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Asteroids Kill Screen Coming Up

OK, not really, but John McAllister's getting close to the Asteroids world record, and you can watch the final stretch.

If you had told my younger self that we'd be using the latest and greatest in computer technology to broadcast people playing Asteroids all around the world, I... well, I would have felt that maybe my life had meaning. Not that I was ever especially great at Asteroids.

But one John McAllister is doing exactly that right now, and it sounds like he's closing in on the game's world record. He's currently over 41 million points (which doesn't show properly on the game, as the score rolls over at a certain point) and he's still breaking the big rocks into little rocks.

Somewhere the 9-year-old me is completely losing his mind over how awesome this is. 34-year-old me is pretty into it, too. If the chat room dwellers are accurate, he'll be crossing into world record territory later tonight... provided he can keep it together, of course.
  

  
 You might tune in and see no actual movement. That just means that the guy's taking a bathroom break or something. 
 
UPDATE: 41,338,740 is now your new Asteroids world record, provided everything is properly verified as legitimate. Assuming it is, John McAllister is now the King of Asteroids! This beats the previous record of 41,336,440, set in 1982 by Scott Safran. Safran passed away after an accident in 1989.
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

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jeff

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Edited By jeff

If you had told my younger self that we'd be using the latest and greatest in computer technology to broadcast people playing Asteroids all around the world, I... well, I would have felt that maybe my life had meaning. Not that I was ever especially great at Asteroids.

But one John McAllister is doing exactly that right now, and it sounds like he's closing in on the game's world record. He's currently over 41 million points (which doesn't show properly on the game, as the score rolls over at a certain point) and he's still breaking the big rocks into little rocks.

Somewhere the 9-year-old me is completely losing his mind over how awesome this is. 34-year-old me is pretty into it, too. If the chat room dwellers are accurate, he'll be crossing into world record territory later tonight... provided he can keep it together, of course.
  

  
 You might tune in and see no actual movement. That just means that the guy's taking a bathroom break or something. 
 
UPDATE: 41,338,740 is now your new Asteroids world record, provided everything is properly verified as legitimate. Assuming it is, John McAllister is now the King of Asteroids! This beats the previous record of 41,336,440, set in 1982 by Scott Safran. Safran passed away after an accident in 1989.
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JJOR64

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Edited By JJOR64

I never got that far in this game.  I'm terrible.   :(              I hope he breaks the record.

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jkz

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Edited By jkz

What is this I don't even... 
 
Alright who am I kidding this is brilliant.

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Turtlemayor333

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Edited By Turtlemayor333

Watch this not happen for hours. Oh, kill screens.
 
EDIT: Dude just lost four lives in four seconds. What's the record?

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Shibbles

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Edited By Shibbles

This man is a god, and I respect him for it.

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thatfrood

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Edited By thatfrood

Been watching this for 6 hours on and off now! TOTALLY STOKED!

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SuperfluousMoniker

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Oh man he's tanking, just died four times in the last minute.... We're jinxing him!
 
Edit:  I didn't realize how fast you can get extra lives, dying like that must be a relatively common occurrence.

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NakAttack

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Edited By NakAttack

ill have to tune in later to see if he beats it

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JammyJesus

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Edited By JammyJesus

LOL mint
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fishmicmuffin

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Edited By fishmicmuffin

He just started to get destroyed. Poor guy, hope he beats it.

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The_Laughing_Man

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Edited By The_Laughing_Man

Down to 2 lives 

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DanielJW

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Edited By DanielJW

Good god.

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FCKSNAP

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Edited By FCKSNAP

tight

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welly

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Edited By welly

lets do it.

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Turtlemayor333

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Edited By Turtlemayor333

So wait, is there a kill screen or does it just keep going? At any rate he's looking like he might not make it there anyway.

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mackgyver

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Edited By mackgyver

What is he playing it on? Arcade?

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ScudFTW

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Edited By ScudFTW

trying to fast forward.... uhg

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jkz

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Edited By jkz

Damn that was a intense for a while there, he was down to 2 lives....

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goulash_enjoyer

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Edited By goulash_enjoyer

I can't believe I'm watching someone play Asteroids, over the internet, on Monday at midnight.
 
and loving it.
 
 
edit:   But let me get this straight. Getting the high score in Asteroids amounts to leaving one tiny asteroid alive and just repeatedly killing the UFO? That's pretty lame.
edit2: After a bit of reflection, I stand by my point that this is lame and that I am no longer "loving it."

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Jettblackk

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Edited By Jettblackk

Apparently the current record is 
41,336,440
 
If it hasnt already been posted.....
 
  Was set on November 13, 1982, by 15 year old Scott Safran of Cherry Hill, NJ.......now im really excited.....lol

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Skald

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Edited By Skald

This is more awesome than it should be.

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ArchScabby

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Edited By ArchScabby

So is this still live?  Or what?

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The_Laughing_Man

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Edited By The_Laughing_Man

30k away I think they said

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dawnofthesean

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Edited By dawnofthesean

Wait what exactly is a kill screen?

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peepeepoopoo696

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Edited By peepeepoopoo696
@dawnofthesean said:
" Wait what exactly is a kill screen? "
Here
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Rockanomics

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Edited By Rockanomics
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The_Laughing_Man

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Edited By The_Laughing_Man

IT HAS BEEN DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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JammyJesus

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Edited By JammyJesus

He did it!
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raviolisumo

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Edited By raviolisumo

WOO. I was there.

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NakAttack

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Edited By NakAttack

and he did it

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LiquidPrince

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Edited By LiquidPrince

Done. He set the new world record.

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Jettblackk

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Edited By Jettblackk

Kill Screen is the "end" of a classic arcade game...It runs out of memory, and resets...and apparently he made it to the record!!!

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Beb_Jobel

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Edited By Beb_Jobel

NEW WORLD RECORD!!!

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mackgyver

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Edited By mackgyver

Awesome job  John!!!!!!!!!

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Edited By dietmango

There you go he beat it. Gratz to him.

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thejamster

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Edited By thejamster

badass!

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timeshero

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Edited By timeshero

I think he just did it.

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peepeepoopoo696

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Edited By peepeepoopoo696

Boom!

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Zella

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Edited By Zella

Started watching just in time, nice to see him beat it.

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Skald

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Edited By Skald

Holy shit, he actually got it?

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Foggen

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Edited By Foggen

I tune in and at that exact moment he's entering his initials.  Rad.

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andre

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Edited By andre

He beat the record and gave up immediately. A tad disappointing, but awesome nonetheless. 

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thejamster

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Edited By thejamster

wiki page has been updated

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leburgan

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Edited By leburgan

he beat it!

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Levio

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Edited By Levio

Quick! Someone wakeup the guinness book of world records people!

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AngerPanda

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Edited By AngerPanda

Woo, he did it!

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ShartCarbuncle

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Edited By ShartCarbuncle

Pretty cool to see him beat the score live!

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heavyness

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Edited By heavyness

Congrats!  Fun to watch, even better to watch the record fall!

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Rasgueado

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Edited By Rasgueado
@Andre: He played for 57+ hours to beat the high score. How much more is really needed?
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PowerBombYo

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Edited By PowerBombYo

Word! New record!