At E3, Steve Wiebe Is a Donkey Kong Underdog Once Again
[show=stevewiebe size=large]How many times will Steve Wiebe try to prove that he’s the world’s greatest Donkey Kong player? If his efforts at the E3 conference in Los Angeles this morning are any indication, the answer is “as many times as it takes.” But given how much entertainment the world has already gotten from watching him play the classic arcade game, that’s not such a bad thing.
The 2007 documentary The King of Kong chronicled Wiebe, a high school teacher from the Pacific Northwest, as he honed his savant-like talent for the game of Donkey Kong in an effort to break the world record set by the gaming Goliath Billy Mitchell. It was a classic underdog tale that made both Wiebe and Mitchell pop culture icons — but due to the complications of determining an official score, one that ended without a crystal-clear resolution. The documentary’s conclusion was that the only scores that really counted were those performed live, at an official gaming event, on a regulated machine.
Mitchell and Wiebe have subsequently made regular appearances at gaming conventions to attempt new world records, and with 1,050,200 points, Mitchell is currently the record-holder. Thus, the gauntlet is Wiebe’s to pick up.
And today, cable network G4 and live-streamer Justin.TV are there to give him a platform. At 11 AM EST/8 AM PST, with Twin Galaxies referee Walter Day in attendance, Wiebe began attempting to achieve a new Donkey Kong record. While G4’s E3 coverage only has occasional updates on his progress, the whole thing can be watched live (embed after the jump). Read More about At E3, Steve Wiebe Is a Donkey Kong Underdog Once Again