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What motivates serious gamers?

Chris Bullard | 24th July 2007

You might think serious gamers are motivated by prize money for winning competitions and the bragging rights at the end of it. But as FIFA UK champion Chris "Chrisybullard" Bullard explains, you can get much more than money out of it.

I’ve been gaming on a serious level for nearly two years now and the experiences I have had and friends I have made are phenomenal.

I play FIFA, which has always been my favourite game. The 1st tournament I won and probably my best experience ever came in December 2005. I won a FIFA World Championship on the Xbox. The prize I won for this was to attend the FIFA World Player of the Year Gala in Zurich and be presented with my award. Here, I met the likes of Ronaldinho, Frank Lampard and Samuel Eto’o. To be crowned world champion is one experience but to stand alongside those football legends as a champion is an experience that will never leave me. If that wasn’t enough, I was also given tickets to attend the World Cup Final!

At the World Cyber Games I had so much fun with people who had the same ambition as me and I reached the last 32. I also met my clan mates from Team Dignitas and got to know them a lot better, although I made a lot of friends from other games, people I still talk to and look out for.


Defending my title in Amsterdam, I got knocked out early and went out on the town with friends. It was an amazing experience and again life long memories were created and I went home a different person.

Early this year, I was invited to take part in the European Cyber Games in Hannover and had a really good week meeting up with people I had met in London/Berlin/Monza/Amsterdam and making new friends. I came 13th in the tournament but it was nice to see my team mate "Walkman" win his first major tournament, as he deserved it so much.


I go back to the question “What motivates serious gamers?”


For me the motivation is seeing new places and meeting new people. The important thing to remember is money and cheques are just paper, they are nice to win when you win but for me the real prizes have been my experiences and the friends I have made. I have met people of different ages, nationalities, different ambitions and different backgrounds. 100 Good friends stick well into my mind amongst others I have only met briefly. For me the whole experience, and I apologise for quoting the Mastercard advert, really has been priceless.

Team Dignitas/Chris "Chrisybullard" Bullard – FIFA – UK Champion

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