Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please let me know your thoughts on this situation.
The individual, in another article, is now styled as "the blind gamer."
Ryan
----- Original Message -----
From: Amy Buresh
To: undisclosed recipients:
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 9:29 AM
Subject: Blind video game star prepares for Mortal competition in Japan
This article from today's Lincoln Journal Star
Blind video game star prepares for Mortal competition in Japan
by hilary kindschuh/Lincoln Journal Star
The latest challenger stands up, defeated.
LINCOLN, NE- 06 JAN 07 - Blind videogamer Brice Mellen plays a practice game of
Mortal Kombat before taking on anyone willing to challenge him at DogTags
Gaming Center on Sunday afternoon. Filming him was a crew from Nippon
Television in Japan, who is sponsoring Mellen's upcoming trip to Japan to take
on
that country's best players. Jill Peitzmeier/jp Lincoln Journal Star
"Next victim," says someone in the crowd.
Another competitor trudges to the front of the room, sits in a black chair
facing a large television screen and picks up a video game controller.
Everyone knows it's hopeless.
During a special Mortal Kombat competition on Sunday at the DogTags Gaming
Center in northeast Lincoln, Brice Mellen effortlessly defeated one opponent
after another as he rocked in his chair, his back to the television screen.
Brice wasn't showing off by turning away from the video characters fighting on
a platform under a rainy, overcast sky. He can't see them.
Brice, 18, who has been blind since birth due to Leber's disease, began
attracting attention for his video gaming prowess last summer when he was
featured
on several television programs, including NBC's Today Show.
Later this month the Lincoln East High School senior and his father will travel
to Japan, where Brice will compete with some of Japan's best Mortal Kombat
players as part of a special for Nippon TV's Power of Memory, Part III.
A Japanese film crew from Nippon TV came to Lincoln over the weekend to shoot
footage of Brice at his home and at the gaming center.
Sunday's special competition at DogTags was designed as a warmup to help Brice
prepare for the tournament.
Brice trumped all challengers in best of three rounds competition - most were
defeated in under three minutes. A couple managed to win their first round
but Brice always came back to win rounds two and three.
Brice's sister, 19-year-old Sharon Mellen, said they started playing Mario
Brothers video games with their step-sisters about 10 years ago.
"We went through a lot of controllers," Sharon said.
Eventually, Brice moved on to a Sega Genesis, Sharon said. That's when he
started playing Mortal Kombat.
"Then it was love thereafter," she said.
Brice's family didn't realize how talented he was until he came to the DogTags,
Sharon said.
"Kids don't want to play him," she said. "They're scared to lose."
By listening to the different sounds in the game, Brice said, he can anticipate
what his opponent will do.
"But you've got to attack, too," he said.
After Brice defeated all of his challengers Sunday, a member of the Japanese
film crew asked him if he was confident he would always win.
"Who knows? There could be somebody out there better than me," Brice said,
rocking in his chair. "That's why I've got to keep playing, so I can win if we
ever meet."
Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7301 or
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