We might not be as Starcraft-insane as South Korea, but Canada is gradually making its mark in the realm of "e-sports". The fresh news on the street is that the World Cyber Games (WCG) is having a last chance qualifier tournament on August 12th at The Gladstone Hotel, and it's being managed by The Dork Army. Mock me all you want, but video games make for a perfectly legitimate entertainment choice, right up there with films, books, and Zanta watching.

Thing is, yelling "YES YES YES!" along with Zanta won't net you $15,000, no matter how loud you yell it. Hit the jump for details on the event, as well as some strategies to help you win if you're a bit noobish.

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Qualifiers for three games will be held at The Gladstone on August 12, 2007. The games are Gears of War, Dead or Alive 4 and Project Gotham Racing 3, all to be played on the Xbox 360. Those who pass the qualifier will go on to the national championships being held at this year's Fan Expo 2007 happening August 24-26, also in Toronto. The winner(s) of the nationals will go on to represent Canada at the WCG Finals in Seattle this October.

Where's the 15K prize mentioned come into play? Well, last year Canadian Ryan Ward won the Dead or Alive 4 world championship and took home the sizable purse. I'd mention that the cash prize was in $USD, but that matters less and less lately..

To play in the Gladstone qualification match you'll have to pony up $20 at the door, or you can register a 4 person Gears of War team for 60$ if you pay in advance. If you take your tournament gaming seriously, and you think you got what it takes to beat DAM team's MadMax, then that's a sweet deal.

Y'also gotta start somewhere, so if you're relatively new to LAN gaming or the games themselves, check out some of the strategies guides linked below, as well as some Youtubed Gears of War multiplayer tippage. Also, if you don't plan on entering but still have some tips or strategy links to share, post'em in the comments section.

IGN Dead or Alive 4 strategy guide
IGN Project Gotham Racing 3 strategy guide
Gears of War multiplayer weapons FAQ

WCG Qualifiers
The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St. W. (@ Dufferin), Toronto
Sunday, August 12 - 11am - 5pm
416-535-6957

Email General Error at the Dork Army for further details, or check out the WCG website.