Susan and Jeremy Theriot have been happily married for over two years.   They didn’t meet at a party or through friends, but rather at a Guitar Hero tournament.  “About two years ago, I signed up for a ‘Guitar Hero’ tournament, and I beat every person I went up against. But this one girl was the only person that could keep up with me,” Jeremy Theriot said. “I eventually won, but after, I started talking to her. And I asked her what her name was, and she said, ‘I’m Susan.’ I introduced myself, and we just hit it off.” The couple is part of an increasingly connected gaming community. Video game tournaments for popular franchises like “Guitar Hero” and “Super Smash Brothers” draw a diverse group of people from all over the societal spectrum, whether they be corporate employees or engineers like Michael Bohr. Bohr, 41, remembers when being a gamer was a stigma. “I remember getting teased for spending all my time in the arcade, and now everyone plays video games,” Bohr said. “Now, you’ve got grandparents playing with their grandchildren on the Wii.”Bohr speculated on the progression of video games from a niche market to an international means of communication. “With X-Box Live, I got to meet people from all over the world. I played with people from Spain, Canada [and] Australia. I even met one of my [X-Box Live] contacts, when I went to England this past summer,” Bohr said. The addition of online access to gaming systems has had a major impact on the way people look at games.  “Ten years ago, systems like the Dreamcast had online capabilities, but they were really slow. Now, you can go play some dude in Halo in another continent, and actually talk to him, with no trouble at all,” Bohr said. For those that want to meet other players in a more social setting can participate in local videogame tournaments. Some stores such as Gameware hold monthly tournaments where gamers can participate in a bracket-style competition for games like “Madden NFL” and “Street Fighter.” Eric Rovell, LSU alumni and gaming enthusiast, participates in tournaments whenever he can. “I love the competition aspect of it, but it’s also a great way to meet people. I’ve met some of my closet friends at ‘Madden’ tournaments,” Rovell said. “Playing online is cool, or whatever, but I prefer to play someone head-on.” For Susan and Jeremy Theriot, Michael Bohr and Eric Rovell, gaming is a new way of socializing. Bohr summarized the appeal of an increasingly interconnected gaming community. “Games have come such a long way,” Bohr said. “Back in the day, the only way to meet other gamers was at the arcade. Now, you can play anyone anywhere, and it’s exciting to meet these people.”——Contact Blake LeJeune at [email protected]