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The Story of a Halo 2 Champion

Posted by Zonk on from the plenty-of-asskicking-to-go-around dept.

Sam Machkovech writes "My buddy Paul Kix of The Dallas Observer did some digging to uncover the life of Matt Leto (aka Zyos), whose track record places him in the top rankings of worldwide Halo & Halo 2 competitions. Professional gaming leagues are nothing new to those who know about the CPL, but this story shines a light at console-focused leagues like the MLG that may very well get the mainstream crowd interested in gaming as a viable sport, along with gamers like Zyos who buck negative stereotypes associated with hardcore gamers -- 'perhaps surprising, Leto's not a nerd. He's an athlete' -- while still kicking virtual ass. Show this article to your parents/spouses next time they harass you about your habit."

4 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. An Athlete? by MonkeyCookie · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...Leto's not a nerd. He's an athlete

    An athlete? Oh please! I have no doubt that he's very talented and skilled at Halo, but sitting and moving your fingers on a controller does not make you an athlete.

    If playing Halo is athletics, then kids get plenty of physical exercise, and we no longer need to worry about them getting fat because they're playing Halo all day. In fact, we should just considered chess and go games to be athletic events as well. They actually have to pick up the pieces and move them by hand.

    If Halo players are athletes, then I don't see what's preventing an Olympic Halo event. We'll have Olympic Counterstrike, Enemy Territory, and UT 2004 events as well, so that all deserving athletes can complete!

    Not those turn-based stategy gamers though: they aren't athletes. They spend too long thinking and don't twitch their fingers often enough to make them athletes.

    1. Re:An Athlete? by MikeD227 · · Score: 3, Informative

      read the article. he's a swimmer. lettered in swimming in hs. they're comparing being an athelete to being a nerd (which i suppose infers very little physical activity).

    2. Re:An Athlete? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
      athlete n. A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.

      nautural or aquired traits in question: agility, intelligence, decisiveness

      sports in question: video games

      So the real question is, are video games (or in particular, Halo) sports?

      The relevant dictionary.com entry is:

      sport n.
      1. a.. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
        b.. A particular form of this activity.
      2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
      3. An active pastime; recreation.

      Physical activity? Yes. Using a controller or keyboard mouse is physical. Look the word up if this is unclear to you.
      Governed by a set of rules and customs and often engaged in competitively? Indisputably, yes.
      A particular form of this activity? Well, Halo is "a particular form" of video games so yes.
  2. Re:May I point out by VendingMenace · · Score: 4, Informative

    hmm...well actually, the original definition of a sport (which you can still see as the first entry in webster) was an amusement or diversion -- which video games definately count as.

    The problem is that most sports that (up till now) the mainstream media would cover, where those that were heavily athletic. So, in most peoples minds sports = athletics. However, this is just simply not true. (you can still hear people calling something that was fun "good sport")

    So in the end we find that most diversions and compititions are actually sports. HOwever, not all of them are athletic. SO video games = sport != athetic.