jeremy m. lange

+ projects: - generation kill

Video games have become a mulit billion dollar industry, even as their reach has shifted to at home gmers as opposed to the old days of street corner arcades.

In August of 2010, I visited a professional video game competition, hosted by Major League Gaming, in which the winning Halo 3 four man, and I do mean "man", team could win a $20,000 purse for their efforts.

Sponsors such as Hot Pockets, Dr. Pepper, Doritos and Old Spice circled the booths in an attempt to capture the players and fans who showed up for the three days of head to head competition in games such as Tekken 6, Halo 3 and World of Warcraft.

How far these games have come from the days when we used to line up quarters to hold a spot for a chance to get back at a friend in Street Fighter.

Gamers prepare for the Halo 3 rounds to begin
   
An amateur Halo 3 player reacts to the game
   
A four man Halo 3 team in action
     
  
Hand massages were available to all gamers... free of charge
   
Various gaming companies set up kiosks to allow attendees to try new games and technologies
   
An amateur Halo 3 player reacts to the game
     
  
Fans of the heavily favored professional Halo 3 team Instinct await the fate of their team in the early rounds of competition
   
A coach, who helps the 4 man Halo teams with game stragedy, calls out commands to his players
   
A fan reacts to his team's loss in the early Halo 3 rounds
     
  
The final score in an early Halo 3 game
   
A member of the heavily favored professional Halo 3 team Instinct reacts to an early loss. They would come back to make the finals, and lose to underdogs, Final Boss
   
Old Spice was a major sponsor of the competition
     
  
Hot Pockets, a major sponsor of the competition, had girls handing out samples to the nearly all male crowd
   
3D televsions were on display to try and get gamers interested in the new technology
   
Large and Extra Large t shirts were sold out early
     
  
Free gaming kiosks were set up to allow non competing attendees to play each other in Halo 3
   
Free gaming kiosks were set up to allow non competing attendees to play each other in Halo 3
   
On the main stage, eventual underdog professional winner, Final Boss, faced off against another team, to the crowd's approval
     
  
Justin Deese, ie "iGotUrPistola", of underdog favorites team Final Boss, celebrated after his team won the $20,000 Halo 3 purse