Tim Collum

A competitive pioneer and proven champion in the game industry’s Golden Age, Tim Collum stands as a prime candidate for induction based on his early contributions to competitive gaming history and undeniable feats of excellence.

Collum’s career is defined by a series of major victories that solidified his reputation as one of the era’s elite players. His journey began with a commanding victory at the Texas Video Game Championship in June 1982, a regional success that was a prelude to a much larger triumph. The crowning achievement came a few months later when he won the highly publicized That’s Incredible! Ms. Pac-Man tournament to international viewership. This was no small feat with qualifying rounds held at Six Flags amusement parks across the country and a nationally-televised finals reaching a broad audience. Collum’s championship-winning score of 123,000 not only demonstrated his exceptional skill in a very constrained, high-pressure environment, but also showcased the strategic depth of competitive gaming to a mainstream audience.

In addition to his tournament victories, Collum’s legacy is further cemented by his specific high scores including his dominance on classics such as Sega’s Congo Bongo. His noted world record score of 883,400 held for decades at Twin Galaxies International Scoreboard—which, at the time, placed him as one of the top-ranked players on the global level.

Beyond his specific records, Collum’s impact is further cemented by the recognition he received from the competitive gaming community itself. At the Twin Galaxies 1984 Coronation Day event, he was honored as co-player of the year for 1983, a title that placed him in the top tier of competitive gamers globally. This peer and industry recognition confirms his status not just as a skilled individual, but as a central figure in the formative years of organized, competitive gaming. His career embodies the sportsmanship and skill that define the very essence of the pioneering efforts of a Golden Age Gamer.