Lauren Goode

Recent Posts by Lauren Goode

That’s a Lot of Fruit Ninja: Tablet Gaming World Record Set at E3

Call it extreme but effective promotion on the part of Qualcomm: This week at the E3 videogame conference, a record was set for the longest continuous stretch of game-playing on a tablet.

Thirty-two gamers attempted to play the same games for 26 hours straight starting Tuesday and wrapping up yesterday at 4:30 pm PT to complete the challenge.

Each player was assigned to one of five games he had to play the entire time: Fruit Ninja, GT Racing: Motor Academy, Virtua Tennis, Galaga Special Edition and Blood and Glory.

(I have to say … I think the guys assigned to Virtua Tennis got a raw deal. Hitting a tennis ball back and forth for 26 hours?)

The tablets being used were Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9’s, built with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S3 processors.

My first thought upon entering the little glass house in front of the L.A. Convention Center where the gamers were situated was that the place smelled a little … ripe. So, naturally, I asked the important questions. Turns out the gamers were allowed five-minute breaks for the bathroom and 20-minute breaks for meals. A representative from the Guinness Book was on hand to enforce the rules and monitor the event.

Two participants fell asleep. A couple were late returning from their breaks and were disqualified. One person gave up during the challenge.

With less than an hour to go, there were 26 gamers left. These guys weren’t just competing for the glory of setting a new world record; a $50,000 dollar purse was also at stake.

Once they completed the 26-hour gaming marathon, those remaining were then brought outside to finish in a “game-off” of home runs in Com2uS’ Home Run Battle 2.

Ultimately, a gamer named Efren Ballestamon of Chula Vista, Calif., won the battle with 33 home runs and walked away with $20,000. He and the other 25 gamers who withstood the test of time will get their names in the Guinness Book.

They’ll also walk away with their own tablets, which they likely won’t want to pick up for a good long while.

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