Georgia video gamer, team win $1.3 million in tourney

Here’s a setback for parents trying to wean their kids from spending hours a day playing video games: A 24-year-old from Cartersville and his four teammates won the $1.3 million top prize in the finals of an international gaming tournament held in Cobb County over the weekend.

John Salter, who goes by the screen name BaRRaCCuDDa, was highlighted in a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution story about gamers who make a living playing online.

He graduated from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and health science but struggled to land a job as a cardiac rehab therapist. No matter: He said last year he managed to make what about the same amount of money — $40,000 — as a gamer, primarily by competing in tournaments and making ad money from people who watch him play online.