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Update: Billy Mitchell Comments On Score Removal And Ban
Update: Billy Mitchell has commented on the recent removal of his scores and ban by Twin Galaxies, which has also prompted Guinness World Records to take down his Donkey Kong scores. Speaking in a video to Old School Gamer Magazine, Mitchell says he is in the process of producing evidence that shows that "...everything was done professionally, according to the rules..." including witnesses and documents.
Take a look at his video statement here.
[Source: Old School Gamer Magazine]
Original Story:
Video game scorekeeper Twin Galaxies has decided to remove all of Billy Mitchell's scores from the organization's leaderboards as well as ban him from submitting future competitive scores. Some of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores came under scrutiny when it was alleged they were produced with an emulator running the game, against Twin Galaxies' rules. Mitchell's default means that his foil in the King of Kong documentary, Steve Wiebe, is Donkey Kong's first million-point record holder.
In an official statement, Twin Galaxies says it has "meticulously tested and investigated the dispute case assertions as well as a number of relevant contingent factors, such as the veracity of the actual video performances that the dispute claim assertions rely upon." Among those involved in the investigation are at least two third-party entities that did their own investigations and whose conclusions were "identical" to Twin Galaxies'.
One of those third parties, Carlos Pinerio, was engaged by Mitchell himself to investigate the matter "utilizing whatever original equipment Billy could provide." Twin Galaxies says that Mitchell had the opportunity to work on his own behalf but chose not to do so.
After this investigation, Twin Galaxies ruled that Mitchell's scores were not from an "original, unmodified DK arcade PCB [printed circuit board – ed.]," and regardless if Mitchell used a MAME emulator specifically as the original dispute claimed, the fact that the organization satisfactorily proved he used an unsanctioned machine is the crux of the matter.
Twin Galaxies says it has notified Guinness World Records, whom it works in conjunction with when it comes to video game records, of its decision.
[Source: Twin Galaxies]
Our Take
Twin Galaxies and its community appear to have done a thorough investigation of the matter, appropriately covering as many bases it can to be definitive. Kudos.
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