World Cyber Games

The player's village is a Doubletree Hotel near the airport. The competitors don't have coaches, trainers or nutritionists, and most people over the age of 30 have never even heard of the games they play -- "StarCraft: Brood War," "Counter-Strike," and "Project Gotham Racing," to name a few. For the last few days, Qwest Field Event Center has been the center of the universe for serious video gamers.

Microsoft Corp. is announcing today that it will sponsor the World Cyber Games through 2008. Under the agreement, Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 will be the exclusive platforms for the world's largest videogame tournament, which draws more than a million international competitors each year vying for $2.5 million in prizes.