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Granted, the money payout is enviable. Everyone wants a chunk of that pot, right? But what worries me is that in order to insure a healthy and viable tournament scene, it would make sense to allow the winnings to trickle down from top three, to something around top eight (or top ten players).
Also, while there will always be a place for double-elimination style tournaments, I'm beginning to like the Swiss system for tournaments. It seems more fun and engaging then their double-elim counterparts.
How does it work?
Quite simple, really. Ever been in a chess tournament? It basically runs similar to that -- players will always be matched up with other similarly ranked players, and even if you lose two matches you can still continue playing on.
Say you win one game, but then lose one. In a Swiss styled tournament, you'd only play against people who also have one win and one loss. That helps even the playing field, ensuring each and every player fights someone on a (roughly) equal skill level as yourself. In the end, winners are determing by how many wins they've gained overall, and prizes and payouts can be awarded evenly.
I prefer this system because of the fact that if you go two losses in any double elimination setting, you're basically done. There's no reason to stick around anymore! But in a Swiss-style tournament, you can continue playing beyond just two games, making it more fun and engaging. Helps the venue out too, especially if you have food and drink available (which helps the Tournament Director and Organizers make more successive runs).
The next time we run a local event here, I'm going to try to push for a Swiss-style tournament. That's a guarantee.
For more information on Swiss-style tournaments, refer to the wiki article here.
Fun with "Wack Your Boss"
Have you ever wanted to find a way to make your boss shut up and stop coming into your personal office space, well here is a solution to that desire. Wack Your Boss is a great pastime game to redirect your frustrations and offers a quick release.
Whack Your Boss starts with your boss entering your office with a clip board and nagging you to death. Inside your office are 16 weapons of his mass destruction easily within your reach. How about using a stapler to clock him in the head and then staple his face. How about, grabbing that umbrella by the side of your desk and stabbing him. Nothing beats your trusty trash can to beat him over the head. This game is filled with funny graphics, animation, and best of all the blood.
I love this game, and you will too if: Your boss is a micro-manager, always standing over your shoulder. He makes you feel as if you're incompetent. This game will provide you the instant satisfaction of finding creative ways to "Wack Your Boss", with the items in your office and without the worry of paying the consequences. This is a get out jail free game, because you have your own private cleaner guy to take care of the mess. Play it and you will definitely want to return to work everyday just to "Wack Your Boss" another day. You may even end up chanting the phrase heard through-out the game "No When, No Want, No Worry".
And sometimes the opposite is true as well.
So how do you calculate risk vs reward? Paying attention to your opponent's patterns is a start. It's important to keep in mind all the options you have available to you at all times, and selectively catagorizing which move is appropriate for each situation.
Let's examine one particular move from Tekken: the hopkick (uf+4)
By itself, the hopkick is a very basic looking move. On hit, it knocks the opponent up into the air, allowing free damage. Hopkicks in Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion also carry another unique trait: they "crush" low attacks, meaning they're invulnerable to all low-hitting moves.
Why is it low-risk? Simple. Hopkicks benefit from the fact that on block they're -12 frames. That means that only moves that can come out in 12 frames can effectively punish it. In the world of Tekken, only jabs can reliably punish hopkicks, and for most of the cast there aren't very many jabs that can deal a whole lot of damage. At best, jab punishing will only turn the momentum in the opponent's favor, but it won't exactly destroy your health bar.
Look at it from your side. If you land a hopkick, you're liable to take away up to 40 to 50% of your enemy's health bar -- why wouldn't you want to throw out more of those! That's why hopkicks are extremely high-reward, low-risk moves.
There are other instances where the risk is minimal while the rewards are plentiful. In 2D fighters, jump in attacks can be considered high-reward, low risk moves. If you land a jump in, chances are you're going to follow it up into a combo. But if they other guy knocks you out of the air, you won't exactly lose a ton of life -- just that one opportunity of dishing out damage.
First off, I need to apologize to the guy who claimed he watched the Tekken 6 Nationals over the weekend. He was right. They did happen over the weekend. I was wrong about that. However, I won't apologize for the claim he made about the top three players being Bob users. That was flat out wrong. Not only that, but he was being a total couch warrior about the matches, saying how boring they were to watch and uninteresting.
I hate couch warriors.
The top place finisher was an old schooler from the Tekken Tag days named ChetChetty, a really phenomenal Paul user. Second place went to Mr. Naps, a very excellent Bryan user and Street Fighter player. Third went to another Tekken Tag player (who coincidentally is a former National champ for the U.S.) named Insanelee. He used Julia.
Congratulations to all the placers. Good luck in Japan guys; take home the world crown for the U.S.!
Youtube user Nyawu has a ton of match vids up from the event, which I'd recommend over the UFragTV stream. The UFragTV stream has 10 hours worth of coverage, but there's no timestamps around to tell you what exactly you're looking at, if you happen to skip around a bit.
Here's a sample match vid between Antonio and JTChinoi, a super-impressive Xiaoyu player:
The new Hori stick costs 12,800 yen and is only available at the Japanese online store. Hopefully Play-Asia will update their stocks soon with this hot new item!
Credit goes out to Deejay, for providing the link.
This game is titled "The Worlds Hardest Game", and that accurately describes it. I went to the game to see what it was all about and I must say, if you can get past the first level, you should feel really good about yourself. It is not as if you can't figure out what you are supposed to do to get past the first level, it is just difficult to actual do what you know you should do.
You are the red square and you are trying to avoid the blue balls, a pretty simple concept, but when the blue balls are going back and forth in the only area that you can move in to get to the other side, it starts to get tricky. You try to move your square while the blue balls are heading the other direction, but they are moving so quickly that you get hit and "die." I can not honestly say much more about the levels because I could not get past the 5th. There are 30 levels and I urge anyone who is wanting a challenging game to play this.
It is a simply concept that tests your reflexes while irritating you because you can't beat it. Worlds Hardest Game is addicting and worth your time.
Bloons Tower Defense 4: What a Blast!
Bloons Tower Defense 4 is a delightful game for beginners and advanced players alike. The graphics are very engaging. When you start a new game, you are able to choose which track you would like to begin. Once you get started, the music is very entertaining. You can drop different types of items around the track to blast balloons. It’s very entertaining when you realize the best positioning to gain points, and you can relax and let your choices play out.
I was able to position my balloon shooters in such a way that they successfully shoot a target every time. The health level is generous, and earning money can be done in one successful round. As you progress further into the game, you are provided more options in regard to fire power. The boomerang throwers were very clever and enjoyable to maneuver around the track. The Bomb Tower is especially effective and can be upgraded to a larger bomb or sold.
I recommend using the fast forward button which causes the game to progress faster for added excitement. Bloons TD 4 gets very interesting once you add the road spikes which blast colorful balloons immediately. This game is so appealing, even for a novice player; that it can easily become irresistible.
Play Bloons TD 4 or try another game of the Bloons series.
There's also more hidden moves that aren't listed in the game itself, and tekkenzaibatsu.com has a nice list of stuff you might have never have known about!
ST. LOUIS (Nov. 25, 2009) – The sun will have rotated on its axis more than three times, nearly 1.4 million babies will have been born worldwide and most Americans will have almost worked a full week by the time 16 Rock Band aficionados will have played Rock Band for 90 hours straight in their quest to become the Guinness World Record-Holder (Gamer’s Edition) for the Longest Relay Rock Band Concert – all while raising money for Child’s Play charity.
The event, known as The Rock-A-Thon powered by Energizer® Advanced Lithium, began on Friday, Nov. 27 at 12:05 a.m., when the first set of Rock Band™ players take the stage at the Meridian in Houston, Texas for the 90-hour marathon. Players include several professional gamers such as Robert Paz, a.k.a Prodigy X, Ciji “StaySlayer” Thorton and internet sensation and Guitar Hero II World Series of Video Games Champion Freddie Wong.
“We are excited to have some of the most renowned video gamers playing alongside us as we try to set the Guinness World Record for Longest Relay Rock Band concert,” said Paul Slawinski, President and Co-Founder of The Rock-A-Thon. “We hope people come out to watch the action and to help raise money for Child’s Play.”
For every fan that attends the epic 90-hour charity concert, Energizer, The Rock-A-Thon’s presenting sponsor, will donate $1 to Child’s Play, up to $5,000. Child’s Play is a community-based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry. The charity donates toys, video games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America.
“Now more than ever, charities are in need assistance, so we are thrilled to power The Rock-A-Thon and help raise money for Child’s Play,” said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing, North America for Energizer. “Our Energizer® Advanced Lithium batteries will allow for hours and hours of uninterrupted game play, helping The Rock-A-Thon rockers raise money and reach their record.”
Energizer® Advanced Lithium batteries provide 20 additional hours* of continuous playing time in wireless gaming accessories. In addition to offering long-lasting power, Energizer® Advanced Lithium has a shelf life of 10 years and weighs 33 percent less than an ordinary alkaline battery. The entire 90-hour performance will be streamed live at www.therockathon.com.
Going for the Record
The Rock-A-Thon members will be setting the first world record for the Longest Relay Rock Band concert. The event will kick-off with four of the 16 Rock-A-Thon members playing a seven-song set. After the opening set, the group will play in 50-song shifts of four people – one vocalist, one guitarist, one bassist, one drummer – plus two additional people for The Beatles™: Rock Band™ songs (which require three-part harmony in addition to the instruments). All songs will be played on the “expert setting.” After the full 90 hours is complete, The Rock-A-Thon members will have played more than 1,050 songs.
The event will be recorded and documented for submission to Twin Galaxies, the World’s official scorekeepers of video gaming records, according to Guinness World Records.
In addition to the donation made by Energizer, The Rock-A-Thon will be selling official “The Rock-A-Thon” t-shirts for $25 and raffle tickets for prizes like a year’s worth of Energizer® Advanced Lithium batteries. All proceeds will benefit Child’s Play. The event is free and open to the public.
* Compared to Energizer® MAX®. Results vary by play and/or usage patterns.
About Energizer
Energizer Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: ENR], www.energizer.com, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of primary batteries, battery-powered devices and flashlights. Energizer, a global leader in the dynamic business of providing portable power geared toward the new digital age, offers a full portfolio of products including the Energizer® MAX® premium alkaline brand; Energizer® Ultimate Lithium; Energizer® Advanced Lithium and Energizer® Rechargeable® batteries and chargers.
The Energizer product line also includes specialty batteries for hearing aids and medical devices, health and fitness devices, as well as for keyless remote entry systems, watches and other uses. Through its flashlight and lighting products unit, Energizer helps bring consumer insight and innovation to these important household devices. Energizer continues its role as a technology leader for on-the-go lifestyles with its Energizer® Energi To Go® line of portable battery-driven power packs for cell phones.
About The Rock-A-Thon
The Rock-A-Thon brings together 16 Rock Band aficionados from around the country for a nonstop four-day charity event to benefit Child’s Play, which raises money for books, toys and games at children’s hospitals around the world. For more information on The Rock-A-Thon or to make a donation, visit www.therockathon.com
To appreciate the true value, you can download the video from the official website (very slow ). I think that we' ve seen enough to fantasize about this game , although, as usual, we have no idea how the the game is gonna be mouse and keyboard in hand , it does not come out until late 2010, so be patient!
