Spain leading in gamers’ world

TWO very determined Spanish videogame players have made it into the Guinness World Records 2015 Gamer’s Edition – known to fans as the “gaming bible”.

Released this month, the book recognises the world’s most staggering records from the hugely popular world of video gaming, such as ‘Fastest Car in a Videogame’, ‘Most Game of the Year Awards’ and ‘Most Costly Pac-Man Game’. Featured among the pages of the book are two Spanish gaming enthusiasts who have immersed themselves so much in their respective hobbies that they are now world record beaters.

Twenty-seven-year-old Rodrigo Martin Santos, from Madrid, holds the record for the ‘Largest Collection of Tomb Raider Memorabilia’, with a total of 2,383 game-related pieces from the popular videogame and movie series.

And 16-year-old Hecaterina Kinumi Iglesias, from Vigo, holds not only one world record, but two. The gamer, model and singer is the world record holder for the ‘Longest Videogame Marathon on Final Fantasy’ (38 hours and 6 minutes), and ‘Longest Videogame Marathon on World of Warcraft (29 hours and 31 minutes).

Known in the virtual world as ‘Kinumi Cati’, Iglesias said she took on the marathon endurance sessions to be known as a “good gamer”.

Editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, Craig Glenday, said: “Gaming is so dynamic and fast-moving that there’s never any shortage of exciting new superlatives for Guinness World Records to explore.”

He continued: “Video gaming is sure to become the most significant art form of the 21^st century and the Gamer’s Edition – now in its eighth year – is committed to recording and documenting the increasingly impressive progress being made.”