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.
  

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.
  

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Down to 2 lives 

Good god.

tight

lets do it.

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.

What is he playing it on? Arcade?

trying to fast forward.... uhg

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

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."

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

This is more awesome than it should be.

So is this still live?  Or what?

30k away I think they said

Wait what exactly is a kill screen?

" Wait what exactly is a kill screen? "

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

WOO. I was there.

and he did it

Done. He set the new world record.

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!!!

NEW WORLD RECORD!!!

Awesome job  John!!!!!!!!!

There you go he beat it. Gratz to him.

badass!

I think he just did it.

Boom!

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

Holy shit, he actually got it?

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

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

wiki page has been updated

he beat it!

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

Woo, he did it!

Pretty cool to see him beat the score live!

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

Word! New record!