www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/fun.games/10/18/games.swedishgirls.ap/index.html
Technology Don't fool with Swedish Girls of Gaming Six-member group challenges male-dominated field Thomsen Louise Thomsen, also known as AurorA, is the unofficial leader of Les Seu les.
NEW YORK (AP) -- At first glance, Les Seules might look like an all-girl rock band -- complete with sassy attitudes and fawning male groupies -- but the Swedish septuplet doesn't play instruments. "We want to show the rest of the world that guys and girls can play on th e same level," team member Louise Thomsen (code name: AurorA) told The A ssociated Press amid the geeky flurry on the floor of DigitalLife, a fou r-day technology and entertainment convention. But in the world of competitiv e "Counterstrike," a first-person shooter PC game, Les Seules have moved to the forefront, thanks to their virtual machine gun and grenade wield ing techniques and, well, their good looks. You get used to blocking it out and concentrating on why you're th ere. But any attention we can bring to e-sports, male or female, is a bo nus." Earlier this year, Les Seules played in the female division of the 2004 E lectronic Sports World Cup in Paris. They placed fourth and pummeled the Brazil and US teams. They want to make their mark in non-gender classified, male-domi nated competitions. "We want to show the world girls can play," Sofi Bystrom told the AP on T hursday. Les Seules, whose ages range from 16 to 25, are also known as the Swedish Girls of Gaming, a moniker christened by Sync magazine. They're feature d in a glittery 1980s-style pinup spread in the November issue. "It was like Halloween," Bystrom said of the experience. The magazine paid the team's way to New York to attend the convention at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center, which ends Sunday, to promote the issue and compete against average gamers. The conglomeration of young women began forming through multiplayer onlin e "Counterstrike" sessions three years ago. Although the majority of Les Seules hail from the land of the midnight sun (two are Dutch), they're geographically divided. The squad has a professional coach, manager and an Olympian-like training schedule. They practice onl ine for five hours a day, six days a week outside of their regular studi es and work. On the eve of competitions, they physically come together t o cram during all-night "Counterstrike" killing sessions. "It's so different playing with girls because you can talk about everythi ng," said Sofie Sandager (code name: Zelena). "You can have a really goo d relationship outside the game. The members of Les Seules are: Thomsen, 24, the unofficial leader;
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