Incredible gamers in training

By Candice Jones, ITWeb online telecoms editor

Johannesburg, 13 Jul 2007

Incredible Connection staff selected to represent SA at the Packard Bell gaming competition in Portugal, are in training and ready to take on the world's best.

This is according to Justin Robinson, one of the six team members, and organiser of a knockout competition that helped decide the gamers who would represent SA in the international event.

"We flew our Cape Town teammate up this past weekend, so we could get together to train on the four games we are going to play in Portugal," says Robinson.

The games, to be played at the final in Lisbon, include Stalker, Battlefield 2142, Quake 4 and Supreme Commander, and the prize will be an all-expenses-paid trip, as well as the latest iPower gaming chassis, from Packard Bell.

"Supreme Commander is, in my opinion, one of the best strategy games ever produced, but because it is so involved and deals with high strategy decisions, it is the one game that worries me when it comes to playing in Portugal."

The team leaves on 25 July, to face what Robinson believes will be some of the top gamers in Europe. "We are expecting to play against the likes of Jonathan Wendel (Fatality), and some of us have never played on an international level."

However, he says this does not mean the team will not do well. "Our guys are really good, especially at the first-person shooters like Quake, and I think we will do well."

Packard Bell expects over 15 countries to send delegates to compete. According to Maarten de Gidts, agent for Packard Bell in SA, this translates to around 100 contestants. He says it is the first year the company has opened the competition to people outside the company's UK stores.