King of Kong Rematch at E3

[FoolKiller]

I'm putting this here as it doesn't quite fit in movies or gaming, and is about a current event.

So, for those of you who haven't seen King of Kong, you should.

To sum up: it is a documentary about a man, Steve Wiebe, that works to beat the decades old Donkey Kong high score. It appears that he has done it, but it is disputed and not counted, and the current reigning record holder, Billy Mitchell, refuses to face off against him to determine the true King of Kong. Watching the documentary you definitely get the feeling that Wiebe may have been cheated.

Anyway, if you like videogames or even just very well done documentaries I suggest seeing it, especially before the upcoming E3, where Steve Wiebe gets a chance to prove himself in front of the entire world.

http://kotaku.com/5194790/king-of-kong-rematch-going-down-at-e3

King Of Kong Rematch Going Down At E3
By Luke Plunkett, 2:30 AM on Thu Apr 2 2009

If you haven't seen King of Kong, I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that Steve Wiebe has a Donkey Kong record he'd like to claim. And at E3, he's taking a crack.

All the relevant authorities will be on-hand - including arcade score-keepers Twin Galaxies - as well as TV types G4, so if Wiebe is able to break Billy Mitchell's record, there'll be no disputing it. He'll be the undisputed King of Kong.

The attempt will be made on June 2. Good luck Steve!

I am actually hoping this will be shown in its entirety on G4 or online.

But, for the videogaming world this is the closest thing to a rivalry, that doesn't involve fanboys, as we can get.

I'm also hoping that this gets made into a King of Kong 2.

 

[Keef]

I've seen it, and I think the fact that the guy is going to have his own deal at something as big as E3 is amazing. I never thought it would become that big a deal or last this long unresolved.

 

[McLaren]

Steve would have actually become king, but anyone who watches the movie will see Billy is just in general, an ass.

I will be watching this. 👍

 

[FoolKiller]

Steve would have actually become king, but anyone who watches the movie will see Billy is just in general, an ass.

I've heard there is more entertainment value in that part of the documentary than there is total truth. No one has commented on exactly how the events shown in the documentary went down, but when it was released the two did a head-to-head thing to get it some PR. Billy won. I doubt he would have done that if he were really that big of an ass.

That said, I have little trouble believing that a guy who has based his entire life around his Donkey Kong record isn't smug enough to purposely allow himself to be portrayed as a "villain" because it helps add to his "fame."

But Steve Wiebe comes off as a truly all-around nice guy with wife and kids and it is impossible to not cheer for him. Of course, I have to wonder about a guy who gets laid off and thinks that attempting to beat a 20-year-old videogame record is the best use of that free time. At least he doesn't have a huge mullet and where ties that make him look like a total tool.

 

[Keef]

So as I was watching G4 earlier, Steve managed to get the kill screen in front of the whole audience, but he was still under Billy Mitchell's points record by 60,xxx or so.

 

[FoolKiller]

So as I was watching G4 earlier, Steve managed to get the kill screen in front of the whole audience, but he was still under Billy Mitchell's points record by 60,xxx or so.

Donkey Kong is rough, because you have to balance survival (finishing the levels quickly) with hanging around earning points for jumping barrels. Both guys can easily get to the kill screen at this point. Now everything they do is points strategy.

 

[Moglet]

I'm watching King of Kong now, I have to say that Billy Mitchel is such an ass. I can't believe that they wouldn't accept Steve's score from home but they would accept a video tape where the entire tape blurred dramatically between scores just because of who it was from. What a joke!

 

[FoolKiller]

I'm watching King of Kong now, I have to say that Billy Mitchel is such an ass. I can't believe that they wouldn't accept Steve's score from home but they would accept a video tape where the entire tape blurred dramatically between scores just because of who it was from. What a joke!

Don't blame Billy too much. They purposely designed the documentary to have an antogonist and protagonist to add to the drama. Considering he helped in the promotional stuff for the movie, including another match, and that since then they have gone back and forth with their records I think it is safe to say that Billy Mitchell isn't that big of an ass. But he does seem to enjoy acting like one.

 

[Moglet]

I meant more the way he speaks to people and his general arrogancem, and the whole not bothering to travel 10 miles when Steve travelled thousands! Then when he does get there, after much groveling from other people, he just walks about looking scared
Anyway since then he has had a score verified by referee;

1. 1,050,200 - Billy Mitchell (7/26/2007, referee verified)
2. 1,049,100 - Steve Wiebe (3/23/2007, video verified)

I just hope he's stopped now and is spending more time with his family instead.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Don't blame Billy too much. They purposely designed the documentary to have an antogonist and protagonist to add to the drama.

Except Billy's reputation as a jerk long proceeded this documentary... which is also most likely why this documentary even got made let alone succeeded. I had a run-in with him myself back in the early 80's when I was trying to beat the world record score for Tempest. Frankly he was a jerk even back then.

Coming from the film industry, I certainly understand the effect and value editing has on a film and TV show, but I also know that too often someone who get's caught acting like a jerk on film and TV always blames it on the "editing".

The reality is that sometimes a cigar really is a cigar.

 

[FoolKiller]

Except Billy's reputation as a jerk long proceeded this documentary... which is also most likely why this documentary even got made let alone succeeded. I had a run-in with him myself back in the early 80's when I was trying to beat the world record score for Tempest. Frankly he was a jerk even back then.

Two things:

1) You just got an extra awesome rating in my book. Tempest is freaking hard.
2) He has built his entire life around being a videogame record holder in a time when that didn't earn you much money. I doubt he is Prince Charming. I just know his involvement in getting the film out and willingness to stand up to the challenge since says that his attitude in the film was either a bit over done, or he has begun to act differently toward Steve Wiebe.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Two things:

1) You just got an extra awesome rating in my book. Tempest is freaking hard.

I just loved that game when I was a teenager! I was one of the first, that I knew of at least, that successfully made it through the invisible levels to the ultra fast green/orange levels... it was a great experience, and a fond memory of the golden age of arcade halls. 👍

2) He has built his entire life around being a videogame record holder in a time when that didn't earn you much money. I doubt he is Prince Charming. I just know his involvement in getting the film out and willingness to stand up to the challenge since says that his attitude in the film was either a bit over done, or he has begun to act differently toward Steve Wiebe.

I personally think it's more of the later than the former, but maybe it's a bit of both, at least it would be nice to think so. 👍

 

[FoolKiller]

I just loved that game when I was a teenager! I was one of the first, that I knew of at least, that successfully made it through the invisible levels to the ultra fast green/orange levels... it was a great experience, and a fond memory of the golden age of arcade halls. 👍

As I never saw those levels while playing, only in videos:

I personally think it's more of the later than the former, but maybe it's a bit of both, at least it would be nice to think so. 👍

As an afterthought: Or he realized he can make money off the movie too, so he decided he could suck it up and risk losing his DK crown in order to get money and recharge his "fame."