One thing George Costanza had on everyone else in the world was the highest Frogger score ever on an original Frogger machine. No more.
A Westport, Connecticut man has killed one of George’s greatest feats from a classic episode of Seinfeld, and beat the fictional record of 860,630 points.
Pat Laffaye is the first person in video gaming history to beat the fictional "Costanza Score" by crossing pixilated frogs across a busy street, according to Twin Galaxies International, which has the esteemed role as official scorekeeper on all eras of video gaming since 1981.
Laffaye not only beat George’s score but shattered it by getting 896,980 points in 5 hours and 15 minutes.
Twin Galaxies referee Eric Akeson announced the new record at the stroke of midnight on New Years as the ball dropped in Times Square. The Twin Galaxies’ folks went through all the necessary and stringent practices to authenticate the record before proclaiming Laffaye the victor, Twin Galaxies Division Manager Patrick Scott Patterson said.
"Even though it was imagined by television writers, Pat has broken one of the most famous scores in pop culture," Twin Patterson said. "Pat's amazing score will now forever be attached to not only Twin Galaxies history, but pop culture trivia as well."
Laffaye had been traveling around the country, trying to beat the record but finally accomplished the feat on his personal and original Frogger machine, Patrick Scott Patterson, division manager of Twin Galaxies International, said. Thus ends the long-running duel Laffaye had with gaming champion Donald Hayes for the top Frogger ranking, at least for now.
“This was kind of a monkey on their back,” Patterson said. “It was kind of a battle, not just with each other, but with a classic TV episode.”
Twin Galaxies offered a cash prize to any gamer who could top the Seinfeld score in 2005 but no gamer was able to claim before the deadline or since until Laffaye's score. Because the deadline is long passed, there is no cash prize with Laffaye's title.
“In 2005, a referee offered a bounty to anyone who could beat that score and no one was able to claim that bounty,” Patterson said.
Laffaye is a perennial gaming record breaker. He holds the record for Paperboy.
The next plateau, Patterson said, will be to hit 1 million points, something Laffay told Patterson might take six hours to achieve.
“Once they master these games … as long as they focus, they can go for a long time,” Patterson said.
