Originally Published: March 10, 2009, for 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Video games are amazing because they can send you through a plethora of emotions in a matter of moments and you control all of the action that causes it. Sci-Fi Network took this concept and expanded it into unknown territories with their new reality TV show, WCG’s Ultimate Gamer.

The show puts 12 hardcore gamers against each other in a battle through the virtual world and the real world. Alliances are to be made and broken in this gamer free-for-all that puts a whole new spin on the concept of reality TV. $100,000 and a sweet Samsung electronics package goes to the winner along with the chance to represent the WCG (World Cyber Games) in their annual tournament that has been described as the Olympics of video games.

I had a chance to speak with the hosts of this revolutionary new reality TV show, Joel Gourdin and Hannah Simone. Joel and Hannah are both avid gamers themselves (Joel lists Bioshock as a modern favorite on the Ultimate Gamer website http://us.wcg.com/wcgultimategamer. Hannah lists Gears of War 2. She’s beautiful and a Gearhead; I may be in love.) and relished the opportunity to participate in this project.


CLICK HERE – to listen to my interview with the hosts of WCG’s Ultimate Gamer, Joel Gourdin and Hannah Simone.