EPTSo I have always been passively aware that speed running video games was a thing, but I was a little surprised to see just how wide cast the community of people who do this really is. I am not sure why I found this surprising, coming from this community (StarCraft 2) and other gaming groups, I am use to what I think of as normal being thought of as obscure. Simply, this scene should be no exception. A thriving group of gamers playing the games of my childhood to the games of my present with blazing fast skill and an obtuse knowledge that comes from not just playing the game, but studying it. Speed running is exactly what it sounds like. Beating a game as fast as the game parameters will allow, whether it is by the means the game designer intended or otherwise.
These people have nothing but my deepest admiration. I stumbled upon AGDQ 2015 this year on the recommendation of my friend Hero. I was instantly captivated and spend more hours than I care to admit starring at a screen of games, many of which I had never heard of. It did not really matter, what I care about was the execution and abuses the people had exploited to find a new way of playing a game. They had found a way to take games that have no natural competitive nature beyond, putting them in a realm where people fight for world records on the basis of a difference of milliseconds.
To top it off it draws a massive crowd for this once a year event where people watch every game you might care to mention, and all for charity. Donations are dumped in to this stream to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Hundreds of thousands, and soon to be millions of dollars pour out of nerds pockets and in to the coffers of a foundation thriving to save countless lives. I am so happy I stumbled upon this as I feel like I found yet again something I can invest a great level of interest and intrigue in to. This is group of streamers and gamers I hope to follow and be blown away by with just how invested, committed and dedicated they are to breaking every game that they can get their hands on.
I doubt I will ever have what it takes to be a speed runner, but the level of entertainment one garners from it is insane. You should all check out AGDQ on Twitch, it will likely always be on the front page but just in case it isn't. you can find it here:
http://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick
Regards,
Basic
