IN THE TUBES: THESPEEDGAMERS

I’m sure a bunch of you have marathoned a video game, playing from sunrise to next sunrise for days upon end, and wondered what the hell you were doing with your life.

Why not do something more productive? Why not make a contribution to society?

Well, TheSpeedGamers have solved that dilemma with marathons to raise money for charity. Since 2008, this Arlington, Texas-based group of gamers has been raising money for charity while streaming week-long gaming marathons online. The group plays for a week straight, streaming 24 hours a day, and encourages viewers to donate to charity. This time they’ll be donating to ACT Today!, a group that raises awareness about autism and helps to provide treatment. So far, according to their website, they have raised over $309,000 for various charities over the years, including the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Japan Relief.

So far they have marathoned Zelda, Mega Man, Final Fantasy and Metroid, but this time around they’ll be attempting to finish Pokémon by capturing all 649 Pokémon in one week.

Now, I have played Pokémon. I have tried to capture at least the original 151 on my Pokémon Blue, but failed miserably. I got maybe 100 of them during my best playthrough. I also played this game for most of my eighth year of life. That being said, I have no idea how they’re going to do this.

Whether they complete the game or not isn’t the issue, as the main point of the marathon is to raise $50,000. This shouldn’t be a problem considering that at the time of this writing, they have raised nearly $1,000. This is before the marathon has even begun. Last year they beat their $15,000 goal playing Zelda.

TheSpeedGamers encourage viewers by giving away prizes, and holding special screenings of other games, such as Pokémon Stadium, so make sure to check it out.