Warcraft III great XiaoFeng “Sky” Li has completed his leg of the Olympic torch relay. The torch is on its way to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In addition to Sky, JaeHo “Moon” Jang (another WC3 juggernaut) and StarCraft luminary Junchun “PJ” Sha will also carry the torch at some point during the relay.
Here are some pictures of Sky’s relay:
Register now for GGL to receive more information about the Digital Games!
GGL has launched its 2008 Digital Games site, containing regional registration and news that the competition will launch in April, culminating in a live Welcome Event at the 2008 Olympic Games.
DG will have gamers compete in a five-game pentathlon across five different world regions (North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Middle East/Africa) to crown the best gamers in the world.
Game titles and a full schedule have not yet been announced, so there’s more news to come! Register, or if you are already a member, visit dg.ggl.com and join the group to be first in line for more news.
Register for GGL now and you’ll be first in line to get more information about the Digital Games!
I’ve read my fair share of mixed commentary since the Digital Games announcement, much of it devolving to hatred for organizers, game choices, or debate over whether or not gaming is actually a sport.
In my personal opinion, though, all of these things are tertiary to the goal of getting competitive gaming and “e-sports” more mindshare in the general public. I’m not just speaking about the general gaming public, but the huge amount of people who don’t play games and don’t think they’re cool.
If a Welcome Event at the 2008 Summer Olympics catapults competitive gaming even more into the mainstream with games that aren’t necessarily accepted by the traditional e-sports communities, I’d be fine with it anyway. Keep in mind that I grew up on Quake/2/3, on the arcade-style, deathmatch game that doesn’t really exist anymore anywhere in the North American continent. It could come back, but probably won’t. Continued…
Register now to be first in line for more information about the Digital Games!
After last week’s announcement of the event, the full English-language press release for GGL’s Digital Games is out.
Read below.
2008 Digital Games’ Global Videogaming Tournament to Culminate in Shanghai at Official 2008 Olympic Games Welcome Event
China Internet Gaming Organizing Committee (CIG) and GGL Global Gaming Sign Pact to Host Global Videogame Tournament
Amateur Gamers and Fans can immediately get more information at www.GGL.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — February 19, 2008 — In a move that will start a new chapter in videogame history, GGL Global Gaming today announced that it has signed an agreement with the China Internet Gaming Organizing Committee (CIG) to launch The Digital Games. Under the Our Olympic Series of Large Scale Cultural Activities, GGL has been appointed the official partner and co-producer for making videogames an official “Welcome Event” of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The appointment was made by the 8 branches of the China Government that comprise the Beijing Olympic Welcome Events committee; known as “Our Olympic Organizing Committee” (OOOC) which is supervised by The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG). Continued…
Register for GGL now and you’ll be first in line to get more information about the Digital Games!
All of us at GGL are pleased to announce that GGL has been appointed the official partner and co-producer for making videogames an official “Welcome Event” of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Gamers at all skill levels will be able to compete for the opportunity to represent their country in a global tournament hosted by GGL. The tournament will culminate with a Grand Finals event held in Shanghai.
GGL Chairman Ted Owen called the Digital Games “the ultimate elevation of gaming and the culture of gaming to the world stage.”
GGL’s Digital Games site goes live Feb. 25, and a full English-language press release will be sent out next week.
The company has been working very hard to make today’s announcement happen, and Fortune today published an exclusive article about the Digital Games. GGL China also published a release today (GMT +8) about the Digital Games.
“This is the moment that gamers have been waiting for: a galvanizing event that both celebrates and legitimizes the culture of videogames – the most prominent entertainment form for today’s generation,” said Frank Yong, CEO of GGL China.
“[We] are pleased to be working with GGL to elevate videogames – the 99th Official Sport of China – to the world stage,” said Fong Hong, Honorary General Secretary of the China Internet Gaming Organising Committee. “Because of GGL’s global reach, content & community, brand recognition, technical capabilities, tournament expertise, strong ties with the gamer community and a rapidly growing Chinese presence, it was a natural fit when deciding who would be the perfect partner for this event.”
This is just the first of many exciting developments from the GGL team, so stay tuned!
