Austin game competition to support charity

Although the Entertainment Software Association is more accustomed to bringing the industry together to ward off game-related legislation or parental watchdog groups, it's not above pitting gamer against gamer for a good cause. Today the trade group's charitable arm, the ESA Foundation, announced the Level Up Charity Games Competition, a series of single-elimination tournaments for a lineup of games including Rock Band 2, Madden 08, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The competition will be hosted by Game Recruiter and will serve as an unofficial capper to the Austin Game Developers Conference. The competition will take place on September 17 at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin while AGDC runs September 15 to 17 at the nearby Austin Convention Center.

The event is open to players of all ages, although it does carry a $20 entrance fee. Prizes include Rock Band 2 for the Xbox 360, cash, T-shirts, caps, collectibles, and more. Registration for the event starts at 5 p.m., and the competition will wrap up by 10 p.m. Proceeds will go to benefit the ESA Foundation's Scholarship program, which offers tuition assistance to women and minority students seeking degrees in game development and design.