Major sponsors are participating, and $150,000 is up for grabs.Let the V Games Begin: First National Video Game Tournament Announced <small>NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 2004 -- Who says video games are a waste of time? Certainly not those who will be competing for thousands of dollars in this year's V Games (
www.thevgames.com), sponsored by Ziff Davis Media Group and EB Games. From March to October of 2004, 30 cities will host qualifying rounds of the 2004 V Games, the first ever live-action, console and PC based video game tournament. An estimated 30,000 people will compete in eight top video games nation-wide.
“Finally, a chance for gamers to get together and compete on a level playing field, against people from all across the country," wrote one supporter. “This is what we have been waiting for."
With over $150,000 in cash and prizes to be won, the V Games, billed as the Olympics of video game competition, signify an important shift in the video game industry. “Our sponsors realize that video games are no longer strictly the province of teenage boys," said Heath Gross, V Games co-founder and Director of Marketing. “Everyone from six to sixty is playing them. For this reason, the V Games have caught the attention of companies marketing everything from soft drinks to cell phones."
Though online gaming has grown in popularity over the last few years, the V Games give gamers a chance to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and compete in the best-selling console and PC video games on the market. And with the anticipation building among gamers, the V Games promise to draw crowds at every venue. “There is something to be said for the live competition--it's almost like a sporting event," Gross stated. “There will be no shortage of spectators since the V Games are being held at malls where EB Games retail stores are located. A competition of this magnitude is likely to make shoppers stop and see just what's going on."
Josh Langford, V Games co-founder and Director of Operations, agreed. “The feedback we have received since the Web site went live has been unbelievable," he explained. “Gamers all seem to say the same thing: ‘finally.'"
Players can register online at
www.thevgames.com or through a mail-in registration card available at EB Games stores. Anyone registering before Feb. 1, 2004 will receive a free V Games t-shirt, and the first 500 players to register in each city will be entered in a drawing for a $100 EB Games gift card.</small>
Currently, the only GameCube game scheduled for the tournament is the Link-inclusive version of Soul Calibur II. The other games available for signup include the PS2 versions of Madden, NBA Live, GT3 and Socom; Halo and SSX 3 on the Xbox, and Counter Strike for the PC. The registration fee for the regional qualifiers will set you back $15 per game. For more info on where and when regionals will be held, check out the official V-Games website at
http://www.thevgames.com/.
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