PC gamers battle around the clock Video

To play this video, you need Javascript enabled and the latest version of Flash installed. Install Flash now
PC gamers battle around the clock
Created: 11/20/2007
Video description: In a vacant hangar at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, Calif., hundreds of PC gamers spent the weekend competing in Nvidia's GeForce LAN 4 party. The big draw this year was Crysis, a title some fans call Electronic Arts' most realistic yet. News.com's Kara Tsuboi bids adieu to the sunshine and meets some gamers who prefer to bask in the glow of their computer screens.

PC gamers battle around the clock Video Transcript

[ Music ] ^M00:00:04

>> Kara Tsuboi: Hey there, I am Kara Tsuboi. I am here at the former naval base in Alameda, California and this is the scene for Nvidia's fourth annual GeForce Lan Gamers Tournament. What that means is that about 500 gamers are bringing their personal computers to play against each other. Say goodbye to the sunshine, we are going in for two days straight. Lots of fun. ^M00:00:25 [ music ] ^M00:00:38

>> I brought my PC, my monitor and just bunch of cables, extra stuff just in case.

>> Kara Tsuboi: That's right. BYOPC and for a $25 entrance fee Nvidia the graphics chip maker will provide the space, the electricity, the food and all the energy drinks necessary to keep this herd of gamers shooting, jumping and blowing stuff up for an entire weekend.

>> Kara Tsuboi: How long are you planning on staying here?

>> All three days.

>> Kara Tsuboi: [laughs]

>> All three days and not going to sleep.

>> Kara Tsuboi: So we are talking like more than 48 hours of gaming.

>> You know what are hand cramps?

>> Kara Tsuboi: [laughing] some bloody finger tips.

>> Hand gets stuck like that, gamer claw.

>>Kara Tsuboi: Gamer claw?

>> Yeah.

>> Kara Tsuboi: Ooh, that's a new one. I like it.

>> Yeah.

>> Kara Tsuboi: 20 year old Justin says he logs about 20 hours of game time a week. This year he brought his girl friend, also a gamer. Good thing, pickins are slim.

>> You know, right now I am looking around and the ratio is may be...

>> Actually last year it was worse. Last year I think I counted two.

>> Two girls?

>> Two.

>> Yeah I think it's about one, 1 to 50 here. So, ladies if you are looking for a date then this is the place to be this weekend.

>> There's a lot of eager guys.

>> [ laughing ]

>> Kara Tsuboi: Not Brandon. He's got his eye on the competition. Bringing in his souped up secret weapon.

>> You've tricked out your PC?

>> Exactly, exactly and that's what we go for. We go for straight up performance, aesthetics is still a part of it but a majority of it is getting our thing to go as fast as possible, maybe the hot rod of computers per se.

>> Too bad a 17 hour drive from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to get here wasn't such a smooth ride.

>> We lost two tires. We hit a cattle door on the way down and the Department of Transportation was awesome, they helped us out and they got us here. Got here in one piece and.

>> One of the draws of the conference is the chance to play Crysis, a newly released game from Electronic Arts. It's a first person shooter game set on an alien invaded island. Fans say it's the most realistic PC game that has ever been made.

>> I'm a key specie gamer and this is by far the ultimate game experience I have never been so immersed in a game before. The environment is so real and so lively that you know it really feels like you are actually on this island.

>> Kara Tsuboi: And for EA and others in the PC gaming industry, the timing for a smash hit game couldn't be better.

>> This holiday season I think you will see a lot of great game titles come out and they are actually going to be all on PC gaming platform. It's going to be a great holiday season for gamers.

>> Kara Tsuboi: Between the panel discussions, the workshops and of course the gaming, two days of this conference is going to wear you out. Luckily there are lounges like this with energy drinks, chocolates and the latest issues of Computer Power use to unwind. I think I am set. I am Kara Tsuboi reporting for CNET News.com. ^M00:03:21 [ Music ]

Related Videos

Nvidia Geforce 3D Vision Kit

Though casual gamers will be satisfied by the Nvidia 3D Vision Kit's 3D gimmick, the unacceptable compromise to playability of some titles means hardcore gamers should steer clear.

Tech behind pinball wizardry

Don't be distracted by the flashing lights and the pinging, dinging, and clinging. The game of pinball puts some serious technology to work. CNET News.com's Kara Tsuboi visits Alameda, Calif.'s Lucky JuJu, the only pinball museum in the country, to learn about the history and the mechanics behind the classic machines.

Gaming preview: Halo 3 appears at E3

"Is this the way the world ends?" After this preview of Halo 3, the world will end for some gamers if the title doesn't appear, as promised, in 2007.

Commodore 64's silver anniversary

The Commodore 64 may be gone, but it's certainly not forgotten. Fans turned out in the hundreds Monday night for the PC's 25th anniversary party at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. CNET News.com's Kara Tsuboi raised a glass and chatted with industry leaders, including Steve Wozniak, Apple's co-founder, and Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore International, about the Commodore's impact on the personal-computing market.

Welcome WiiWare

CNET News.com's Kara Tsuboi brings you the latest Nintendo Wii news (and throws in some yoga and ski moves) from a recent media party in San Francisco. With WiiWare set to debut in May, expect to see new titles from indie game developers in the Wii Shop; slick third-party games from Lucas Arts and Electronic Arts; and of course, Mario Kart and Wii Fit.

Prizes, bragging rights awarded to 10 products

CNET editors sift through hundreds of products to find the best in categories such as cell phones, TVs, and car tech. News.com's Kara Tsuboi takes you through the categories and talks to some winners.

'Best of CES' Award Show

CNET editors sifted through hundreds and hundreds of products to find the best in each category. From the hottest in cell phones to televisions to car tech, News.com's Kara Tsuboi takes you through the categories and talks to some of the winners.

Kara Tsuboi's blooper reel

Take a look back at some of Kara Tsuboi's funniest moments of 2008.

Tech camp for kids

Some kids prefer video games and computer programming to sports and nature, and the ID Tech Camps were created with that set in mind. CNET's Kara Tsuboi drops in on a summer session at Stanford University to watch these future tech masterminds hard at work on their summer vacations.

Saving money with solar tech

It's not cheap to power a home these days. Could solar-energy tech be the solution? At the Intersolar North America exhibition in San Francisco, CNET's Kara Tsuboi finds a few products that could help bring sunshine to your wallet.