EA Sports company brings games to IU

Sports are an integral part of the IU campus. The love of competition and the sweet taste of victory attracts thousands of students to all different types of sports. While the majority of students do not compete in Division I programs, the next best thing is becoming the next biggest craze on campus.\nSports video games give students the chance to showcase their talents against the best competition at IU in all the latest games. Sponsored by EA Sports, students can participate in tournaments on campus featuring games from one of the leaders in video game production.\nEA Sports Campus Representative and senior Brent Coyle said he is always trying to find more people to take part in the tournaments.\n"I am just trying to get more people involved around campus and let people put their hands on some products," Coyle said. "People can engage in some high competition that they normally might not be used to by just playing their friends. These tournaments bring out the best of the best."\nIn addition to the satisfaction of winning, players are given various prizes as well. \n"It's not just for bragging rights. Players can win T-shirts, video games, all kinds of stuff -- it just varies with the game," Coyle said. \nThe tournaments are held at different places all around campus, but the majority are held in dorms. Freshman Ajay Antony, who lives in Teter, said he likes playing in the tournaments for multiple reasons. \n"It gives students an opportunity to play the games and play against the best competition on campus," Antony said. "Plus, they have cool prizes if you win."\nWith the video game craze around campus rapidly spreading, Coyle said he expects more and more people to start coming to the tournaments, but he is always looking for different groups and organizations to hold the tournaments and participate. \n"I am currently trying to get more of the Greek life on campus involved," Coyle said. "Fraternities and sororities could host the events, or they could be pitted against each other."\nEA Sports and Coyle are quick to point out they are not trying to sell or market these games to students, they are simply trying to give students the opportunity to play them. They also emphasize the social atmosphere the tournaments create.\n"Love of sports and competition are at the core of campus life," said Gaylene Nagel, director of lifestyle marketing at EA Sports. "Tournaments bring these aspects together and create social experiences for people. Most of the attendees are core gamers, but although we may be introducing new games to people, it is in a passive non-intrusive way. The tournaments just support what is going on in dorms and frat houses all across the country."\nNagel also emphasized Coyle and all the EA employees are not sales people, they are simply giving fuel to a fire that has already been lit. \nThe next big game the company is going to promote on campus is titled "Fight Night." Coyle said the game comes out in April and is supposed to be the best boxing game yet. It has champion boxer Roy Jones Jr. as the cover man. \nThe company is also holding a tournament sponsored by the Union Board for the game "James Bond -- Everything or Nothing" March 30 at the Whittenburg Auditorium. \nTo get in contact with the EA Sports campus representative or to learn more about tournaments, e-mail Coyle at becoyle@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer Alex Witteveld at pawittev@indiana.edu.