall of Man™ jacket and a round trip for each player, three (3) players per team, to New York, NY from 8/10/07 through 8/12/07, including airfare, hotels, airport transfers, and $100 spending money, ARV: $1,100.00 per player.

Prizing - 1v1 Competition:

* First Prize (1 player) Platinum DVD Dream® System, $500 GameStop gift card, and $1,000 cash, ARV: $3,500.00
* Second Prize (1 player) Ultimate PSP® Prize Package, $300 GameStop gift card, and $500 cash, ARV: $1,515.00
* Third Prize (1 player) $150 GameStop gift card
* Fourth Prize (1 player) $100 GameStop gift card
* Fifth Prize (4 players) $50 GameStop gift card per player
* Top eight (8) players win a Resistance: Fall of Man™ jacket and a round trip for one to New York, NY from 8/10/07 through 8/12/07, including airfare, hotels, airport transfers, and $100 spending money, ARV: $1,100.00 per player.

GGL, Sony, GameStop launch Resistance tournament [GGL]

Live in New York? Like to game? Into drinking? The first organized Wii Tennis tourney I've heard of, Wiimbledon, will be held June 23rd at Barcade in Brooklyn. Entering is totally free. From the event's official site:

Wiimbledon is a Wii Tennis tournament being held Saturday, June 23 from noon until 5pm at Barcade in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There will be singles and doubles tournaments, prizes and, yes, beer. Maybe even some strawberries and cream. Oh, and cucumber sandwiches.

Wiimbledon [Official Site]