More than 10,000 students are taking part across the country this school year, nearly double last year’s number. Tourneys also are being hosted by ultra-elite colleges such as Harvard, and while competitors won’t get rich from winning, they can win several years’ worth of scholarships. Because these video competitions can be watched by thousands of people, gamers can become some of the proverbial big men (and women) on campus.
“A lot of people stop me when I’m walking,” says Loc Tran, a 19-year-old sophomore who led San Jose State University to a victory in an online competition watched by 90,000. “They congratulate me.” (New York Times)
Paul Asay has written for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for PluggedIn and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He recently collaborated with Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, on his book The Good Dad. He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Check out his entertainment blog at Patheos.com/blogs/WatchingGod or follow him on Twitter.