Pure, Unadulterated Joy

Isn't this a great write-up on Guitar Hero & WSVG?

                              

Area teen rocks ‘Guitar Hero’                                  By Mandi Wallis, Staff Writer               (Created: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 11:38 PM CDT)                                                                                                                                                                          Jesse Dalton, 15, an Allen ISD junior and baseball pitcher, never thought his hobby of playing video games would put him on stage in a World Series competition. Dalton didn’t plan to compete. He heard about a two-day qualifying event in Dallas on the radio June 28. He went that day, and out of about 50 contestants, he won, receiving $175 and automatic placement in the second-annual World Series of Video Games (WSVG). The World Series took place at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine July 5-8. This year’s series began May in China and continued June in Louisville, Ky. He said he entered the competition for the money and for “bragging rights at school.” It was Dalton’s first time on stage and he was nervous. “Everything changes when you get on stage,” Dalton said. “You can’t really practice for that.” The top four Guitar Hero finalists from Louisville, the first 20 contestants to register online, Dalton and seven people chosen from an open audition Thursday at the Gaylord made up 32 participants for Friday's competition. Dalton survived elimination Friday and moved on to compete Saturday as one of the top 16 contestants. The Gaylord Convention Center was transformed into a dark, adult arcade. Assorted lights, designs and colors flashed across the walls and concrete floors and ceilings. Various music and broadcasts aired throughout the room. Computers lined the walls and teams competed in games. Hundreds of people — mostly males, teen and adult — viewed flat-screen TVs or one of four spectator sports. An elevated boxing ring with an announcer contained two TVs with hand controls. Observers watched from metal bleachers as two “gamers” played “Fight Night Round 3.” Fans watched intently, shouted and clapped.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Similar reactions came from the “Quake 4” and “World of War Craft” areas. About 200 people crowded around a stage in the back anticipating the Guitar Hero event. This is the first year the series included a Guitar Hero competition. Matt Ringel, of New York, created the WSVG. “Watching people at the top of their game is very satisfying to the audience,” Ringel said. He said he wanted to make video games a “spectator sport.” Ringel said he doesn’t use the word “gamers” anymore because different types of people enjoy playing games, different ethnicities and ages. He said adults enjoy games too because they played them as children. “Guitar Hero 2” is a video game with a miniature guitar. Various colors appear quickly on a TV monitor and players press corresponding buttons on the guitar. Pushing the right key at the correct time creates music. Game scores are based on the number of notes played. In addition to the game, three judges gave scores for stage presence, like the TV show American Idol. Sal "Sluggo" Accardo, Senior Editor of PC GameSpy and video game musician Tommy Tallarico helped judge the top 16. Motley Crue's Vince Neil later judged the final eight. Some participants memorized the songs. Without watching the monitor, some jumped off the stage and played amongst the crowd. Other contenders played the guitar behind their heads and backs, between their legs and with their toes and teeth. Contestants choose one of 50 songs from the 1970s to present. Each competitor vied for the judge’s attention. Several contenders wore rock ‘n’ roll costumes. Some had sponsors and managers and promoted products during their presentation. Residents from Dalton’s neighborhood and his family accompanied him for support. Dalton was third to play. The second performer played Dalton’s song, and not wanting to perform the same song back-to-back, Dalton changed music just before taking the stage. The announcer called Dalton the “local Guitar Hero” because he won the Dallas competition. Participants came from all around the nation. Dalton performed “Beast in the Harlot.” People in the audience rocked their heads and bodies to the beat and raised their hands. “It’s hard with everyone watching you,” Dalton said. “I wasn’t expecting this many people.” He said it was a good experience and he played “just for fun.” Dalton didn’t proceed to the top eight. “They are good,” Dalton said about his opponents. “Video games have moved a long way.” Judge Tallarico said Dalton chose a difficult song. “It’s one of the hardest songs in the game,” Tallarico said. “So I got to give him props for that.” Dalton received his Guitar Hero for his birthday last year and became “addicted,” he said. He plays about 30 minutes a day, but recently more for practice. “At first I didn’t like it,” said Dalton’s mother, Jeanette, about the video game. “It’s nice because it keeps them out of trouble, and I know where they are.” She said her son and his friends stay up late hours at home playing. “They are learning our songs, the songs we like,” Jeanette Dalton said. “It’s bringing back the old rock and their appreciating it.” Dalton’s dad, Rob, has played the game himself. He said he likes Guitar Hero because it includes musical groups such as Queen and The Who. “He is a quiet hero,” Rob Dalton. “He’s good.” Rob Dalton said his left handed son has good eye-hand coordination, helping him in the competition and in baseball as well. Dalton doesn’t plan to pursue a career with his guitar, but he will keep playing, he said. The next WSVG is in Los Angeles and later this year in Sweden.

USA Today coverage on World Series of Video Games Presented by Intel - just in!

Well this is cool news! USA Today just did a huge write-up on the World Series of Video Games Presented by Intel and you can read all about it here. I was so excited I even added a comment because people don't realize how popular gaming really is.

I had no idea until I started working on this promotion myself. Over 90,000 people attended the series last year and it's this cool sub-culture phenomenon that I think is really taking off and becoming mainstream. Lots of celebrities like gaming too now - Chuck Norris is into World of Warcraft apparently (oh no, another Chuck Norris internet rumor! Just teasing - he really is into it), Nick Lachey and his girlfriend, Vanessa Minnillo, play Halo.

Did any of you catch Jonah Hill's (the guy from Knocked Up) interview on David Letterman where he shared getting caught playing Guitar Hero naked in his apartment while construction workers were working across the street? Too funny.

Here's some of the pix I've been promising from the NorthPark Center Mall promotion. Sorry they're not more exciting, but I wasn't there and the person taking them took them just for fun not publicity. Enjoy!     You get a feel for it though right?  Welcome to Texas and their gamers!:)                                                                                                                         If you want to see live video from the real Dallas World Series of Video Games event currently taking place over at the Gaylord Texan Resort right now - click here. There's all kinds of live video, pictures, stats, upcoming contests, how to get there, where to stay, everything you need and want to know!
HAVE FUN!!

World Series of Video Games & new flier

Just received the latest flier and it's great! I wish all the logos would show up here, but they don't so just enjoy the copy. Now doesn't this make you want to participate? I hope so! That's all for now. Stuff to do...

Rock the Park
The World Series of Video
Games Presented by Intel
Kick Off Party!

Play Guitar Hero IITM
Sign up at GameStop today for
Pre-Tournament Competition
Ages 13 and over
NorthPark Center
Thursday, June 28 12 noon to 6pm
Friday, June 29 12 noon to 5pm
Level ll - AMC Lobby

Just want to watch the fun?
Sign up for Drawings and Giveaways
500 WSVG tickets given away each day
Join The Edge on Friday from 2-4pm
Winner skips the open competition to become
1 of 32 at the Dallas World Series of Video
Games Presented by Intel preliminaries taking
place July 5-8, 2007 at the Gaylord Texan Resort.

Pre-tournament begins Thursday, June 28 from noon to 6 p.m. with finals
on Friday, June 29 from noon to 5 p.m. The tournament is held outside
AMC NorthPark 15 ticket offices on Level Two. The winner of the NorthPark
Center tournament, Guitar Hero II Rocks the Park, will skip the open and jump
straight to the top 32 of the Dallas World Series of Video Games Presented by
Intel taking place at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX July 5-8, 2007.
Compete to win $7,500 prize money!

Even if you don’t play, come experience the excitement and enjoy great
giveaways including tickets to the World Series of Video Games Presented by
Intel where you can watch players compete in World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero II,
Fight Night Round 3, and Quake 4, and the rest of your favorite titles. Jump into
the crowd, cheer, and get your face on camera while we film for CBS Sports.
Compete for $90,000 in prizes!

Rock the Park Giveaways
adidas Originals, Skechers, Paciugo Italian Gelato, Thirsty’s, Chick-fil-A, Sonic,
GameStop, Great American Cookies, Tin Star Taco Bar, Snappy Salads,
Starbucks, Auntie Anne’s, Famous Famiglia, AND MORE!

The World Series of Video Games is the world’s premier video game
tournament circuit. The 2006 tournament attracted more than 90,000
attendees, produced 250 hours of broadband video, and 20 hours of nationally
broadcast programming led by CBS. For more information, visit
www.thewsvg.com.

NorthPark Center invites you to Rock the Park and play Guitar Hero II at the The World Series of Video Games presented by Intel kickoff party

Okay, Here's the big promotion I've been working on in Dallas. Click on the link for all the details. Should be fun! Hope you go if you're in Dallas!

Tournament will be held Thursday, June 28^th from noon to 6pm with finals on Friday, June 29^th from noon to 5pm. All players 13 and up, come show your guitar skills and win great prizes including NorthPark Gold! The tournament will be located on level II, by the AMC lobby.

 Sign up today at GameStop!

 Don’t want to play? Come out and be a part of the excitement and great giveaways. 102.1FM The EDGE will be at

NorthPark

Center

on Friday, June 29^th from 2pm – 4pm!

 For more information visit http://www.northparkcenter.com/rockthepark.html

 

NorthPark

Center

is located at:

8687 North Central Expressway -

Dallas

,

Texas

75225

(214) 363-7441

Rock the Park giveaways provided by:

Adidas Originals, Skechers, Paciugo Italian Gelato, Thirsty’s, Chick-fil-A, Sonic, GameStop, Great American Cookies, Tin Star Taco Bar, Snappy Salads, Starbucks, Auntie Anne’s, Famous Famiglia, AND MORE!

Lovin' the Texans & other stuff

I've been working on the Dallas promotion of the World Series of Video Games and Texans are the best people to deal with!!! Just spoke to the woman who oversees the marketing for this huge shopping mall and she's totally into it!

What is so funny is that I'm finding that every industry that I've worked in is coming into play with this gig. I've done publicity for the Taubman Centers which owns 32 shopping malls around the country (Beverly Center being one of them), and as a result understand how mall marketing people think.

Turns out this particular mall is owned by a couple so there's no corporate hoops to jump through. If they like it, it's happening. Very fun to think the skies the limit on our promotions there. I had an affinity with the woman who runs the hotel association too because of my experience in the hotel industry.

Who knew that my crazy background would come together so well on this project? It's been fun and easy to do too which is so great. I love the people of Dallas and hope to get out there to meet some of the people I've been talking to. We'll see.

Also enjoying speaking to all the hotel marketing people here in Los Angeles because I know the hotels very well and like to see what type people are running them. Everyone's been really responsive to the promotion ideas that LA Inc is hiring me to promote and collect information for.

So all in all, can't complain. I'm having a great time and hope to do more of this type of work because it's so easy and fun. Just got invited to the MTV Movie Awards "buffet" party, but not sure whether I'll be in Dallas or here so have to play it by ear. Sounds cool though. You know me and gifting suites!

Gearing up for my other client, Domiziano's appearance at Fangoria this weekend. Turns out his film, Werewolf in a Women's Prison is getting a great response. According to the producer, Quentin Tarantino asked to see a screener and said he enjoyed it. That's pretty cool.

I'm happy for Domi. He has worked so hard it's time his acting is appreciated. He's worked with such international cult horror directors as Lenzi, Fulci, Jess Franco, and now Jeff Leroy here in the states. Hopefully Fangoria will be great networking for him.

On another note...

My friend Michele dropped by to see my new place and told me all about her new documentary film, America the Beautiful,where her daughter, Model Gerren Taylor's life is examined as she grows from an unknown, innocent adolescent to supermodel. This film explores the question, "Does America have an unhealthy obsession with beauty?"

This film took 4 years to make and received great reviews at AFI's Dallas Film Festival recently. More film festivals are scheduled and major players are interested in distributing it which is exciting. Say a prayer so you can see it at a theatre near you soon!

Michele and I met years ago at Hollywood Pres when I saw her daughter at the service one Sunday and asked her if she was the same teenage model showcased on the Oprah show. Turns out she was and we all started hanging out because of common interests.

So, that's all. Just had to share. Apparently my back hasn't been healing properly which is why I'm in so much pain all the time according to my chiro, but this too shall pass.

Have a good one.

$750,000 prize money at World Series Video Games

Hey, I'm helping promote the Dallas World Series Video Games event and wanted to tell my peeps. Read on if you're into video games - pretty cool cash prizes ($90,000 at Dallas alone!) and events! I've added some links to the TV clips from last year to show you what and who it's all about. VERY COOL! Join the Dallas street team.

The World Series of Video Games (WSVG) announced its 2007 season, including venues around the globe, a new circuit structure, $750,000 in cash prizes, and several titles never before offered in the world’s top gaming competitions.

In ground-breaking news, the WSVG will feature for the first time Blizzard Entertainment®’s “World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade®,” which will be played in a PVP Arena 3v3 format. The World Series of Video Games, presented by Intel will also showcase “Quake 4™,” a mainstay of competitive gaming dating back to 1997.

On console, the WSVG will feature for the first time “EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3”, Electronic Arts’ critically acclaimed boxing game. “EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3” features amazingly detailed graphics that capture every emotion of the fight.

Activision’s “Guitar Hero II™” rounds out the console lineup, offering players the chance to stand in the shoes of musical legends and shred with the best of them. The competition will feature live judges, who score competitors based on a combination of skill and performance.

In a video announcement posted on the official circuit website, www.thewsvg.com, the second season circuit is scheduled to visit six cities throughout the year, beginning May 1, 2007 in China and ending at the world's largest gaming event in Sweden on Nov 29.

Dallas, TX (July 5 - 8). The Summer Championship returns to Dallas, specifically chosen so the WSVG could support Live Earth -- The Concert for a Climate in Crisis, a 24-hour concert series taking place on 07/07/07 in 7 cities around the world that will bring together more than 100 of the world's top musical acts.

In addition to the circuit titles, other traditional eSports titles will be included in competition on an event-by-event basis such as “Call of Duty® 2” and “Halo® 2” in Dallas.

The World Series of Video Games presented by Intel also announced some new additions to the 2007 circuit structure, including a points-based system to determine seeding and Finals qualification; travel support for the top four teams in each game category; online qualifying tournaments prior to each Major; and massive LAN events at each US stop, to be powered by LANWAR, the leading organizer in the US.

Further information about the circuit and registration for this year’s events is available at www.thewsvg.com.

About The World Series of Video Games
The World Series of Video Games is the world’s premier video game tournament circuit, which recently completed its first season. In 2006, the World Series of Video Games attracted over 90,000 attendees, produced 250 hours of broadband video, and 20 hours of programming on CBS, MTV, CSTV and GamePlay HD. 

About Intel Corporation

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. 

About Blizzard Entertainment

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^®, and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® series, Blizzard Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard’s track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s free Internet gaming service, Battle.net^®, reigns as the largest in the world, with millions of active users.