Season one boosted the awareness of the show, so there was a strong turnout for the season two casting auditions. Players were tested in three vastly different genres: Forza Motorsport 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Street Fighter IV. Proving their skills in this first round might result in a callback that may ultimately lead to acceptance on the show. However, gamers have to prove more than their skills in order to be accepted as a contestant. This is a TV show that seeks to break away from the stereotypical view of the gamer as an overweight geek stuck living in his mom's basement. All come for a chance to show their skills in competitive gaming, but others are also eager to prove that they have what it takes to win the intense real-world challenges that demand a degree of physical fitness. A contestant we spoke to was a pro gamer in his fourth year studying pharmacology who goes paintballing regularly, so his intelligence and background makes him a strong candidate. However, brains and stamina might not be enough, since there's also drama that happens within the loft where all the contestants have to live together. In order to be a WCG Ultimate Gamer contender, players need skills in game, in life, and have big personalities to match.

One of the personalities we met up with is Rachel (PMS Seltzer), a pro gamer and member of the PMS Clan. Fans of the show might remember that the PMS Clan co-leader, Amy (Athena), was one of the first season's contestants along with fellow clan member Chelsea (Delicate). Despite the rough competition and a couple of missteps, both female gamers made it to the top six before getting knocked out in the Gauntlet trials. If she gets picked up, we'll see if she can make it further than her clan-mates did, especially since her specialty is in PC shooters like Counter-Strike. Although the World Cyber Games has its origins in PC gaming, the WCG Ultimate Gamer competition is almost exclusively centered on console gaming, specifically the Xbox 360. Fans may recall that one of Chelsea's biggest problems in season one was adjusting from being a PC gamer, accustomed to using the mouse and keyboard, to using a gamepad for first-person shooters. Seltzer was confident in her skills and practiced with an Xbox 360 to prepare for the audition. Although one might think PC gamers are at a disadvantage in this competition, Seltzer firmly states that she had to dumb down her game. Since console shooters are generally slower and require less accuracy than PC games, her background gave her a significant edge. She proved this by demolishing her opponents in the audition. Other PC gamers we spoke to at the expressed the same sentiment.

On the other end of the spectrum is TriForce, leader (aka Dark Emperor) of Empire Arcadia. Hooded and sporting an NES Power Glove, TriForce states that his goal in competing is to spread awareness of the gaming culture. Empire Arcadia sees gaming as a way of life, complete with its philosophies, such as comparing different types of games as trying out new foods. You might not like it at first, but eat it long enough, and you develop a taste for it. TriForce views this competition as a means of spreading the word instead of increasing prestige as a pro gamer. That might seem a little out there for many, but take into consideration that Prod1gy X is a member of Empire Arcadia and he was one of the last two standing in season one, so there might be something to it. Prod1gy was also considered by his peers as one of the most skilled all-around gamers in season one, and almost shut out his opponent during the finals playing Soul Calibur IV before losing to a stunning upset victory. If accepted to the show, TriForce looks to set things right by heading into the competition and taking care of things as a master of everything from puzzle games to shooters.

Whether or not anyone can really prepare themselves for the drama that unfolds between the participants is a different matter. Judging from season one, it's clear that the competition doesn't finish with each challenge. Contestants can ally, train, psych out or plot against each other to get ahead. Also, we can expect that the challenges we'll see in season two will be bigger and more difficult than any before. According to the casting producer, Cevin Middleton, viewers will really have a chance to see what it takes to be a gamer, the time that goes into it, and that a livelihood can come out of video gaming. He marvels at the amazing diversity of the participants and goes on to state that most gamers are college educated, which should say a lot about how inaccurate the common gamer stereotype is.

The participants are driven to succeed, whether it's for the for money, the prestige or other reasons. We'll find out who makes the cut this fall, when WCG Ultimate Gamer is expected to air.