I was reading an interesting article on the New York Times website titled
Taking Their Game to the Next Level which describes how some gamers are parlaying trigger-finger impulses into real incomes at professional gaming competitions.
MASSAGING his hands like a pianist preparing for a concert, Zyos steadied himself on the plain metal chair, staring intently at the television perched on a table in front of him. Oblivious to the small crowd of spectators, he prepared to make his move.
Suddenly his fingers darted across his keypad, rapidly pushing the colored buttons as he maneuvered his character in Halo, the Xbox first-person shooter game from Microsoft.
Dodging heavy arms fire, the character picked up a protective shield and then a rocket launcher. Bobbing his head above the walls, he teased his enemy into the open, finishing him off with a burst of firepower.
Chalk up another victory for Zyos - or as he is known away from the video-game screen, Matt Leto.
Mr. Leto, 20, of Allen, Tex., is no ordinary gamer. He is one of a relative handful of young people who make a living playing video games. Recognized by many as the world's greatest Halo player, he was in Long Beach, Calif., last month at the American finals of the World Cyber Games. He was hoping to qualify for a trip to the world finals this week in San Francisco, aiming to repeat his feat of last year, when he won a top prize of $20,000 in Seoul, South Korea.
That a small number of this generation's pinball wizards can support themselves playing video games comes as a surprise even to some of those doing so. After his first tournament victory when he was 18 years old, Johnathan Wendel recalled: "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I just won $4,000 playing video games.' My parents thought it was insane. What's this world coming to?"
Five years later, Mr. Wendel, who specializes in PC games and is known by his screen name Fatal1ty, is one of the most successful professional gamers in the world. His face hasn't yet wound up on a Wheaties box, but he has earned more than $300,000 from tournaments, product endorsements and a line of accessories he markets.
As with other pro sports, the entrepreneurs behind tournaments like the World Cyber Games believe that in the multibillion-dollar video game industry there is enough interest to support an elite level of gamers who play for pay. Some of the biggest names in the electronics industry, including Intel, Nokia and Samsung, have latched on to the idea, sponsoring competitions in the hope of a big publicity payback and sales boost.
There are a number of organizations running leagues or tournaments, including the Association of Gaming Professionals, the Cyberathlete Professional League, the QuakeCon Organization and Major League Gaming. Most specialize in a particular type of game or platform.
The World Cyber Games, which are based in South Korea, are among the largest. Last year, the world finals in Seoul attracted 562 video game players from 55 countries who competed for $400,000 in prize money, said André Mooi, World Cyber Games USA vice president. This year, organizers of the contest, which is sponsored by Samsung, expect 700 gamers from 63 countries for the finals beginning today at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Based on attendance in previous years, 40,000 spectators are expected in the course of the four-day event, with as many expected to be watching on the Internet (worldcybergames.com).
So are you ready for a career in gaming?
3rd
I only seem to be good at C&C Red Alert 2, Nba Live, FIFA 2004 and games like that 
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Linear Mode
