World Cyber Games 2008

New York, NY, June 2, 2008 -- America's top gamers took their first steps towards slots on Team USA this past weekend at the Samsung Experience in New York City at the World Cyber Games (WCG) 2008 US Open video game tournament. More than 70 invitees battled for their share of $20,000 in cash and prizes, including roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations to Monterrey, Mexico to compete in the WCG 2008 Pan-American Championships, June 20 - 22. The two-day gaming competition kicked off the WCG USA's 2008 Championship, season, the domestic leg of the acclaimed international video game tournament and festival, that culminates with the WCG 2008 Grand Final this November in Cologne, Germany.

During the WCG 2008 US Open event, officials from Guinness World Records presented World Cyber Games organizer International Cyber Marketing with the certified record for the "Most Participants in a Video Game Competition." The WCG, which previously held the record of 1.3 million competitors in 2006 shattered their old mark by drawing more than 1.5 million gamers to the World Cyber Games 2007 tournament.

The list of overall winners at the WCG 2008 US Open is as follows:

StarCraft: Brood War

1. Dan Stemkoski (artosis)

2. Alex Brola (Skew)

WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne

1. Nikolaus Caffidy (sonkie)

2. Nicolas whittier (Shriek)

Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath

1. David Lathrop (khufu_ownz)

2. Shawn Teeter (101010101)

Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties

1. Raghav Phadke (Raghav)

2. Milo Philips-Brown (Mr. Milo)

FIFA 08

1. Felipe Stoyne (KreeganBG)

2. Juan Alvarado (Alvarado)

Halo 3

1. Team Final Boss

2. Team Carbon

Counter-Strike v1.6

1. Team EG

2. Team x3o

Need For Speed: ProStreet

1. Kamran Siddiqui (omegaelite)

2. Carlos Negron (Nemisis)

Project Gotham Racing 4

1. Sean Heffelfinger (max1mus)

2. Brian Boyle (bboyle)

Virtua Fighter 5

1. Akmaal Griffith (CIDKID)

2. Adnan Rana (adanYUKI)

Photo Details New York, NY / WCG 2008 US OPEN - Guinness World Records official Brian Reinert presents the World Cyber Games USA General Manager Michael Arzt and Samsung e-Commerce Manager Harry Kim with a certificate of "Most Participants in a Video Game Competition." The World Cyber Games topped its previous record this year with 1.5 million players from 76 countries.