ScoreCamp coming up!

ScoreCamp Aims to Entertain and Inform Gamers

Innovative program promotes concept of “video games as a career path”

Franklin, TN – Monday, July 13 – The Score of Cool Springs, a video game retail and entertainment store located in Franklin, Tennessee, will host the first “ScoreCamp” beginning on Monday, July 20. For four straight Mondays, area middle and high school students will have a chance to hear video game industry veterans speak about their craft, eat lunch, and then even play video games and talk one-on-one with game developers.

“ScoreCamp is a way for The Score to help provide area gamers with exposure to the industry,” said Score Holdings’ President Bradley Metrock. “Games are fun to play, but many teenagers don’t realize that playing games might be a ticket to a great career.”

ScoreCamp sold out half of its capacity on the first day the program was announced to The Score’s email list. The price for all four weeks of the program is $50, or $25 for Score Members, and must be purchased at The Score of Cool Springs.



FIRST ANNUAL SCORECAMP™ - SPEAKERS AND BIOS

Monday, July 20 (11 AM – 1 PM) – Caleb Garner
Nashville native Caleb Garner, a lifelong gamer, has been involved in video game design and project management since 2001. His “World’s Fastest Drummer” game gained notoriety and attention for being among the fastest on the internet to surpass 1 million plays, and his latest game, “Klouds,” just went live on AddictingGames.com. Caleb also heads up the Nashville Game Developers Association, which meets monthly at The Score of Cool Springs to collaborate on game development projects and discuss the latest industry trends.

Monday, July 27 (11 AM – 1 PM) – Scott Southworth
Scott has been addicted to games since his first Atari 2600 and writing them since cobbling together his first Commodore 64 and a small black and white TV. As a contract programmer, he's worked with Cartoon Network to launch their PowerPlay downloadable games and has created web games for clients such as Mercedes AMG. His experiences fall somewhere in the blurry middle of
programming and art; some companies call this a Technical Artist.

Monday, August 3 (11 AM – 1 PM) – Bradley Metrock
Bradley has spent the last twelve months conceiving and creating The Score of Cool Springs, evolving it from tournament complex to the next generation of video game retail. A dedicated fan of video games from an early age, Bradley saw the need for a more community-based, gamer-friendly video game retail channel than was currently available in the marketplace. When he’s not at The Score serving customers, he’s mercilessly crushing opponents in Geometry Wars 2 or Catan.

Monday, August 10 (11 AM – 1 PM) – Mike Lee, Fiction Writer
Mike Lee is a fiction writer whose portfolio now spans numerous aspects of the gaming industry. He's written eight novels set in the Warhammer game universe, a variety of pieces for White Wolf including Vampire: The Maquerade, and even numerous quests for the Age of Conan MMORPG. Recently, Mike has been writing dialog trees for Ubisoft's Tom Clancy games, including HAWX and Splinter Cell. Since programming work is often outsourced to distant developers, his writing has sent him traipsing across the globe from Norway to Romania to Canada and back.

Parents Night at The Score - July 19 (7 PM - 9 PM)

The Score will be hosting "Parents Night at The Score" on July 19 from 7 to 9 PM.

We will be reviewing ESRB ratings, what they mean, how they are used to distinguish different types of game content, and how The Score uses them in our day-to-day operations.

Free food and drink will be provided as well!

Please join us that night to learn what your children are playing and how The Score is working to help educate the community.

Score Records and Achievements - June 2009

Each month, The Score will release Score Records and Score Achievements that can be pursued while playing in-store.

Should someone achieve one of the records, they will earn a spot on the in-store leaderboard and will earn 1 ScorePoint each day his or her record remains unbeaten.

After 14 days, should the record still be unbeaten, that person will enter the Hall of Champions. His or her picture will then be posted in-store permanently along with the record established for the game.

Separately, Score Achievements will also be made available which can be achieved during a given month. These achievements will generally involve being the first to accomplish a given in-game task.


SCORE RECORDS - JUNE 2009

Guitar Hero - Through The Fire and Flames (highest score; must exceed 575,000)

Call of Duty: World at War – Shi No Numa (zombie kills playing solo; must exceed 200)

Call of Duty: World at War – Shi No Numa (zombie kills playing duo; must exceed 450)

Geometry Wars 2 – Beat any of Bradley’s scores in any game type

Super Smash Bros Brawl – Home Run Derby (farthest distance, solo; must exceed 2150 feet)

Super Smash Bros Brawl – Home Run Derby (farthest distance, duo; must exceed 2300 feet)

SCORE ACHIEVEMENTS - JUNE 2009

Halo 3 – submit the best user-created map in the month of June (5 ScorePoints; picture posted in the Hall of Champions)

Call of Duty: World at War – Unlock Big Baller or Soul Survivor Achievement on a Score-owned gamertag (10 ScorePoints awarded; picture posted in the Hall of Champions)

Be the first to beat Ghostbusters, from start to finish, in-store (10 ScorePoints awarded; picture posted in the Hall of Champions)

Be the first to beat Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, from start to finish, in-store (doesn’t have to be in a single sitting; 10 ScorePoints awarded; picture posted in the Hall of Champions)

Unlock any Platinum trophy on any PlayStation 3 game (10 ScorePoints; picture posted in the Hall of Champions)

Be the first to earn the Fox Hound Emblem in Metal Gear Solid 4 (25 ScorePoints awarded; picture posted in the Hall of Champions and commemorative blog entry posted on The Score’s blog)

Score Pre-Order Sheet (Second Half 2009) and Transformers Pre-Order Offer

WHY PREORDER GAMES ANYWHERE ELSE?!

Preorder any game in full, or any three games below, and receive a pass for you and a guest to see the new Transformers movie, FOR FREE, the night before it comes out (10 PM, Tues June 23). While supplies last.

Game Release Date GameStop The Score
Ghostbusters June 16 $59.99 $57.99
The Conduit (Wii) June 24 $49.99 $47.99
Fight Night Round 4 June 30 $59.99 $56.99
NCAA Football ’10 July 14 $59.99 $57.99
Sins of a Solar Empire: GOTY July 15 $19.99 $18.99
Wii Sports Resort July 24 $49.99 $47.99
Wolfenstein August 4 $59.99 $57.99
Batman: Arkham Asylum August 25 $59.99; $99.99 (LE) $57.99; $92.99
Prof. Layton & Diabolical Box August 25 $32.99 $31.99
Metroid Prime Trilogy August 25 $49.99 $47.99
Madden NFL 2010 August 26 $59.99 $57.99
Guitar Hero 5 September 1 $59.99; $99.99 (bdl) $57.99; $92.99
Marvel Ult. Alliance 2 September 8 $59.99 $57.99
Rock Band: The Beatles September 9 $59.99 $57.99
The Bigs 2 September 10 $59.99 $57.99
Singularity September 16 $59.99 $57.99
Need for Speed Shift September 22 $59.99 $57.99
NBA Live 2010 September 23 $59.99 $57.99
NHL 2010 September 23 $59.99 $57.99
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 (DS) September 29 $39.99 $37.99
Dead Space: Extraction September 29 $49.99 $47.99
Dark Void September 30 $59.99 $57.99
FIFA 2010 October 5 $59.99 $57.99
NBA 2K10 October 6 $59.99 $57.99
Brutal Legend October 13 $59.99 $57.99
Red Dead Redemption October 21 $59.99 $57.99
DJ Hero October 27 $119.99 $112.99
Lego Indiana Jones 2 October 27 $59.99 $57.99
Tekken 6 October 28 $59.99 $57.99
New Super Mario Bros Wii November 2 $49.99 $47.99
BioShock 2 November 3 $59.99 $57.99
Star Wars Btlfr: Elite Squadron November 3 $29.99 $27.99
Max Payne 3 November 4 $59.99 $57.99
COD: Modern Warfare 2 November 10 $59.99 $56.99
Red Steel 2 November 10 $49.99 $47.99
Lego Rock Band November 11 $49.99 $47.99
Phantasy Star 0 (DS) November 11 $34.99 $32.99
Assassin’s Creed 2 November 17 $59.99 $57.99
Mass Effect 2 Q4 2009 $59.99 $57.99

The Score, The Hangover, and The Children's Miracle Network

Interested in seeing The Hangover (R) the night before it comes out, this Thursday night at 10 PM?

And how about for half price?

Be one of the first to either trade in any used game over $5 at The Score, or pre-order any upcoming title, and you will then be able to pay just $5 to attend The Score's own VIP Private Screening of the film.

And what makes this even better? 100% of the ticket sales go to the Children's Miracle Network.

Seating is extremely limited and this film is supposed to be sold out throughout opening weekend. Act quickly if interested.

**Not 17 and can't see R rated movies? Stay tuned for an announcement regarding some other major upcoming summer blockbusters for which The Score will offer a private VIP screening that are for a broader audience.**

Make sure to thank the folks at Thoroughbred Cinema for working to support a cause as worthy as the Children's Miracle Network when you get a chance.

"Summer of Tournaments" and the new Score Day Pass

SUMMER OF TOURNAMENTS: The Score of Cool Springs will have, every single day for the entire summer, at least one tournament a day. These tournaments will cost $9.99, or $4.99 if you're a Score Member (unless stated otherwise), and will last around 2-3 hours each. See the calendar to reserve your spot in any of these events:

Friday, May 22 - Street Fighter IV Tournament (3 PM); Halo 3 Night in The Arena (7 PM)
Saturday, May 23 - TWO DOLLAR Gears of War 2 Tournament (2 PM); TWO DOLLAR Call of Duty 4 Free for All (6 PM)
Sunday, May 24 - Madden 2009 Tournament ($5; 3 PM)
Monday, May 25 - Beat The Score's Champion in Geometry Wars 2 ($5, 1 PM); Final Regular Season Week of the Super Smash Bros Brawl League (5 PM); Memorial Day Halo 3 Free For All Tournament (7 PM)
Tuesday, May 26 - Beat The Score's Champion in Guitar Hero (Expert difficulty; 7 PM)
Wednesday, May 27 - NHL 2009 Tournament (7 PM)
Thursday, May 28 - Beat The Score's Champion in Rock Band Drums (Expert difficulty; 7 PM)
Friday, May 29 - Play with Bradley in Halo 3 ($5; 2 PM); EARLY LOCK-IN 6 PM - 12 AM; $20 / $10 members)
Saturday, May 30 - Big Bang Mini / May 2009 Game of the Month Club Gathering (10 AM); Super Smash Bros Brawl Tournament (3 PM); Halo 3 Oddball Tournament (7 PM)
Sunday, May 31 - ONE DOLLAR TOURNAMENT! Take on Bradley in the Xbox 360 "Speed Math" game (3 PM)

Compare that to the cost of seeing a movie! Or going out to see a concert! This summer, The Score wants to be the go-to place for affordable summer fun.


SCORE DAY PASS: Beginning effective tomorrow and lasting through the summer, gamers can pay $15 (or $10 if you're a Score Member) and game the entire day. You can come and go as you please, and this Day Pass also gets you entry into any tournaments going on that day as well!

This will allow our customers to hang out at The Score without worrying about how long they've been playing.

Players will be able to congregate together in The Arena and enjoy games like Halo or Guitar Hero, taking turns playing, or switching between games on different stations, during peak times.


SPECTATOR FEE: Also beginning effective tomorrow, any spectators on the gaming floor will be charged $3. This fee will allow the spectator to watch gaming action at The Score for the entire day.


TRIAL MEMBERSHIP OFFER ENDS SUNDAY! Don't forget that the trial membership offer (good for a free two-week membership at The Score of Cool Springs) EXPIRES on Sunday, May 24! Don't you or your friends miss out on a completely free giveaway. And remember, toss in any GameStop Edge Card or Game Crazy MVP Card, even if they have expired, and upgrade this 2-week trial to a full free month.

Everything I Needed To Know, I Learned From the Godfather 2 Videogame (WSJ Article, May 20 '09)

Everything I Needed to Know, I Learned From the Godfather II Videogame
Wall Street Journal (May 20, 2009)
By JAMIN BROPHY WARREN

Being a don isn’t easy. As Dominic, an underling of the Corelone family in Electronic Arts’ Godfather II videogame, I’m responsible for a pretty hefty operation. I have several regions to control – Cuba, New York and Florida – and I need to work with my henchman appropriately. Dominic has a wide range of business ventures to manage, from adult entertainment to construction, and the game’s “Don’s View” gives me an overhead perspective on my booming empire. There are bills to pay, employees to please, and negotiations to be straightened out. Strange to say it, but at times, Godfather II feels a lot less like a videogame and more like primer for running a business.

In fact, there are plenty of similarities between playing a game well and operating a successful enterprise.

“When we use games in controlled ways, what they do they teach well,” says Ethan Mollick, a Ph.D candidate at the MIT Sloan School of Management and co-author with David Edery of “Changing the Game: How Video Games Are Transforming the Future of Business.” “Leadership simulation games or simulations specific to a business can be really helpful.”

Mr. Mollick, who will be teaching at the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania in the fall, says that games teach valuable skills such as experimentation. “There’s a lot of value in trying and failing in different approaches. It’s not tied to you -- it’s tied to your avatar [or videogame character].”

He also points to multi-player games such as World of Warcraft as excellent ways to build communication and team work skills. I noticed the need for clear pathways to communicate with my friends while playing the zombie action game Left 4 Dead. We needed constant interaction with each other, trading weapons and rescuing each other under fire. It’s comforting to know I’m not wasting time—I’m practicing a skill that could be used in the workplace.

What some games excel at is teaching about systems. When I was a teen, I was utterly abysmal at SimCity 2000. The goal of the game was to create a successful, functioning city, but I was better equipped to plant the seeds of social unrest. I would raise taxes to collect funds which would upset citizens who were already peeved about traffic problems. Pollution choked the skies—coal was one of the cheapest form of energy—and I didn’t plan ahead to create public transportation. Although my city was a total mess, I was able to learn why and had I developed a modicum of patience at age 12, my skill at SimCity would have surely improved. (I soon graduated to the less business-savvy action title Doom which did not require me to consider tax rates or manage a city budget.)

“With a game you can see how previous decisions affect future choices. Players get emotionally invested and they want to do well,” says Jason Begy, producer of Tipping Point, a puzzle board game based on a paper by MIT Sloan professor Nelson Repenning called “Past the Tipping Point: The Persistence of Fire Fighting in Product Development.” The game, which is being developed into an electronic version, requires four players to plan together to manage the process of prototyping and production. Each player places game pieces on the game board to create projects and manage work flow through creating balance between “concept work” and “production work.” The game ends when the projects move too far past the “deadline.”

“If someone tells you a story, that may or may not have an impact, but we learn better from our own mistakes than the mistakes of others,” says Mr. Begy.

There are more specific applications for games in business. This year, Hilton Garden Inn released a game for the Sony PlayStation Portable entitled Ultimate Team Play and sent 500 units out to their different locations. Developed by simulation maker Virtual Heroes, the game is designed to teach Hilton employees different skills related to their jobs such as housekeeping and engineering. The game rewards you for completing different tasks such as cleaning rooms or checking-in guests while teaching the appropriate way to do so. Answering a guest with “Did you find everything you needed?” will earn you more points that glibly stating “Is that it?”

“The way to deliver incredible service is to find people with that mindset of wanting to deliver incredible service,” says Adrian Kurre, global head of the Hilton Garden Inn Brand. “This generation will learn through videogames.” Mr. Kurre was inspired by watching his daughter play bowling and golfing games—and pick up tips on the proper form for both sports.

To describe Ultimate Team Play as “fun” might be a bit of stretch. It’s a game that’s designed to teach and any actual fun is incidental. I did find the process of managing the number of guests who came in and keeping them happy challenging. Team Play actually shares a lot with games from the “time management” family of games where you are asked to complete a certain task repeatedly as the game speeds up. In one of my favorite arcade games, the 1983 Bally Midway game Tapper, you play as a bartender serving frothy mugs of Budweiser as more and more patrons enter your bar. In Gamelab’s more recent Diner Dash, you are a waitress serving guests, taking orders and clearing tables with burgeoning difficulty.

That repetition is intentional and well-done games can place players in what is known as a “flow state” where a player is completely immersed in a task without actively thinking about it. That’s a goal of good games and that’s certainly the goal for Ultimate Team Play. Hilton thinks the ability to deal with that kind of repetition can be transferred to the hospitality business as a type of muscle memory for corporate training.

When this skill “is taught in a classroom, students may grow tired of it,” says David Kervella, senior manager of brand education for Hilton. “When you check-in someone in the game, you will do it over and over again,” he says.

Of course, not all games feature the kind of skills that may be valuable in the workplace. “We’re not ready for people to start placing games on their resume,” says Mr. Mollick. But that’s a future that’s hardly inconceivable.

First Score VIP Crowned! And other Score news

FIRST SCORE VIP CROWNED: Congratulations to The Score's first VIP, Stan A. of Brentwood, crowned over the weekend and enshrined in the new "VIP Corner" at The Score of Cool Springs!

We expect many more to follow over the busy summer months...and then in October we will announce the expansion to the ScorePoints program, "Level 8," and will reveal its benefits and perks, which you won't want to miss.


TRADE-IN CHECK-IN: I'll periodically list some random trade-in values to demonstrate what most already know: The Score has the best trade-in values around.

Used Nintendo Wii - GameStop $120, The Score $140, Score Members $154!
Halo Wars (Xbox 360) - GameStop $23, The Score $26; Score Members $28!
Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii) - GameStop $16.75, The Score $20, Score Members $22!


JUNE GAME OF THE MONTH ANNOUNCED: Bionic Commando for Xbox 360 is The Score's June Game of the Month. The Game of the Month Club is a great program for gamers to earn ScorePoints and compete against other area gamers.

Check out the attached flier for more details. There are only 4 slots for June's Club, so sign up right away if interested! (Note: Bionic Commando is rated M for Mature, so gamers will need to have a completed Parental Consent Form to participate.)


MAY GAME OF THE MONTH CLUB HAS TWO MORE SLOTS LEFT: Anyone interested in taking one of the final two slots in May's Game of the Month Club, and get a copy of Big Bang Mini for Nintendo DS, come on in and see us. You'll be able to earn ScorePoints for beating the game, and meet other fans of the game at The Score on May 30.

Score Membership FAQ

Q. What is a Score Membership? Why in the world would I pay $29.99 plus tax for this, or even the $199/year to get the discounted rate, in this economy?

A. A Score Membership entitles its owner to:

- earn double ScorePoints on everything
- pre-order new video games at wholesale prices
- play games in-store for half price
- rent games for half price (25% cheaper than Blockbuster even without membership)
- trade in used games and systems for 10% extra trade in credit (we already guarantee to beat GameStop on any trade ins)
- half price on tournaments and discounts on leagues and the popular Game of the Month Club
- reserve space at The Score ahead of time - know you'll have a place to play during peak periods

Some Score Members have memberships here just to take advantage of one or two of these benefits alone.


Q. What is an example of a Score Membership paying for itself?

A customer trades in Mario Kart Wii (with Wii wheel) and receives $27, roughly 20% more than GameStop is currently giving in trade-in credit. If that customer is a Score Member, they will get $30 in credit for the trade. The Score Member has already saved $8 with one single transaction.

The Score Member then pre-orders Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, locking in the wholesale rate when the game releases in November. Another $7 saved, pre-tax.

Then, the Score Member decides "hey, why don't I sign up for the big Memorial Day Halo Tournament!" This costs $9.99 but members get into tournaments for half price. Another $5 saved...up to $20 saved so far.

Renting a couple games or playing a couple of hours at The Score over the rest of the month could take you the rest of the way, or perhaps just buying one game...and that isn't even accounting for the double ScorePoints earned, which add significant extra value to the actual upfront dollars saved.


Q. Is there any application fee to sign up?

A. Yes, there's a $5 one-time fee to sign up for a membership, which is about to go up in June, but by using a trial membership card (or by having a membership already) you'll avoid that fee as long as your membership doesn't lapse for more than 30 days.


Q. This is too good to be true!

A. That's not a question...but we know.

Debriefing "Teh Wurst Advertizing EVAR"

A variety of Williamson County families will get a postcard from The Score this week. This postcard is definitely not your regular ad!

Titled "Teh Wurst AdVertizing EVAR," this postcard was created by The Score to show we don't take ourselves too seriously. Or perhaps seriously at all! :)

A lot of people by now have discovered our superior trade-in values for used games and systems, and better prices for new and used games over other area retailers. And even more people have discovered The Arena, whether through a birthday party, group event, or just coming in and playing.

But there's no reason every single person in Williamson County shouldn't know The Score. And that's where this latest ad comes in.

Underneath the humor of the poorly-written, thrown-together postcard ad is a coupon for a two-week trial membership to The Score. If someone adds their GameStop 'Edge' card or Game Crazy 'MVP' card, and gives it to us along with their postcard, this 2-week trial membership turns into a full month (valued at $29.99 plus tax).

What can you do with a Score Membership again?

- 10% additional trade-in value on The Score's already better trade-in offers on used video game software and hardware

- Double ScorePoints earned

- Play games at The Score for half price

- Rent games at The Score for half price

- Big discounts on Score tournaments and leagues

- Pre-order new games at The Score for wholesale prices (generally $5-$10 less than regular retail price)

- Reserve space at The Score of Cool Springs ahead of time! Make sure you have a place to play when you want to game.


So, needless to say, the value is there. Make sure you don't miss your postcard this week, and bring it in BEFORE MAY 24 to claim your free trial membership at The Score!

This Weekend @ The Score

LEFT 4 DEAD SCORE RECORDS: Come in The Score and play Left 4 Dead's brand new Survival Mode, which has completely changed (and improved) the game. We will have some brand new opportunities to set Score Records, and plus, it's just a blast.

FRIDAY, MAY 8: Trade in any NES, SNES, or N64 game and play for free for an hour. Trade in any two of these games and play for free the whole day.


SATURDAY, MAY 9:

--> "KLOUDS" FOCUS GROUP: Be one of the first 10 people in the door starting at 1 PM and try out "Klouds," a brand new game from Part 12 Studios. Play the game, answer a couple of questions about the game, and walk away with 5 ScorePoints for your trouble. Oh, you'll also get your name in the game's credits, and the person with the highest score at 3 PM will get a prize. A very cool opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

--> $5 MYSTERY TOURNAMENT: At 7 PM on Saturday, The Score will host a "mystery" tournament in a game which will not be announced until right before the tournament begins. The prize? A brand new copy of Godfather 2 for the Xbox 360.


SUNDAY, MAY 10: Trade in any used Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, or Nintendo DS game and be entered in a drawing for a brand new copy of the highly-rated Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure for the Nintendo DS.

May '09 Game of the Month Club - Big Bang Mini for Nintendo DS!

The Score's Game of the Month Club begins in May with "Big Bang Mini" for the Nintendo DS. See below for more info.

“Beautiful visuals, great music, exciting gameplay, and an innovative control scheme make Big Bang Mini one of the best DS games out there.” - GameSpot (9.0/10.0 score)

Purchase one of 8 spots in the Game of the Month Club for May 2009 and receive:
- A copy of Big Bang Mini for Nintendo DS
- Access to in-store leaderboards
- Invitation to Club gatherings where the game is discussed and played!
- ScorePoint bonuses for highest scores and for group meeting attendance! (Saturday morning at 10 AM on 5/16 and 5/30)

A great opportunity for fathers/sons, friends, or those just looking for a great new game to have fun and meet other gamers!

$39.99 per person (and just $29.99 for members!)
Space is limited – reserve today.

Super Smash Bros Brawl League @ The Score!

The Score is pleased to announce that registration has begun for the May 2009 Super Smash Bros Brawl League. See information below...

Super Smash Bros Brawl League
May 2009

When? Mondays from 5 to 7 PM, beginning May 4.
Playoffs begin Monday, June 1.

Rules? See below.

How much? $39.99 / person ($29.99 / members)
Games can be traded in for credit toward league fee

Prizes? Annual membership and trophy for winner (value $199.99)
Monthly membership and trophy for 2nd place (value $29.99)
Free pizza / Crazy Bread from Little Caesars each week
Random prizes and giveaways to league participants

How do we Come to The Score and pay the League Fee to secure a spot.
sign up? 32 spots available. First come, first served.
Registration opens Saturday, April 25, 2009.


SSBB MAY 2009 LEAGUE RULES

League participants play in a combination of 1 on 1 matches and free-for-all (4-player) matches to accumulate points. The 6 highest-scoring players will be invited to participate in the Super Smash Bros Brawl League Playoffs, beginning Monday, June 1.

Each Monday’s league session will allow players to participate in as many Super Smash Bros Brawl games as we can schedule during the time allotted. The more matches played, the more points accumulated toward playoff eligibility.

League matches will be played on Battlefield, Brinstar, Delfino, Pokemon Stadium 1, Pokemon Stadium 2, Final Destination, Smashville, or Yoshi’s Island (Brawl version) stages. Items will be OFF, with the only exception being that in the last matches of each league week, we will have one random item on (with medium frequency).

All league matches will be “timed stock” matches, with 3 lives and 7 time minutes. Sudden death will determine the winner of matches that go into overtime.

Stall tactics or other actions which have the potential to infinitely prolong a match are not allowed and will result in an immediate match loss. Continued use of stall tactics or other illegal maneuvers within the game will result in permanent disqualification from the league without refund.

Players are allowed (and encouraged) to bring their own Wavebird controllers if they have one and would like to use it. Wired GameCube controllers are not allowed. Any indication that a personal Wavebird controller is modded in any way which affects gameplay will result in immediate disqualification from the league without refund.

Players are responsible for their own nametag and control preferences. Any settings changes must be made prior to the beginning of any match.

Membership at The Score: Gaming's Secret Weapon

As more of our customers explore our monthly and annual membership options, seemed like a good opportunity to blog about the value that a Score Membership provides.

For $29.99 a month, or $199.99 a year, you get:

- Double ScorePoints(TM) when you play games, trade-in or buy games, have parties at The Score, or even for making good grades!

- Half price on in-store gaming, even in The Arena(TM)!

- Half price on video game rentals from The Score (typically $6 for 5 days, you can rent games for just $3 for 5 days! Compared to $8 for 5 days at Blockbuster.)

- Pre-order video games at wholesale prices through The Score!

- 10% extra trade-in credit when you trade in used games and systems!

- Make reservations at The Score for in-store gaming. (Feature only available for members...helps ensure you don't show up wanting to play and not have space!)


It's quite possible to fully return your membership investment with just one of these features, but with all of them combined? It's gaming's secret weapon.

COD League Results - End of Regular Season

End of regular season results. Note that the top 2 teams receive a first round bye in next week's playoffs. More info to come on Friday.

John / Jeremy - 46 points
Stan / Cameron - 31 points

Miguel / Martin - 30 points
Evan N / Mike M - 28 points
Zach / Kevin - 17 points
John M / Clayton M - 15 points

Steven B / Dylan L - 6 points

Thoughts from MTAC...

The Score was present and accounted for at MTAC this past weekend at the Music City Sheraton, running tournaments and selling (a lot of) games.

Very well run event, especially considering its size (between 4,000 and 5,000 attendees). I was impressed with the operations - everything seemed to flow pretty smoothly and a lot of potential problems had been thought of and dealt with well ahead of time.

We got to introduce a lot of new Nashvillians to The Score throughout the weekend, which was probably the most important part.

All in all, a great time! Looking forward to heading back out there next year.

The Day After...a post-mortem on The Score's April Fool's Day press releases

The responses from yesterday's April Fool's press releases was great! Thanks for the emails - some of you are much funnier than we are.

We're big fans of Tim McGraw's down here at The Score, so he was a natural fit for our Guitar Hero release. There are plenty of 'inside' references to his music within the press release, and we even decided to have the game's fictitious release date be the first of May - his birthday.

Lots of you enjoyed this one.

The enthusiasm was strong, but not as strong, for the GameSlop buying simulator. We understand why - any reminder of spending big, huge piles of money at another retailer, completely unnecessarily, is painful!

In all seriousness, we're glad our little jokes were enjoyed by our customers and our potential customers out there in Nashville and Franklin. Look for us to raise the bar next year with something equally as forced, and not nearly as funny!

Until next time...signing off so we can go run the video game tournaments at MTAC, as well as get ready for this weekend's birthday parties and special groups coming in. Later.

Guitar Hero: Tim McGraw and the GameSlop Buying Simulator

Click on the graphics on the front of TheScoreOnline.com for today's huge reports.

Guitar Hero: Tim McGraw is the first Score exclusive title, meaning that the only place it will be released in the entire world is The Score of Cool Springs. Amazing!

Burning Big Huge Piles of Money, which is the new GameSlop buying simulator that lets you re-live experiences buying video games somewhere else other than The Score, is also scheduled for release. Predictably, The Score will carry this game cheaper than everywhere else, just like most other titles!

Wow! Two amazing stories on the first of April!

Call of Duty 4 League Results, Week 3

Call of Duty 4 League Results (Week 3)

2 points for a win, 1 point for a loss or draw

John / Jeremy - 22 points
Miguel / Martin - 20 points
Stan / Cameron - 19 points
Evan N / Mike M - 15 points
Zach / Kevin - 14 points
John M / Clayton M - 12 points
Steven B / Dylan L - 6 points

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED!!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's RELEASE DATE HAS JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED.

As part of the Game Developer's Conference, Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed that the follow-up to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will hit the streets on November 10 of this year.

The Score of Cool Springs will announce a special pre-order deal for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beginning next week, so stay tuned!