The holder of the longest standing video game record has been stripped of his title after it emerged his score was considered technically impossible.
Todd Rogers’ longstanding time of 5.51 seconds, on simple Atari 2600 racing game Dragster, had been untouchable since 1982. The closest anyone got to besting Rogers’ mark was 5.57 seconds (see below) and now we may know why.
The score, as well as all of Rodgers’ other records, have been wiped by from the record books by the Twin Galaxies database. He’s also been banned from the site for life. That’s cold blooded.
In its measured decision Twin Galaxies explained (via Washington Post): “The presented software analysis model concluded that achieving score times of less than 5.57 seconds [in Dragster] is not possible under standard and normal play conditions.”
“Beyond the software analysis evidence, which speaks directly to Todd Rogers’s Dragster 5.51 score time, this dispute case has collected a significant amount of circumstantial evidence as that extends well beyond Todd’s single score performance. We have evaluated this evidence carefully and found it to be compelling and relevant.”
In the wake of damning information provided by a former #TwinGalaxies Referee, a formal decision has been made in the #ToddRogers #Dragster dispute which has resulted in his total removal and banning from @TwinGalaxies Scoreboards.https://t.co/jQx2gGFS98 pic.twitter.com/YQnFeGFah7
— Twin Galaxies (@TwinGalaxies) January 29, 2018
Twin Galaxies, which is relied upon as the foremost authority on gaming records said it had “notified Guinness World Records of our decision.”
Guinness is yet to comment on whether Todd will be struck from their record books.
Related: Best PS4 games 2018
Rogers, who was recognised by Guiness World Records for the longevity of his record in 2001, had preciously claimed his score had been confirmed by Activision, the publisher of the game.
Those who’ve seen the brilliant documentary King of Kong will be no stranger to the drama and competitiveness surrounding video game records.
Make no mistake, this is serious business, folks.
Have Twin Galaxies acted harshly in wiping all Todd’s scores? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
