Billy Mitchell is a name that evokes both admiration and controversy in the world of video games. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest arcade game players of all time, having achieved numerous world records on classic games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.
He is also known for his charismatic personality, his signature American flag tie, and his hot sauce business. However, his reputation has been tarnished by allegations of cheating, fraud, and dishonesty, leading to a long and bitter dispute between the gaming community and the official scorekeepers.
Billy Mitchell Wiki/Bio
| Name | Billy Mitchell |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William James Mitchell Jr. |
| Birth date | July 16, 1965 |
| Birthplace | Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Video game player, restaurateur |
| Spouse | Evelyn Mitchell |
| Children | 3 |
| Known for | Claiming world records on classic arcade games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong |
| Awards | Video Game Player of the Century (1999), Video Game Players of the Year (1983) |
| Social Links | Instagram- @billymitchellofficial Wikipedia- @Billy_Mitchell_(gamer) IMDB- @nm1034777 Homepage- Celebsworlds |
Biography, Early Life
Billy Mitchell was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on July 16, 1965 (age: 58 years, as of 2023), and grew up in South Florida. He became interested in video games in the early 1980s, when the golden age of arcade games was in full swing. He developed a friendly rivalry with a classmate, who challenged him to beat his scores on Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. He soon became obsessed with mastering these games, and contacted Walter Day, the founder of Twin Galaxies, a video game organization that tracked and verified high scores.
Mitchell rose to national prominence in 1982, when he was featured in a photo spread of game champions in Life magazine. He also appeared in the 1983 documentary That’s Incredible!, where he demonstrated his skills on Donkey Kong.
He was awarded the title of “Video Game Player of the Century” by Twin Galaxies in 1999, after he claimed to have achieved the first perfect score of 3,333,360 points on Pac-Man. He also set several high scores on Donkey Kong, reaching over one million points and breaking the elusive “kill screen” barrier.
Mitchell’s fame and achievements were further documented in the 2007 film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, which followed his attempts to maintain his Donkey Kong record after being challenged by a newcomer, Steve Wiebe.
The film portrayed Mitchell as a villainous and arrogant figure, who used his influence and connections to undermine Wiebe’s efforts. The film also showed him submitting a videotaped score of 1,047,200 points, which was accepted by Twin Galaxies as a new world record, despite doubts about its authenticity.
Honors
- On January 14, 1984, he was selected as one of the 1983 “Video Game Players of the Year” by Twin Galaxies and the U.S. National Video Game Team.
- On September 17, 1999, he was proclaimed the “Video Game Player of the Century” while at the 1999 Tokyo Game Show. He received a certificate from Namco, the creators of Pac-Man, for being the first person to claim a perfect score of 3,333,360 points on the arcade game Pac-Man.
- In 2005, he was inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class.
- In 2007, Billy Mitchell was featured in the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe over the world record on Donkey Kong.
- In 2010, he was awarded the “Gamer of the Decade” trophy by the International Video Game and Coin-Op Museum.
- In 2018, he was reinstated by Guinness World Records as the holder of several records on classic games, including Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, after they had previously stripped him of his records in 2018 due to allegations of cheating .
Height, Weight
- Height: 5 feet and 11 inches
- Weight: 78 kg
- Eye color: light brown
- Body measurements: not available
- Skin color: white
- Hair color: black
- Shoe size: US 9
The Fall of a Video Game Icon
Mitchell’s reputation began to crumble in 2017, when members of the Twin Galaxies forums found discrepancies in the videos he had provided for The King of Kong and other events. They claimed that Mitchell had used emulation software, such as MAME, to falsify his scores, instead of playing on original arcade hardware, as required by the rules. They also pointed out that the videos showed signs of editing, splicing, and loading, which indicated that they were not genuine gameplay footage.
Following a months-long investigation, Twin Galaxies concluded that some of Mitchell’s high scores were not performed on original hardware, and invalidated all of his scores due to their zero-tolerance policy for dishonesty. Guinness World Records, which had recognized him as the holder of several records, also stripped him of his titles. He denied the allegations, and accused Twin Galaxies of bias, corruption, and incompetence. He also threatened to sue them and Guinness for defamation, and claimed to have evidence that would prove his innocence.
In 2020, Billy filed a lawsuit against Twin Galaxies, seeking damages of over $10 million. He also filed a lawsuit against a YouTuber named Apollo Legend, who had made several videos exposing Mitchell’s cheating. He alleged that Apollo Legend had harassed, defamed, and conspired against him, and demanded $1 million in compensation. However, Apollo Legend died by suicide in December 2020, before the case could proceed.
In 2021, Guinness World Records reinstated Billy Mitchell’s records, after he presented them with new evidence and testimonials. Guinness stated that they had found the evidence to be “compelling and robust”, and that they had no reason to doubt his achievements. However, Twin Galaxies did not reverse its decision and maintained that Mitchell’s scores were invalid. The lawsuit between him and Twin Galaxies is still ongoing, and no trial date has been set.
Billy Mitchell Spouse
Billy Mitchell is married to Evelyn Mitchell, whom he met in college. They have been married for over 30 years, and have three children: William, Michael, and Chelsea.
Billy is very private about his personal life and does not share much information about his wife and kids. He is not active on social media, and prefers to focus on his business and gaming career.
The Legacy of a Video Game Controversy
Billy Mitchell’s story is one of the most controversial and divisive in the history of video games. He has been praised as a pioneer, a legend, and a hero by some, and vilified as a cheater, a liar, and a villain by others. He has inspired admiration and emulation, as well as hatred and mockery. He has been the subject of numerous articles, documentaries, podcasts, and books, and has influenced the culture and community of video games.
Mitchell’s case raises important questions about the nature and value of video game records, the standards and methods of verification, the ethics and integrity of players, and the role and responsibility of scorekeepers. It also reflects the passion and dedication of video game enthusiasts, who strive to achieve excellence and recognition in their chosen field. Whether he is a true king of Kong, or a false pretender, his impact on the world of video games is undeniable.
Death and obituary
He is alive and well as of 8th December 2023, and there is no official report of his death or obituary. However, there have been some false rumors and hoaxes about his passing away, which have been debunked by his representatives and family members. Billy is still active and controversial and continues to pursue his legal battles and gaming records.
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1 million |
| 2020 | $1.5 million |
| 2019 | $2.8 million |
