Video Gamers Battle in the Sky on Trans-Atlantic Flight

Twenty-four of Europe's best video game players are set to do something that's never been done before. Today, on their way from Copenhagen to the TransAtlantic Showdown video gaming championships in New York, they will hold real-time wireless online exhibition matches in the air. The video gamers, part of Global Gaming League's AmeriCup vs. EuroCup competition, will be on a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) plane, equipped with the Connexion by Boeing in-flight Internet data and entertainment service, so they can compete on their laptops 30,000 feet above the North Atlantic.

Connexion by Boeing offers high-speed Internet access on 133 planes and more than 170 routes daily. Connexion by Boeing is also a travel sponsor of the TransAtlantic Showdown, a gaming event that pits some of the best American online video gamers against Europe's gaming elite. 

There will be online coverage of the airborne event, with video, audio, blogs and still photos of the action being transmitted to the ground using the Connexion by Boeing service.

"We believe this is a first, having online video game champions playing live while a mile-high above the earth," said Connexion by Boeing Vice President of Marketing and Direct Sales, David Friedman. "As we approach our two-year anniversary of offering in-flight Internet access to passengers, we think this is a unique way to showcase that being online in a plane isn't all about email and business productivity - it's also about being enabled to pursue your passions in the air, in this case online video gaming."

Connexion is partnering with SAS and Intel to give video gamers this in-flight experience while they travel from Europe to the March 24- 26 Showdown event in New York at the Time Warner Center, where tournament competition will be featured on Intel Centrino Duo Technology based laptops.

While on the SAS flight, gamers will be able to practice their skills and post photos and comments to their blogs about the in-flight gaming experience. 

Once on the ground, the teams will officially compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes in four online games: Counter-Strike 1.6 (5v5),  Quake 4 Team Deathmatch (4v4), Quake 4 Duel (1v1), and Warcraft III: Frozen Throne (2v2).

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