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Video game fame

Fifth-year senior participates in reality TV show Ultimate Gamer

Taryn Luna

Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: News
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E-Sports Professional Gamer and 2007 National Starcraft Champion Geoff Robinson, works at the N.W. 9th St. Jamba Juice. Robinson spent two months in L.A. filming WCG Ultimate Gamer reality show on Sci-Fi channel.
Media Credit: Jeff Wick
E-Sports Professional Gamer and 2007 National Starcraft Champion Geoff Robinson, works at the N.W. 9th St. Jamba Juice. Robinson spent two months in L.A. filming WCG Ultimate Gamer reality show on Sci-Fi channel.
In academia, students who admit to skipping out on homework to spend time playing video games don't typically get ahead. But in the gaming world, that kind of confession can land you on national television with a check in your pocket.

"Gaming fits in every second I can possibly get it in," OSU student Geoff Robinson said to a panel of judges during an interview to be on World Cyber Games reality TV show, Ultimate Gamer. "So, I'm a pretty poor student because of gaming…"

Robinson, a fifth year English major, was encouraged by WCG to audition for the show at one of the casting calls in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas or New York City last summer. As a college student surviving on checks from Jamba Juice, traveling that far wasn't going to happen.

For most struggling students, this would be a dead-end scenario, but not for Robinson. The professional E-Sports player and 2007 National Starcraft Champion was the only potential contestant allowed to do a phone interview and send in video clips.

Dan Torres, Robinson's friend and former OSU Debate Team partner, filmed clips of him playing video games. Torres said he had to remind Robinson to lighten up because he takes gaming very seriously and he knew the casting crew was looking to be entertained.

The casting crew liked Robinson and flew him to Los Angeles for a real audition, where he admitted to not doing homework, being a poor dancer and disliking Dance Dance Revolution.

The producers chose 12 people for the show and Robinson was number 13. The casting director told him not to get his hopes up, but that someone might drop out.

At 10 p.m. the night before the contestants had to be in Los Angeles, the casting director called Robinson. Her prediction had come true.

"She said to me, 'Can you be on a flight tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m.? You're on the show," Robinson said.
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