PROVO — Fight clubs are back in Provo, and police don't plan on doing anything about them.
The latest craze bearing the "Fight Club" name has little to do with the secret slugfests depicted in the Brad Pitt/Edward Norton movie "Fight Club" — the inspiration for Utah County college students who whipped up controversy in the summer of 2000 by mimicking the film.
Instead, the new fight clubs revolve around heated competitions that use video games battles to determine personal prowess.
"We were just trying to come up with a name for the tournament," said Brigham Young University student Will Phillips, who claims ignorance of Provo's campaign to ban fight clubs after word spread about the weekly boxing matches in remote parts of the county.
"Instead of having a physical fight, we're fighting through the video games," Phillips said.
While the milder nature of the new fight clubs is encouraging, the gaming tournaments aren't free from criticism. Growing concern about video game violence has many parents worried about Xbox-addicted children. A recent study estimated that more than 80 percent of the best-selling video games contain violence.
A fight club tournament today at Phillips' apartment will center around the game Halo, which is Microsoft Xbox's best-selling video game. With Halo 2 out for the holidays, the intergalactic adventure set in 2552 is luring more fans and more tournaments, thanks to Xbox Live — a cable modem that enables gamers from around the world to challenge each other.
"Bred for combat, built for war, you are the master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle and fear no enemy," reads the Halo description online.
The summary also describes each player's mission: to eliminate aliens known as the Covenant while learning more about Halo, an ancient world.
It is that quest, Phillips said, that eight four-man teams will focus on during today's virtual contest. The battles get intense and create serious competition between the teams, which are all determined to be the top fighters. Some fights last five to six hours.
"Even when you lose, it's just fun to play it against other real-life people," Phillips said. "Instead of playing against a computer, it's somebody sitting right next to you."
Utah Valley authorities say they favor the gaming tournaments over the original Provo Fight Club. Safety concerns about that club's unregulated brawls spurred Provo to adopt an ordinance banning all fights held without permission from the mayor, proper safety equipment, enough toilet facilities for the crowds and a medical doctor present.
Failure to comply with those regulations could get fighters and fight promoters cited for a class B misdemeanor if spotted by police.
After the ordinance's inception, however, the club died a quick death, and subsequent talk of a Fight Club resurgence has been a rumor until now.
"As long as it's confined to video games at homes, it's just something I don't see as being a real issue," Provo city spokesman Mike Mower said. "It doesn't sound illegal to me."
"We don't have any problem with kids linking up their video games," Provo police officer George Besendorfer said.
The game Halo, with its arsenal of weapons, has been described as violent. But player Steve Gustavson said that its message is ultimately benign.
"It's probably not half as bad as the movies people see each day," said Gustavson, a BYU student. "It's not going to make me shoot anybody."
Repeated exposure to shock-and-awe graphics in virtual reality was among the reasons cited for a recent incident involving three Taylorsville teens.
In that case, the three boys, who were arrested after a high-speed chase in Long Beach, Calif., allegedly planned a cross-country crime and killing spree.
The boys, accused of stealing a truck, guns and ammunition, reportedly said the plot was hatched after an Xbox was taken away from one of them.
"That's just childish," Phillips said. "It's a real minority in the gaming population who do that kind of stuff."
Despite some criticism and a controversial name, Phillips said he plans on bringing continued entertainment to Xbox junkies. And, for now, there appears to be no opposition.
"Anything that's legal we're happy with," Besendorfer said. "Games are better than fists."
E-MAIL: lwarner@desnews.com