Once upon a time I was considering going pro as a Halo player. No joke. I was in college, logging several hours of play a day and winning local tournaments as often as I could find them. Being in college, though, I was dead broke, unable to afford the plane ticket and lodging it would cost to to get from central Ohio to one of the early MLG tournaments with hopes of landing a team spot and competing at the national level. At the time, pro gaming, at least for consoles, was just getting its start, and there wasn’t another venue that would offer that kind of opportunity before I was set to graduate and find myself in need of gainful employment.

If you’re in that same situation, things have gotten a bit better. There are loads of pro leagues all over the country, and regional tourneys happen all the time. Breaking into the MLG scene can still be pretty tough, which is why Doritos has put together the Pro Gaming Combine in select cities around the country. You still have to get there, and there is an entry fee, but pro gaming has reached a point that, if you’re any good, you can easily get noticed at an event like this and start to make a name for yourself.

The combine runs for three days at a time with both team and solo categories. Players who demonstrate the highest level of “slaying power, teamwork/communication, leadership, objective play and support play” will be selected for further evaluation by the MLG Scout Team and given an opportunity to play at an MLG Pro Circuit event and an invite to the National Championship Competition, all expenses paid. Combine registration is $100 per team or $10 per player, which is much better than the actual circuit tickets last time I checked.

For the date and location schedule, check out the official page at MLG. There will be several online events leading up to each tourney, giving you the chance to see how you stack up before spending that Hamilton or Benjamin on your registration.

There’s a nice discussion happening on the forums about Pantheon’s position in the game. I’ve included my response below, but be sure to check out the entire post. After a few weeks, what do you think? Does he need some buffs? Some nerfs? Is melee DPS just not fun enough?

I think he’s in a great spot – definitely some of the highest utility of any melee DPS champ while churning out solid damage. Unfortunately, a lot of people try to build attack speed and don’t scale like they think they should. An early bloodthirster is easily the best thing you can do for yourself. The damage puts Heartseeker through the roof, making attack speed practically unnecessary (everything dies in 3 hits). Once you have that you can pick up some survivability and a little attack speed for later in the game.

I will say, I don’t care for his passive. Yes, it’s a nice laning tool and the only passive counter to Deceive and Parrrley (it’s also saved me from a few Blitz crits), but I feel like I get very little use out of it once you get past level 13 or so. From there on that shield just doesn’t save me often enough to care about it. I have not played many high survivability builds with him, so it’s hard for me to say if it’s better when you have some more health. I’ll give it some serious testing and post some thoughts if I remember.

He definitely struggles late game as most melee DPS does. Again, I have to test some survivability builds to see what I can make work.

Original Post

I can’t imagine why this would ever be the case. I mean, the original Bioshock is like $15 most places, often less. Why you still wouldn’t have the game, or haven’t played through the game, is totally beyond me. I suppose it is possible, though, so this deal is still worth mentioning.

When you pre-order Bioshock 2 from Direct2Drive they’ll throw in a copy of the original for free. You can get the same deal on Steam if you prefer the Valve method. Hell, even if you have the first this is still a great deal. Install the original on a friend’s machine who just refused to buy it.

Bioshock 2 releases Tuesday, along with Dante’s Inferno.

Samuel Lassoff is sick of buying up Xbox Live points and, as an attorney, he decided to do something about it. He’s suing Microsoft, claiming that the Xbox Live point system “unjustly enriches” the company by forcing users to buy point bundles that can’t be used in their entirety.

It seems weird that it’s the unjustly enriching that we’re worried about, not the exploitation of the consumer. There are plenty of companies out there getting unjustly rich off all sorts of scams. Target’s recent video game setup service is a great example. Whatever the reason, though, I’m glad to see someone get indignant enough to try their hand at stopping the giant in its tracks.

Microsoft said recently that it never meant for the points system to confuse people, but that just can’t be true. What other reason is there for inventing a currency system that isn’t 1-1. Branding? No. Anything else? No, not really. Luckily, it’s about to change, and with impending litigation it may change sooner than expected.

Source: Information Week

As you’ve probably seen, next week’s free hero rotation will include another new champion. Most people agree that it’s going to be Pantheon, so I’ve got a little preview of the Spartan hero for you.

Lore:
Far above the clouds on Mount Gargantuan resides a stalwart tribe of people known as the Stanpar who still revere combat and war as penultimate art forms. They remember the Runewars of Runeterra and know that the League of Legends can only repress the rising tides of violence for so long. Each member of the tribe is bred to be a disciplined and vicious warrior, preferring to battle soldiers of either the Noxian or Demacian armies only when outnumbered at least ten to one. Stanpar warriors are trained not only to be as lethal with their bare hands as the most capable martial artists, but also to fiercely wield the many relic-weapons of the tribe. Such treasures have been handed down from generation to generation, and have harnessed the mystical nature of Runeterra in their very cores. These relic-weapons are among the most dangerous in existence – and it comes as no surprise that they have found their way to the League of Legends in the hands of Pantheon. This stone-faced warrior is a paragon of his people, his very existence an anthem of exultation to the art of combat. Pantheon found it insulting that the people of Valoran would install an organization to replace war, complete with so-called champions, without including the Stanpar. Gathering the blessings of his tribe and armed with the relics of his ancestors, he has descended on the League to show the world a true warrior. He cares not who he fights, cares nothing for the pageantry or prestige of a League champion, but lives only for the austere glory of battle. As long as Pantheon breathes, he thirsts for another foe to vanquish.

Abilities:
Spear Shot: Pantheon hurls his spear at an opponent.

Aegis of Zeonia: Pantheon leaps at an enemy and bashes them with his shield, stunning them in the process. Pantheon also refreshes his Aegis Protection.

Heartseeker Strike: Pantheon unleashes 5 swift strikes to the area in front of him. Pantheon also becomes more aware of his enemy’s vital spots, allowing him to always critically strike enemies below 20% health.

Grand Skyfall: Pantheon composes himself, and them leaps into the air to a target location, striking all enemy units in an area. Enemies closer to the center of the impact take more damage.

Aegis Protection (Passive): After 4 attacks or spellcasts, Pantheon will block the next normal attack made against him that deals over 40 damage.

Riot seems to be taking a new direction with heroes: damage avoidance. We first saw it with Poppy and her damage reducing passive, which, when paired with her crazy ultimate makes her very difficult to kill. Now we have Pantheon, a hero with a passive block and skills that automatically block or refresh his chance to block. It’s going to be a rough week.

Source: LoL Forums

HanbitSoft, the Korean publisher responsible for keeping the MMOHellgate going in the East, has just finalized the purchase of all North American and European publishing rights for the series. What does that mean for you? It means Hellgate is back, baby.

The company has been talking about doing this for a long time, it just never really happened. HanbitSoft has owned the IP for Hellgate since 2008, it was just missing the regional publishing rights. Now that those are out of the way, you can step back into the creepy and often depressing world that will be renamed Hellgate: Resurrection.

“Hellgate: Resurrection is heading towards success in Korea such that we decided to push ahead with launching the game overseas next year,” HanbitSoft CEO Kee-Young Kim said. “We will do our best to get the game to the fans as soon as possible.”

As the new year turns, I’m always compelled to look back on the previous year and think on what I played the most. 2009 was a strange year. I moved 700 miles across the country. I started writing for this blog and another, and I read a ton.

In short, I was busy, and it made a significant impact on my gaming. I cancelled my WoW subscription in favor of games that require less time. I purchased a console with hopes of finding new, less time-intensive titles. I bought more arcade titles on Steam than ever before. For all my efforts, though, I didn’t find my must-play game of 2009 until December.

I got an email from a real-life friend and former WoW buddy. He said he and another friend had picked up League of Legends, a free game that looked a lot like DotA. I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a big DotA fan, so I was immediately interested. Ten minutes into my first play session and I was hooked. The game is like DotA’s sexy younger sister, so much prettier and inexplicably more developed.

I’ll spare you most of the details, and just touch on a few of my favorites. First, the game is free. Don’t let that scare you away, though. The developers update the servers weekly and continue development for new heroes and maps. It’s the most well supported free game I’ve played in a long time.

Secondly, there’s a meta-game. This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a very cool addition for what can be a repetitive genre. The appeal of the game is that you can complete a full game in under an hour, farming up items for your hero along the way. Once that game is done, though, the items are gone. For League of Legends, the developers added the summoner system, a game interface that allows you to purchase new heroes, upgrade your stats for every game you play, and purchase cosmetic enhancements for your characters. The bonuses are small, but you can unlock nearly all of them through gameplay. It ends up feeling like a much more immersive game because there’s something to do outside each individual game. Think of it like the farming/grinding/what-have-you that you do between raids.

Lastly, the game is well-supported. I know I mentioned this above, but Riot Games, the developer, is heavily committed to the game. They release new heroes, are working on new maps, and continue to fiddle with an underwhelming matchmaking system. The game is by no means perfect at this point, but they continue to work at it. That’s good enough for me to keep playing.

If you haven’t done so, head over to the official site and give the game a look. There’s even a special section for DotA converts. What was your must-play game of 2009?

I’ve often wished that my gaming skills would land me a swanky job (they kind of have, being that I write here), as I’m guessing a lot of gamers have. The British government wants to grant that wish, and it’s using Xbox Live to do a little recruiting. According the UK’s Guardian, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) will be running ads in Call of Duty (presumably MW2), Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin’s Creed II to try to attract “quick-thinking 18- to 34-year-olds to its ranks.”

Not only will the agency be running ads, it will be using the games to monitor a players teamwork, problem-solving skills, and mental acuity. To be honest, I think the old GCHQ could use a mental acuity test. This thing sounds great from the inside, but for the people who have to monitor the candidates of this job hunt, it will probably be a nightmare. Imagine all of the dreck you’d have to swim through just to find a decent, motivated candidate. No offense, gamers, but we come from all walks of life, and my guess is that the pool of players has a similar thoughtless-blob-to-productive-genius ratio to the rest of the world.

The GCHQ sees it differently, though. “…the fact remains that many potential candidates remain unaware of GCHQ and what we do. Using video on Xbox LIVE helps carry our message to the right people in a creative and innovative manner.” Whatever you say, spokeswoman. Just don’t put me on the search committee.

Source: Guardian

If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em. That’s Gamestop’s new take on digital distribution anyway. At an analyst only conference this week, the used game/accessory retailer “detailed” its plans for entering digital distribution. I say “detailed” because the company’s “plan” is, ah, underdeveloped to say the least.

For now Gamestop plans to: 1 – increase in-store sales of online currency cards for online game purchases, 2 – make more games available for digital distro, and 3 – make a “strategic investment” in the market or buy an existing digital distro house. Really smashing ideas guys. Now what’s the actual plan.

Obviously the most concrete idea is number three, but that’s also the hardest to accomplish. Both Valve and IGN (News Corp.) would be reluctant to part with Steam or Direct2Drive. As for other distro houses, nothing else is nearly so well established, and that would mean competing directly with two established and extremely popular alternatives. Back to the drawing board, fellas.

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a company called Gunnar Optiks to do a review of some eyewear. The product line is designed for people living a digital lifestyle, e.g. gamers, bloggers, tech enthusiasts and the like. I was skeptical at first, particularly when the initial contact mentioned Soulja Boy as a client, but after a couple weeks of use I have to say I’m impressed with Gunnar’s product and I think the company has some potential, it just won’t be easy.

The Company
The pitch:

Gunnar Optiks is the leading provider of digital performance eyewear designed to enhance computer use by relieving the effects that stem from prolonged viewing of computer screens and other digital devices such as PDAs, cell phones, and blackberries.

It’s a tough sell, really. Sure, there are millions of people using the listed devices on a daily basis, but convincing people to buy a product that requires a lifestyle change, particularly if the product is good for them, is never easy. It takes clever marketing, some healthy press time, and truly great product.

Gunnar is apparently aware of all these things. Marketing materials reinforce a cohesive brand and my press contact was very helpful answering questions. Above all, though, Gunnar delivers a solid product, which is what this review is all about.

The Glasses
As I said in the beginning, I was a skeptic from the start. On first use, though, I had a feeling Gunnar just might win me over. The glasses look great and fit well. They’re light and put minimal pressure above the ears, a necessity for prolonged use. Like many sport glasses, the Gunnar lenses I received have a yellow tint designed to increase contrast. Computer screens look bright and any movement stands out immediately. The tint is perfect for indoor lighting, though if you sit facing a window you may feel things get a little bright around midday. The lenses obviously distort colors so graphic artists beware.

From a gaming perspective, the additional contrast significantly enhances the experience. I noticed the difference most in FPS titles like Halo 3 and Team Fortress 2. In both cases I felt more responsive and aware of movement. Colors seem brighter and it gets a little easier to pick your enemy out of the background.

Gunnar technology is about more than tint, though. The lenses are treated with something the company calls “i-AMP,” a coating designed to filter glare from your surroundings to relieve eye strain. The lens geometry, call “fRACTYL,” also reduces eye strain by “pre-focusing” light that enters the eye. It produces a magnifying effect, making things seem ever so slightly larger. Gunnar has assured me this is just the pre-focusing, which leaves less work for the eye.

The Verdict
Anyone who spends a significant amount of time in front of a computer screen could probably benefit from a pair of Gunnars. The full product line offers glasses designed for digital viewing in almost any light condition. The technology behind the glasses has more substance than I initially expected, which Gunnar will need to sell the idea to the general public.

Gamers will love the enhanced contrast for fast-paced titles that require a lot of attention to detail. For the everyday user, Gunnars are an excellent tool for reducing eyestrain during general computer use. To get a closer look at Gunnar and its product line, be sure to check their official website: www.gunnars.com.