Gamers Assembly is a dream for many players. I had the chance to feel the tournament from the inside. Players, staff, journalists, I have had a close look on those people who make the tournament. In the next couples of line, I won't talk about the tournament it self but how the actors felt it!

A pretty long travel, that is how for most of the players Gamers Assembly begins. I have personally arrived in Gamers Assembly after a 4 hours bus trip. It was on Friday evening at 9. And then, I began to feel what is a community. All players were hanging around as long time no see friends. They were setting up their computers, training, or just sitting with their friends.

After a quick look on the first floor player room, I remember I asked myself : "Gosh, how much players will play there?". I never had the answer but next morning I've seen a crowd of players. Gamers everywhere and that was just insane. The ManiaGala staff was in a briefing session. Let's talk quickly about that ManiaGala. We have to say first of all that the Staff is the Staff from Nadeo/Mania-Actu/Drakonia. Their jobs are not to take care of visitors normally. But, they managed to do that in a pretty kind and fun way. We are a community and Nadeo is a part of our community! On the Gala itself, there were 4 stands, two on TrackMania and two on ShootMania, were you could earn planets that you could spend in Nadeo goodies and drinks and snacks. There was also a challenge on points. If you managed to get a great result, you would get on stage to get exceptional prices!

The tournaments were beginning. For all of the players, a looooooong and huge day was beginning. A gaming day first but also a stressful one and even a friendly one. We have different kind of players during matches. The first category is the "I'm on my world" players. What ever happens, I won't move, I won't scream, I won't have any react on my face. We cannot really know what's in their mind. Are they happy? Are they stressed? Do they support the pressure? The exact opposite of this category are the "I'm a sensitive player". They are always expressing what they feel. Like oNio who nearly destroyed a table twice. oNio was keeping smiling during the TrackMania 2 : Canyon final (which he won) and you could see on his face that he was happy! Then you have the others. Those who are locating between those extremes. The players who smile sometimes and are focused on their game. The players who say "f***-off" when they make a mistake, the players who say "YEAH" when they make a nice run.

Saturday was a hard day for all players. At the end of the day, players were not that happy to play and you could see on their face that they were just tired and they couldn't support another match anymore. Spam, the fresh ESWC world champion was not really the guy we used to know. At the end of the day, no more rivality, no more matches, no more computer but fun! Let's meet and eat with each other. The community we haven't seen during the day was back. The players who lost were cheering for those who won. And the while the night was falling on the Gamers Assembly and the Futuroscope, TM2 Canyon players were fighting for the title on the stage.

Sunday, was another day. the gold medal was on the neck of oNio on TM2 Canyon and the 4 TM2Stadium players were quite nervous. Hours were passing and players were making interviews, training, or even just playing in the ManiaGala (as Nanoushka who placed third on the ManiaChallenge day two). The final was coming. And once more TrackMania and the whole ManiaPlanet community was there. A HUGE final. That the only thing I can say. A three finalist run and YoYo kept the title in France for the second year! The Amphitheatre was full people were standing were they could. And when YoYo finished, the French spectators in one move and one scream just cheered for their player! Last but not least, the day finished on ShootMania elite competition on main stage. More than 1500 people were in and Gamers Assembly Staff had to close the doors of the stage. With a nice shoutcast from Mania-Actu staff Aura and OGaming caster Yoshiyo, world have seen Swiss Bulls getting first on PyRoGEN.

Last evening, no more voice, let's play all the night long after a restaurant in the Gamers Assembly. Some players already packed their stuff. GA was over.

To ManiaPlanet staff, to Mania-Actu staff, to Gamers Assembly staff, to Drakonia staff, to the players, to the 3300 spectators who came during GA, to those who made that possible, I have a single word :

Merci.