I wonder if the authors are fans of Stargate Universe. The show's premise involves a key character being identified by success on a puzzle embedded in a video game.
I presume it is based on the film "The Last Starfighter" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087597/ - in which a teen perfects an arcade game, and is then selected as a pilot for the actual spacecraft.
I'm sure the name is from a much earlier movie (mid-80s), The Last Starfighter.