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Gamers Unite for Video Game Olympics

Posted by samzenpus on from the greatest-game-ever-made dept.

The Hobo writes "About 700 of the world's best gamers began battling it out Wednesday, as the fourth annual World Cyber Games got underway in San Francisco. The five-day annual event is a culmination of national competitions held around the world and pits the best players against each other in a variety of widely popular games like Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament, Halo, Starcraft and FIFA Soccer.

6 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by The-Bus · · Score: 4, Interesting
    The incentive to win is high: in addition to total cash prizes of about $400,000 US, winners get global bragging rights and could go on to professional careers, like Canadian Guillaume Patry. Five years ago, the Quebec-born Patry became the Starcraft world champion and was offered a job as a professional game player in South Korea, initially making about $100,000 a year. His annual salary is now estimated at about $500,000 and, as the star of a Korean Starcraft TV program, he needs bodyguards to protect him from his fans.


    Well done. Didn't think there was that much money in videogames.

    In other news, the word "Cyber" hasn't been cool since 1988. Please don't use it anymore.
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    1. Re:Wow by Lisandro · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Seriously, more power to him. But who exactly pays him a salary? No pun intended, i've always wondered - it seems quite a sum for sponsorship of a relatively niche "sport", and i always thought the ones who decided to try making a living out of computer games aimed at competition prizes as their main income.

      And, Starcraft? I know South Koreans are crazy about that game, but still... does people still gather arround to see someone playing it? I always thought that was one of the main problems with "cybersports"; if you play soccer, you're pretty much playing the same way people did 50 years ago. If you play Counterstrike and pour man-hours into it, who knows if you'll still be playing it the near future.

  2. Machines specs ? by mirko · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So what are the specs of the machines ?

    Do the players have to bring theirs or is it considered fairer to have them all use the same ?

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    Trolling using another account since 2005.
  3. I know you're out there by Moo+Moo+Cow+of+Death · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Anyone remember Fatal1ty? Quake player from a long time ago? After winning all those tourney's and being declared Quake champ and all he started up his own little shop selling stuff with his name on it and the ever famous "fat pad" an extremely large mouse pad because of his ultra low mouse sensitivity.

    Anyway, he comes by every now and then and hangs out with us and tells us what he does. He plays video games for 8 hours a day to practice and does endorsement deals. That's right, he plays video games for a living (and drives around in a painted alien vs. predator hummer he won).

    I only wish I was half that lucky :)

  4. Where's DEE DEE ARR? by Bega · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm kind of, sortof, disappointed at this event and having no Dance Dance Revolution (or other dancing game) competition, while it's name is "Video Game Olympics".

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  5. Bemani? Argh! by bi_boy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Missing? Three words. Dance Dance Revolution.

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