14 DAY TRIAL // The cream of the crop in computer gaming gathered in Paris, where the World Cup will kick off this week-end. The modern interpretation of the competition instinct in human males has become not only a fun way to spend a few hours with your buddies, but an official competition, something like the virtual Olympic Games.
700 players, selected from 500,000 candidates, representing 51 countries, will take part in the competition.
Players gathered at the World Cup are really the best of the best and they're no longer playing for fun or to prove themselves, they're now professional athletes, competing for big bucks and most of them make a good living out of this.
Like any professional player, everything about their equipment is state-of-the-art and major players are sponsored and equipped by the most important names in computing industry. For those of you not so familiar with the concept of professional gamer, you should know that the best players are organized in clans, which enter some of the most prestigious competitions in the world, where they play virtual games for real money, coming from brands like AMD, Intel, Sennheiser, Steelpad, Logitech and many more.
Custom-made keyboards and mice are common at the World Cup, while the computers are standard for all competitors to ensure equal chances for everyone. Some of most renowned games are among the "categories" of the cup, like Counter-Strike, the most played first person shooter in history, which is all about reflexes and speed, Pro Evolution Soccer 6, which is all about control and strategy and Quake IV, which allows for a large number of players to fight simultaneously on one map, where it's every man for himself.
The Organizer of the World Cup, the Games-Services company, announced the prize money, a pool of 180,000 dollars (132,000 euros) in the final. Svanevik Sondre, a Norwegian player who goes by the name "Real," is sponsored by some important names in the industry, like Razer and Qpad and his team is one of the favorites at the Counter-Strike competition.
"We try to practice four hours a day, four days a week, and we intensify before the competition," he said. "I get a salary every month. I cannot tell exactly how much but enough to live, more than a thousand euros."
Actually, the most talented players in the world can earn up to two million dollars (1.5 million euros) per year, so this is definitely more than child's play.