Man wins $1 million playing video game

Brandon Claussen, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, delivers the ball to home plate. Image via Wikipedia

I never got into sports games, but Wade McGilberry’s recent win is a good enough reason to start:

The 23-year-old from Mobile, Ala., accomplished the feat in just an hour and a half, becoming the first to pitch a perfect game in Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.’s “Major League Baseball 2K10.” He and his wife, Katy, plan to pay off their mortgage and start a family with the winnings.

via 23-year-old wins $1M playing baseball video game – The Associated Press

(AP article has since been corrected, listing the couple to live in Semmes, and Wade McGilberry has since turned 24…) The Associated Press article goes on to mention it took McGilberry six tries, and he hasn’t been able to duplicate his perfect pitch since.  Could you call that luck? Maybe.

My favorite part of this news story though,  is how supportive the wife was:

McGilberry said that when he bought the game, his wife suggested that he take the day off work so he could get a head start on the competition.

via 23-year-old wins $1M playing baseball video game – The Associated Press

And a Canadian newspaper got an interview with Wade (instead of duplicating the AP article like every other media outlet):

“It was actually my wife who convinced me to go for it,” Wade McGilberry of Semmes, Ala., said in a statement. “I never thought I’d actually win a million dollars playing a video game. it’s all still sinking in for me.”

via Alabama man throw perfect (virtual) game; wins $1 million – The Globe and Mail

Follow this hyperlink to watch a video and see pictures of Wade, his wife, and his giant check.

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