Let's Play A Game

It's pitch black. You're sitting on the edge of your Ultra-Recliner of Power doing an anterior shoulder stretch and your secret ninja thumb exercises. Suddenly a nearly blinding light floods the room, projecting an EA across your flawlessly mastered game face. You crack each knuckle in turn, pop your neck to the left and then the right, and pick up your one-of-a-kind, self-customized controller. Oh yeah. It's game time. If this sounds at all familiar, try bringing those thumbs (and that attitude) to the Midnight Gaming Championship, a totally free national video gaming tournament featuring some of the latest, most legit games, including Guitar Hero III, Madden '08, FIFA Street and Super Smash Bros Brawl. The sponsors are equally legit, which means there will be some sweet prizes (a trip to the Video Gamer Awards in Vegas, anyone?). It all goes down from 6 p.m. (5 p.m. to register for Madden) till midnight at the McDonald's at 11102 N. Central Expressway in Dallas. Casual gamers and fans of Big Macs are also welcome. For more information, visit midnightgamingchampionship.com.
Sat., Aug. 30, 6 p.m.-midnight, 2008