Gamertell

Heads were turning at Ubisoft’s CES display and it wasn’t just because of the demo for the upcoming sequel Splinter Cell Conviction.

Running the demo was Ubisoft Frag Doll Brooke “Brookelyn” Hattabaugh, living out a dream of actually getting paid to play video games. The Frag Dolls are an all-female group of pro gamers that travel the country encouraging more women to compete. They also help promote Ubisoft’s games.

A game as eagerly awaited as Splinter Cell Conviction might not really require a gorgeous pro gamer to get you to stop at the booth but Ubisoft doesn’t leave things to chance.

Hattabaugh was as shocked as anyone to learn you could actually get a job playing games. She’s a lifelong gamer and considers Sonic the Hedgehog her first gaming obsession. In 2002, she began in earnest on the path that would lead to pro gamer glory.

“My boyfriend at the time had Ghost Recon on Xbox,” she said. “One day he went to work and left it on. I started playing it and instantly I was getting kills. I started playing all the time. We actually broke up because I spent so much time playing games.”

Yes, you read that last sentence right. Her boyfriend had a problem with the young lady pictured here because she spent too much time gaming. Fellas, would any of you have a problem sharing your console with Brookelyn? I thought not. Hattabaugh answered a Craiglist ad that Ubisoft took out when it was putting the group together.

“I didn’t think it was a real ad,” she said. “I didn’t even send in a real resume, I sent a gamer resume with the names of all the games I had played and beaten. It wasn’t until they called me back and actually tested me out to see if I could play that I realized this was something real.”

Boy, can she play. Hattabaugh once killed an entire team by herself during a clan match.  The ad and the job it offered were as real as her gaming skills and now Hattabaugh has her dream job as an ambassador for girl gamers.  For a longtime fan of Tom Clancy’s games, going to CES and being one of the first to play Sam Fisher’s latest adventure is heaven on earth.

Though shooters are her favorite genre, Hattabaugh plays a diverse range of games including Facebook restaurant simulators. Her all time favorite games are Rainbow Six (all of ‘em) World of Warcraft and Galaga. Consider it research as when she’s not gaming, Hattabaugh is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in video game animation. Because for a gamer, the only thing better than getting paid to play games would be getting paid to make them. Considering everything she’s already accomplished, there’s no reason to doubt Hattabaugh will succeed.

Read [Gamertell at CES 2010]  Also Read [Frag Dolls]