Assembly Winter 2007 was the first event in a new series of gaming festivals in Finland. Although Assembly is a household name as a demoscene event, with a 15 year long history, starting a new strictly game-oriented event is a clear departure for the organizers.
The festival was a mix of large-scale LAN gaming and spectator events, with an international pro tournament as the main attraction. Electronic Arts and Creative Labs sponsored a Battlefield 2142 Whoop Ass!! tournament, with a large €10 000 ($13 000) first prize that attracted pro teams from around Europe. With a total of €30 000 ($39 000) in prizes, Assembly Winter 2007 was the best sponsored pro gaming event in Finland to date.
Assembly Winter 2007 also hosted a series of pre-qualifying tournaments for the World Cyber Games organization: professional players played for cash prizes and spots on the qualifying tournament in the next Assembly, to be held in August in Helsinki, Finland. This year's WCG Grand Final will take place in Seattle, and many of the pro players in Assembly Winter already have their eyes fixed on that goal.
There was more to the festival than just the Whoop Ass!! and World Cyber Games events. Read on to find out how social gaming tried to steal the show.
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