The World Series of Video Games Reveals Plans for Second Season

April 10, 2007 – The World Series of Video Games (WSVG) announced today the highly-anticipated plans for its 2007 season, including venues around the globe, a new circuit structure, $750,000 in cash prizes, and several titles never before offered in the world’s top gaming competitions. Intel returns as presenting sponsor for the second year in a row, providing leading edge multi-core processor technology for world class performance in the pinnacle of gaming competition.

In ground-breaking news, the WSVG will feature for the first time Blizzard Entertainment®’s “World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade®,” which will be played in a PVP Arena 3v3 format. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game has a player base of more than 8.5 million subscribers worldwide.

The World Series of Video Games, Presented by Intel will also showcase “Quake 4™,” a mainstay of competitive gaming dating back to 1997. This competitive staple features lightning fast reflexes and amazing feats of skill as two players duel it out in head to head match ups.

On console, the WSVG will feature for the first time “EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3”, Electronic Arts’ critically acclaimed boxing game. “EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3” features amazingly detailed graphics that capture every emotion of the fight. The game delivers an unparalleled boxing experience and is one of the best-looking and playing sports game on the market.

Activision’s “Guitar Hero II™” rounds out the console lineup, offering players the chance to stand in the shoes of musical legends and shred with the best of them. The competition will feature live judges, who score competitors based on a combination of skill and performance.

In a video announcement posted on the official circuit website, www.thewsvg.com, Matthew Ringel, president of the World Series of Video Games, said, “We are incredibly excited about our 2007 lineup of game competitions. The World Series seeks to support those titles that are the most fun for the players in competition, enjoy widespread community support, and afford the most opportunities for a much wider audience to view them online and on television.”

The second season circuit is scheduled to visit six cities throughout the year, beginning May 1, 2007 in China and ending at the world's largest gaming event in Sweden on Nov 29. The featured stops for the second season are:

• Wuhan, China (April 30 – May 3). The World Series of Video Games, Presented by Intel debuts its second season during China’s “Golden Week” holiday and as one of the official welcome events for the 6th Intercity Games of the People's Republic of China, the last major sporting event in China leading up to the 2008 Chinese Olympic Games. China was the biggest event during the 2006 circuit, and is expected to deliver record numbers of attendees again this year.
  
• Louisville, KY (June 21-24). In conjunction with LANWAR, the MillionManLan, the second stop on the WSVG 2007 circuit will be in Louisville, KY.
  
• Dallas, TX (July 5 - 8). The Summer Championship returns to Dallas, continuing a great tradition. The Dallas date was specifically chosen so the WSVG could support Live Earth -- The Concert for a Climate in Crisis, a 24-hour concert series taking place on 07/07/07 in 7 cities around the world that will bring together more than 100 of the world's top musical acts. Live Earth is a project of Save Our Selves (SOS), a campaign designed to trigger a global movement to combat the climate crisis, which, in addition to Live Earth, will reach people in every corner of the globe through television, film, radio and the Internet. The WSVG will support Live Earth and its estimated two billion viewers worldwide with content, promotion and fundraising efforts.
  
• Orlando, FL (Aug. 23 - 26). Following the Dallas event, the fourth stop on the 2007 WSVG circuit will be at the exotic Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®, A Loews Hotel. At Universal Orlando® Resort, you’ll find two amazing theme parks, non-stop nightlife and more, all in one convenient location.
• Europe Major (October). A fifth circuit event will be held in Europe in October, and will be announced soon.
• Jönköping, Sweden (Nov. 29 – Dec. 2). The World Series of Video Games Finals, Presented by Intel will be held at DreamHack Winter, the biggest gaming festival in the world. The WSVG has a broad-ranging partnership with DreamHack that will incorporate the search for a DreamHack team invited to compete on the circuit.
  

In addition to the circuit titles, other traditional eSports titles will be included in competition on an event-by-event basis including “Warcraft III®” in China, “Call of Duty® 2” in Dallas and Orlando, “Counter-Strike 1.6” in China, Louisville and Europe, and “Halo® 2” in Dallas.

The World Series of Video Games presented by Intel also announced some new additions to the 2007 circuit structure, including a points-based system to determine seeding and Finals qualification; travel support for the top four teams in each game category; online qualifying tournaments prior to each Major; and massive LAN events at each US stop, to be powered by LANWAR, the leading organizer in the US.

Further information about the circuit and registration for this year’s events will be made available at www.thewsvg.com.

SOURCE Blizzard Entertainment

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