"Beer POng" news and stories

I'm not sure if this qualifies as "food news," per se. I'm not even sure if it qualifies as "beer news." Heck, I'm beginning to question whether it's even "news." But after being picked up by sites as diverse as MSNBC and, uh, the International Business Times (?), I figured our readers might be interest to know that a new World Beer Pong Champion has been crowned.

I'll let interested parties dig up all the drunken details for themselves, but after what must have been an exhausting and hangover-inducing 2,675 games by over 400 teams, "Smashing Time" won The World Series of Beer Pong IV, held this past weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, defeating "Getcha Popcorn Ready" to take home the $50,000 first prize.

Frankly, I think the whole thing was worth it just for this quote: When asked about his victory, Ron Hamilton of Smashing Time stated to an Associated Press writer, "The key today was me getting real drunk and my partner not missing, and us coming out and proving we're the best." He also opined about his pre-match preparations -- drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels. It's a golden age we live in.

For more info on The World Series of Beer Pong, check out Bpong.com.

Now, I get the idea behind foodie-themed games -- it's not so much simulating an experience as a game tapping into a desirable theme. But what about Beer Pong?

Wired recently threw up a blog post about a new WiiWare game that's ticked off Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal. The game had nabbed itself a teen rating, but Blumenthal was unhappy with the thought of a beer-themed game being labeled as suitable for minors. In response, JV Games pulled out the alcoholic content, renamed it Pong Toss, and now players get to toss ping pong balls into plastic cups -- rated E for everyone!

Well, I would question the point of electronic beer pong as it is, but does (and would) anyone play the game without getting drunk? I never set up a bunch of cans of soda and went to town. What I find most funny about all this -- the game has the exact same backdrop, so it's now E for everyone in an adult fun room with darts, a jukebox, a bar, an Uncle Sam poster, and yes, another poster with a woman in a bikini. So kid friendly! Sometimes, I think you've just got to cut your losses.

[via Serious Eats]