PaulH
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ElizabethS
When I think of the Wii my natural tendency is to picture nuclear families playing casual games together in idyllic, contemporary households. I mean, that's what you generally see in TV commercials and in print ads, and imagery on Nintendo of Canada's Get Up and Play website. But did you know that hardcore gamers out there also play the Wii? Gamers so hardcore they rent out a local art gallery and studio in Toronto west's Liberty Village district, invite 32 of their closest gamer friends, plus guests, and host an all-night Mario Kart Wii tournament with the game projected on a small theatre screen? That's exactly what the folks at Offshoot, a Toronto-based interactive marketing firm, did earlier this month.
I was there to not only cover the event, but to put my waggle-stick racing skills to the test and compete in the Mario Kart Wii tournament.
The registration page for the tournament set the tone right by paying homage to one of gaming's oldest movies, The Wizard, starring a young Fred Savage who travels with his half-brother Jimmy to California so he can compete in the Nintendo World Video Game Championships. The event was aptly entitled "Relive the Wizard - A Mario Kart Tournament." It was obvious before arriving at the tournament that the hosts were long-time gaming fans and targeting this event at 20- and 30-something hardcore gamers that grew up watching cheesy 80s gamer flicks such as Wargames, Cloak & Dagger and The Last Starfighter.
As I made my way to The Bait Shop my instructions were to "find the Milky Way side street and look for the red carpet". It took me five minutes to locate the side street which was not very well marked, but incidentally gave the venue a vibe of exclusivity, as if I was invited to some private, VIP-only affair. The red carpet that greeted me at the venue gate only served to reinforce the impression.
Inside the art gallery there was a definite 19+ feeling to the event, dim lights such as what's typically found at a nightclub, a live music artist named DJ Hot Magma spinning hit tunes, groups of men/women dressed in hoodies, baggy jeans, and sneakers standing on the upper "dance floor" deck, and an open bar courtesy of Trios College serving up Steam Whistles all night long. The closest experience to this I've had would probably be the Rogers UGE back in September, but that gaming tournament was all-ages, took place during the day, and was alcohol-free. Needless to say, the Mario Kart Wii Tournament was unlike any other gaming event I've participated in, and yet it all made sense to me.
You see, when I was a kid growing up in the 80s, video games were all about going out and hanging with friends at the local arcade scene. As the mid 90s rolled around the technology of home video game consoles such as the Sega CD, PS1 and 3DO Interactive Multiplayer began to rival the quality of arcade games and the scene quickly fizzled out. Suddenly gaming was done in the privacy of your own home. Fortuitously, in the years since, the gaming industry has exploded into mainstream, helped in part to the rise of social music games such as Konami's Dance Dance Revolution, Activision's Guitar Hero, and MTV Games' Rock Band.
Attending the Mario Kart Wii Tournament put on by Offshoot brought back those arcade memories, only now, I'm twice the age and seeking a deeper experience. The night didn't disappoint. I had the opportunity to mix and mingle, eat custom-made Nintendo controller cookies by Lindsey Bakes, and meet the organizers, James and Zoe Hamilton. That's Zoe above writing down the name of a second-round winner. As you can see in the photo, I also advanced (look for 'P. Hunter') and ended up achieving "final eight" status in the tournament.
Like any good tournament, prizes were awarded to the top finishers and included earphones from Skully Candy and PKG courier bags for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
All-in-all it was a fantastic night and one that stands out for me in 2009. My hope is that not only will Offshoot host more tournaments such as this one, but others will look at this event and realize there's an untapped market out there for 19+ gaming tournaments. Call me a huge geek if you want but I could see myself doing this every Friday.
[Photos courtesty of Michelle Gatien, visit her on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/michellegate]
Winners Prize Table
Mario Kart Wii Tournament, 3rd Round
Crowd Shot
Gamers on the 2nd floor watch the Mario Kart Wii Tournament
Zoe Hamilton updates the tournament results as James Hamilton looks on
The winner of the Mario Kart Wii Tournament kisses his 1st place prize
