May 6, 2008 6:03 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Richard Tedesco

In a tense, eight-hour competition in New York City last Friday, two contestants took home real Gibson Les Paul guitars after demonstrating their virtual licks playing the “Guitar Hero” video game.

The “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Tournament” drew more than 200 virtual guitarists vying in separate skills and style competitions at the Samsung Experience in the Time Warner Center. Samsung co-sponsored the competition with social gaming network site Voig.com. Samsung supplied some prizes and high-definition video screens to display the action generated on Xbox 360 units.

“We understand the gaming community and how important the Xbox is,” said Samsung spokesman Jose Cardona. “As a manufacturer of HD televisions, it’s always rewarding to work with content providers.”

The skills competition featured 64 “Guitar Hero” aficionados facing off for the Les Paul signed by Coheed and Cambria and a Samsung P2 Widescreen Portable Media Player. Mike Marrero, 16, won the guitar in the skills competition while Raymond Lugo, 15, took the top prize in the styles category. The runner-up won a Samsung K3 digital audio player.

In the styles competition, contestants dressed up to mimic their favorite rock stars for a panel of three judges, who were looking more for the contestants’ creativity than for their virtual “chops.” The winner received a Les Paul with a custom paint job and the P2 Media Player. The runner-up won the K3 digital unit.

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