Gaming since God was young.

In the first competition running between now and the release of Valves Left 4 Dead 2, TGT is giving away a copy of the much anticipated zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2.

The challenge is to write a balanced, planned and well rounded essay for publication on the TGT main site on how gaming has changed your life for the better.

The essay will be no less than 1500 words and no more than 3000 and should cover your personal experiences of online gaming, games and camaraderie. Pictures, videos and screenshots are not allowed, you have to use words entirely to convey your thoughts and concepts.

To enter the competition you must be a member of TGT, active on the TGT forums, be capable of writing a well planned essay and be legally able to own the game in your country.

Once submitted your essay will be judged by a panel of three judges all of whom are experienced writers and published authors.

The competition closes on Wednesday 18th October at 18.00hrs (6pm) GMT, the winner will be announced on Halloween (October 31st) at 18.00hrs (6pm) GMT.

The decision of the judges is final and may not be appealed.

The winning essay will be published on the main TGT site and in the forums as a forum post; TGT will assume universal rights for its publication and continued use.

You may win this competition and chose to give the game to another person, the responsibility for all hardware required is yours, and the game will be delivered digitally through Steam.

TGT holds no responsibility for the game not functioning, being released late, or causing your social life to evaporate into a haze of zombie killing mayhem.

Entries may be submitted via e-mail to: admin@thegroupthing in .txt or word .doc format, please preface all entries with:

Your online nickname.
Your real name (Will not be published).
Your Steam name.
A full wordcount.

Visit the Competition thread on the TGT forums here: http://www.thegroupthing.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=1038