Archive for the ‘Press Releases I Wrote’ Category

Aurcade Announces New Staff, New Location

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Aurcade welcomed four new members to its staff this week and one new location to its arcade database. Aurcade announced that Phil Day, Rodney Minch, Mark Sellers and Grace Snoke were added to their staff of volunteers. Stella’s Arcade was added to the list of official Aurcade locations.

Phil Day, Galaga World Record Holder, is joining the team as the Editorial Director. Day will be in charge of writing articles for Aurcade, including covering events that take place, interviews and gamer profiles.

Rodney Minch is joining the team as an On-Site Official for Stella’s Lounge in Grand Rapids, Mich. Minch is a tech that keeps all the games up and running at Stella’s Lounge. As a part of the team, Minch is responsible for monitoring and verifying live record attempt scores at Stella’s Lounge and other local events.

Mark Sellers, owner of Stella’s Lounge and other establishments, is joining the team as an On-Site Official for Stella’s Lounge in Grand Rapids.

Grace Snoke is joining the team as Public Relations Director. Snoke has experience in handling public relations not only for the International Video Game Hall of Fame, but for several websites as well, including EOGamer.com, Cogent Media and a number of other video game related sites in the past and present. Snoke will be responsible in writing press releases, handling public relations and helping to create a presence online as well as in the media.

Stella’s Lounge has a number of classic arcade video games in the bar and will be a location for individuals to set arcade record attempts with Aurcade Officiating Staff on hand. Aurcade recently finished officiating The First Annual Classic Video Game Olympics at Stella’s Lounge Sept. 17 – 19. For more information on Stella’s Lounge, visit http://stellasgr.com/

For more information on Aurcade, please visit the website at http://www.aurcade.com.

Tampa Area Man to be Inducted into Video Game Hall of Fame

Monday, July 26th, 2010

The International Video Game Hall of Fame has announced that a Tampa area man is to be inducted into the IVGHOF on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010, at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Todd Rogers, of Brooksville, Fla., will be honored for his accomplishments as a professional video game competitor. Rogers has enjoyed recognition as a top world record holder on hundreds of games since the early 1980s and is considered history’s first professionally-paid video game player. In 1986, Rogers was a member of the U.S. National Video Game Team, history’s first professional video game team.

As a member of the IVGHOF Class of 2010, Rogers takes his place alongside 28 other gaming celebrities, including Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Donkey Kong; Ralph Baer, The Father of Video Games; and Pac-Man.

Rogers is currently the co-owner of ACW Underground, an independent wrestling company based in Central Florida. Rogers played himself in numerous landmark films on the history of competitive gaming, among them Chasing Ghosts:Beyond the Arcade and The King of Kong:A Fistful of Dollars.

The IVGHOF was created to honor the video game age luminaries and to preserve artifacts and memorabilia generated by this dynamic industry. The IVGHOF is registered with the IRS as a 501C(3) not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization allowing it to accept donations and issue tax receipts.

The City of Ottumwa is recognized as being the “birthplace” of organized, competitive video game playing. The city was proclaimed the “Video Game Capital of the World November 30, 1982, by then-Mayor Jerry Parker. This claim was confirmed by Iowa Governor Branstad, Atari and the Amusement Game Manufacturer’s Association (AGMA) in a special ceremony on March 19, 1983. Today, the City of Ottumwa conducts an annual four-day video game festival called “The Big Bang” to give further recognition to the gaming celebrities being inducted into the IVGHOF.

For more information on Todd Rogers, go to http://ivghof.com/the-big-bang/inductees/todd-rogers

Or contact
Walter Day at 641-226-6275

or

International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum
217 East Main Street
P.O. Box 308
Ottumwa, Iowa 52501
info@ivghof.com

About The Big Bang
The Big Bang is Ottumwa’s Annual Video Game Festival, co-created by the Citizens of Ottumwa and the International Video Game Hall of Fame. The Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter is a four-day event held concurrently with the Grand Induction Ceremonies for the International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum (IVGHOF&M). The festival features contests, concerts, dealer showrooms, panel discussions, guest celebrities, costume contests and much more. For more information visit: http://www.ivghof.com

About The International Video Game Hall of Fame
Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to honoring excellence in the field of electronic gaming by recognizing the champions, industries and professionals related to this popular activity. We will build and maintain a state-of-the art interactive facility containing historical archive exhibits describing the historic milestones of the video game industry, and preserve significant video gaming relics, memorabilia and artifacts of the times past and present.

Redwood Native to be Inducted into Hall of Fame

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

The International Video Game Hall of Fame has announced that a Redmond man is to be inducted into the IVGHOF on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010, at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Steve Wiebe, of Redmond, Wash., will be honored for his accomplishments as an arcade video game competitor. Wiebe has enjoyed recognition as the former world record holder on Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong, Jr. As a member of the IVGHOF Class of 2010, Wiebe takes his place alongside 28 other gaming celebrities, including Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Donkey Kong; Ralph Baer,The Father of Video Games; and Pac-Man.

Wiebe is currently an algebra teacher at Finn Hill Junior High in Kirkland, Wash. He was also the subject of a popular film called “The King of Kong,” which examined the history of the Donkey Kong world record.

The IVGHOF was created to honor the video game age luminaries and to preserve artifacts and memorabilia generated by this dynamic industry. The IVGHOF is registered with the IRS as a 501C(3) not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization allowing it to accept donations and issue tax receipts.

The City of Ottumwa is recognized as being the “birthplace”

of organized, competitive video game playing. The city was proclaimed the “Video Game Capital of the World
November 30, 1982, by then-Mayor Jerry Parker. This claim was confirmed by Iowo Governor Branstad, Atari and the Amusement Game Manufacturer’s Association (AGMA) in a special ceremony on March 19, 1983. Today, the City of Ottumwa conducts an annual four-day video game festival called “The Big Bang” to give further recognition to the gaming celebrities being inducted into the IVGHOF.

For more information, contact
Walter Day at 641-226-6275

or:
International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum
217 East Main Street
P.O. Box 308
Ottumwa, Iowa 52501
info@ivghof.com

For more information on the event, please visit http://www.ivghof.com

About The Big Bang
The Big Bang is Ottumwa’s Annual Video Game Festival, co-created by the Citizens of Ottumwa and the International Video Game Hall of Fame.  The Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter is a four-day event held concurrently with the Grand Induction Ceremonies for the International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum (IVGHOF&M).  The festival features contests, concerts, dealer showrooms, panel discussions, guest celebrities, costume contests and much more.  For more information visit: http://www.ivghof.com

About The International Video Game Hall of Fame
Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to honoring excellence in the field of electronic gaming by recognizing the champions, industries and professionals related to this popular activity. We will build and maintain a state-of-the art interactive facility containing historical archive exhibits describing the historic milestones of the video game industry, and preserve significant video gaming relics, memorabilia and artifacts of the times past and present.

Big Bang 2010: Registration for BYOC Events Now Open

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Registration for Bring-Your-Own-Computer/Console tournaments are now open to the public.

Everyone is eligible to sign up for events and tournaments as well as suggest tournaments they would like to see take place at Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter.  If you haven’t purchased a ticket to the event yet, you will have the opportunity to purchase tickets during the sign up process.

The BYOC area is open day and night, allowing for 24-hours of fun everyday throughout the entire event. Bring your PC, PS3, XBOX 360, or whatever you want and plan on a blazing-fast LAN-party with your friends.   There are roughly 400 BYOC seats available for reservation.  There will be ad-hoc tournaments in addition to our own prize-based events.

More than $10,000 in cash prizes are available for Big Bang 2010 sponsored tournaments.

More tournaments will be announced in the coming days and weeks as more sponsors come on board so make sure you register now! Your ticket to the Big Bang 2010 covers admission and the first 250 people to register for the BYOC get entered into our “Gamer of the Year” tournament too!

To sign up for the BYOC, please visit: http://frag.ivghof.com.

About The Big Bang
The Big Bang is Ottumwa’s Annual Video Game Festival, co-created by the Citizens of Ottumwa and the International Video Game Hall of Fame.  The Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter is a four-day event held concurrently with the Grand Induction Ceremonies for the International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum (IVGHOF&M).  The festival features contests, concerts, dealer showrooms, panel discussions, guest celebrities, costume contests and much more.  For more information visit: http://www.ivghof.com

About The International Video Game Hall of Fame
Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to honoring excellence in the field of electronic gaming by recognizing the champions, industries and professionals related to this popular activity. We will build and maintain a state-of-the art interactive facility containing historical archive exhibits describing the historic milestones of the video game industry, and preserve significant video gaming relics, memorabilia and artifacts of the times past and present.

International Video Game Hall of Fame

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

It’s time to start marking your calendars and booking vacations.  In less than three months, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum premier event, The Big Bang 2010, is set to begin.

The Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter takes place in Ottumwa, Iowa, from Aug. 5 through Aug. 8, at the Bridgeview Center and surrounding city area venues.  The event is a joint endeavor sponsored by the Citizens of Ottumwa, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum, and Twin Galaxies.

This four day event includes concerts, video game tournaments, cosplay competition, Bring-Your-Own-Computer events, panel discussions, as well as the Induction Ceremony and more, for the low price of $52.50.  Concerts include performances by: Days of the New, Dead Horse Trauma, Flaw, Index Case and more.  A full list of events, attendees and tournaments will be available later this month.

This years inductees include, but are not limited to: Eric Akeson, Turbo Pac-Man Champion; Billy Mitchell, Legendary Arcade Champion; Steve Ritchie, Legendary Game Designer; Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, Legendary PC Gaming Champion; and Steve Wiebe, Donkey Kong, Jr. Champion.

Walter Day, Pro Video Game Referee/Scorekeeper, founder of Twin Galaxies and event coordinator, calls this event the “Woodstock of Video Games.”  It’s an event video game lovers everywhere do not want to miss.

For more information regarding the event-in-general, schedule of events, how to purchase tickets, how to register for tournaments and more, visit the IVGHOF website: http://www.ivghof.com. Updates to the event will constantly be posted to this site.

About The Big Bang
The Big Bang is Ottumwa’s Annual Video Game Festival, co-created by the Citizens of Ottumwa and the International Video Game Hall of Fame.  The Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter is a four-day event held concurrently with the Grand Induction Ceremonies for the International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum (IVGHOF&M).  The festival features contests, concerts, dealer showrooms, panel discussions, guest celebrities, costume contests and much more.  For more information visit: http://www.ivghof.com

About The International Video Game Hall of Fame
Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to honoring excellence in the field of electronic gaming by recognizing the champions, industries and professionals related to this popular activity. We will build and maintain a state-of-the art interactive facility containing historical archive exhibits describing the historic milestones of the video game industry, and preserve significant video gaming relics, memorabilia and artifacts of the times past and present.