“The Killer Instinct” and Interview with Eugene “Kpb” Lugo

 

Pro had the chance to interview Eugene” Kpb” Lugo on his recent win of the PRO 2014 Killer Instinct” UGR Tournament” and his experience with Fighting games and just how long he has been playing them. Enjoy!

PRO Gaming:Congratulations on winning our 2014 Killer Instinct Tournament Eugene. On behalf on PRO and UGR I want to say thank you for taking the time to chat with us and give us some insight into the world of competitive Fighting games.How  long have you been playing Killer Instinct either in this iteration or past versions?

Eugene: I’ve been a long term fan playing the game since the original on the SNES home console. I was pretty young when getting the game but was attracted to it because it came as a black cartridge with a soundtrack. The music definitely makes the game, lol. I played Killer Instinct Gold when it was in the arcades and always stuck with my main character, Fulgore. I recently brought an Xbox One specifically to compete in this game. Safe to say I love the series

PRO Gaming:Compared to other fighting games on the market how do you feel that Killer Instinct stands up with its game play and graphics?

Eugene:I think the game is a great fit along side other fighters that are out right now. Casually it’s easy to pick up and play. The basic mechanics of the game are easy to get use to within the first few minutes of playing and the game just looks amazing. On the technical side of the game I believe it has it’s elements of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Overall it’s good for anyone to pick up and play.

PRO Gaming: At what point did you decide to start playing games competitively versus just on a casual basis with friends.

Eugene: I started playing competitively back in the tail end of 2009. That’s when Street Fighter was the dominant fighting game out (Mortal Kombat and Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 released in 2011). I use to be a big time “Online Warrior” and decided to take my skills further. I started by going to local tournaments and slowly found my way to attending Majors. It wasn’t an easy start but getting out there is the only way to get battle hardened.

PRO Gaming: The competitive E sport “ Fighting game” community is a very Clicky crowd. Have you had any challenges in becoming a part of that community and if so how have you adjusted to it in your dealings?

Eugene:The Fighting Game Community (FGC) is very intimidating at first. There’s groups withing groups of people. Looking at it from the outside can be very scary. First starting out I didn’t know many people besides my friends that started with me. I knew a lot of people by face from watching streams but that was about it. As time went on and competitions became more frequent for me that’s when I started to become comfortable with the people I consistently saw. Everyone in the FGC is very welcoming, shockingly enough all you have to do is say hi. I’m proud to say that within the FGC I represent a group called Kick-Punch-Block (KPB). I joined up with them in late 2012 and they’re like my extended family.  Little groups like these make being a part of the FGC worth wild.

PRO Gaming: With this event in particular I know that your level of competition was varied. You displayed some very good sportsmanship that is not very common in competitive gaming these days. Do you find that your experiences with tournament play have been rewarding and positive overall?

Eugene: You always have to look at tournaments as a learning experience. I’ve played against many great players in the past (Justin Wong, Chris G, Yipes, Sanford Kelly) and it’s always been a lesson more than a match. My reward is knowing that with every tournament I go to I grow as a player. Placing high at tournaments gets me recognition by other players and I can help set an example for others.

PRO Gaming: Can you tell us what about Killer Instinct resonates with players currently and also what do you think about the design choice of Double Helix to go with a FREE TO PLAY model for its game.

Eugene:There’s a lot of HYPE when playing this game. Combo breakers and Ultras along side the original voice actor for these actions make the game very nostalgic for some of us. Double Helix hit the nail on the head when introducing the FREE TO PLAY aspect of the game. Letting the casual player tryout a different character monthly gives a person something new to look forward to as time goes on.

PRO Gaming: Can you give us a quick run-down of some of the other competitive events and tournaments you have participated in?

Eugene:Mostly all East Coast Majors… East Coast Throwdown 2-5, NEC 13 and 14, Summerjam 7, Apex 2012 and 2014, Defend The North. I’ve also attended Next Level a lot for their Battle Circuit series and various other locals in New York. My Group Host Casuals every Friday as well in Westchester, New York.

PRO Gaming:Who is your favorite Killer Instinct character at this moment and are there any characters you are waiting for?

Eugene: Man I guess my favorite would have to be Sabrewulf. He’s gotten me twice to top 4 at the last 2 tournaments I’ve been to. As soon as Fulgore gets released I will make the switch to him. There’s no way I would let my main character from the previous versions slip right by me, lol

PRO Gaming:Thanks Eugene, once again I want to say thank you for taking the time to answer our questions  as well as being an ambassador for this game. We hope that we see you at future events we host and keep kicking ass out there!

Eugene:Thanks again for having me guys and I look forward to participating in future events!

Dwayne “ EVO Knight” Morash

 

Alpha Heresey Tournament Results are in!

 

 

 

Another Event has wrapped and we have yet another team of players standing victorius above everyone else.

What seperates this event from all the others we have run is that the participants are all a part of a highly organized community of teams ( or chapters as they call them) that bump shoulders with each other more often than most.

Welcome to the Space Marine PS3 community!

First lets get to the Tournament results.

Alpha Heresey was our second event centered around the game SPACE MARINE from THQ. This outing catored to the Playstation 3 community and saw 6 teams vying for top position as the Spreme Champions.
It was a double elimination event with teams comprised of 8 players each. In this case the teams adopted the nonclementure of the various chapters in the Warhammer 40k table top game.

The game mode being played was ” Ground Control” and was essentiall a objective based game mode with a score total determing the winner not a kill counter.

After all the dust settled there stood a single team that managed to stay one step ahead of all the other teams as they navigated there way through our tournament bracket

And the winners were…..THE SALAMANDERS: SONS OF VULKAN

 

Heres what they had  to say about there win and some tid bits about the state of the game Space Marine

EGU: Congratulations on your win guys. So an  important question…did you have fun?

SOV: Lyght: I had a lot of fun out there, it’s just a game and all, but there was still time to get anxious/nervous

Velcona: Yes I had a lot of fun but it was also stressful, it was fun because we were competing and it was a very good experience, with many highs and lows but overall very fun and exiting.

EGU: We have now hosted 2 Space Marine events here at EGU; what’s your thoughts on the reason this game is able to pull in a large following a year after release?

SOV: Brother Ra: As a 40k fan, I have played the dawn of war series, and I always imagined if I could control one of the characters, that would give me a better feel of the 40k universe. Now here we are, a game that gets me right in the action, it’s almost an extension of me. This game brings out your imagination and expectations. You gain a brotherhood with other players and feel you are in a role playing atmosphere. No two matches are the same and the desire to get better pushes me everyday I game.

EGU: How long have you guys been playing as an organized team and have you had any challenges assembling an 8 man team to compete with?

SOV:Wolfcarn: I have only been with the Salamanders for a month now, and since then its usually just practices or group up into public matches.

Damlet: Our Chapter Master Brother_ra put this chapter together 4 to 5 five months ago and I’ve been a member for the last two months so while I’ve been a salamander I’ve noticed that the hardest issue is to coordinate team members to be online being that they are from all over the world.

EGU: If you where to single out a specific team in the event and there strengths what team would it be?

SOV: Manik Box: even though I was unable to participate against soul drinkers, but what I can gather they are an ideal chapter to verse

Brother Ra: The soul drinkers, they are a awesome relentless chapter, you cant ever sit back on them, they can put a lead on you that you cant recover from or they can come from behind and take a game away from you. The soul drinkers are very organized and we expected to see them or the Blood Hunters in the finals.

EGU: Does your team actually coordinate practice sessions between events or you guys just flying by the seat of your pants out there?

SOV:Lyght: Sadly due to real life stuff I was not able to train very often with my brothers, but I knew that our chapter master had lead our practices involving live fire to practice for this event.

Velcona: We do practice, but with companies or a group of guys but were trying to practice more but when we battled we had a plan and we followed it and because the Chapter Master knows his brothers he knew who should do what and how. Only a few battle plans were practiced, most were more done based off of past battles.

Wolfcarn: We have weekly training that is really show up if you can and we will just wack each other around for a little bit. When we have actually chapter battles we start setting up multiple practices were we try to cover everything we can think of.

EGU: Thank you for taking some time to chat. Make sure you “wear” your victory well because as you know when you’re on top there’s only one direction to go…

SOV:Damlet: Thank you for giving us this chance to walk the path of victory even though we got victory when we became salamanders. Salamanders we shall prevail!

Manik box: should hold tournaments more often.

Brother Ra: We were prepared to be in this position and have been training for an opportunity like this, we will remain competitive. We don’t take anything for granted and never underestimate an opponent. I have learned a lot and plan on making my chapter better. We still have a lot of great talent we were not able to use. Thank you EGU. Feel free to check us out at sonsofvulkan.webs.com.

Dwayne”EVO Knight”Morash

Putting the “PRO” in proffesional gamer: An interview with Tyler Mozingo

EVO Unlimited was honored to have a MLG pro take time from his day to day sessions of ass kicking other player to speak with us about what it means to be a PRO level gamer and how to keep focused in an industry that temps you to play so many games month after month

EVO: Hi Calm. can I call you that or do you prefer MG or Mentally?

A: You can call me Tyler, i don’t really like being called by my gamer tag *laughs*

EVO: Before we get going I wanted to clarify for our readers out there…are you or do you consider yourself a “PRO” gamer and if so what defines that title for you?

A:I consider myself a “PRO” player yes. What separates “pros” from “amateurs” is their dedication and drive to get better. The only way to get better at really any game is to practice how you play, meaning you go as hard as you can every game no matter what is or isn’t on the line. You can only climb from there and playing with better people also helps improve your game.

EVO: I have had the opportunity to see you play in a couple events now and there is no denying your skill and specifically in the HALO field. What did you have to do to attain that level of ability and do you find it hard to keep it up to the level that you demand of yourself?

A:Being on a professional level at any game demands a lot of time and dedication and especially practice…LOTS of practice.

EVO :Do you find that certain genre’s of games or game mechanics are more conducive to you succeeding at them ie. FPS versus Third Person shooters?

A: Well majority of FPS players do have a little bit of trouble when switching to or trying out a 3rd person shooter mainly in the beginning. Once I or other FPS players get used to the movement and physics it’s pretty much a slay fest from there *laughs*

EVO:The game industry seems to be a never-ending onslaught of new games and specifically within the shooting genre. Being a devout HALO player what do you look for in an other shooting games in order to add it to your portfolio?

A: A few things i look for are competitiveness, smooth gameplay and good ol having fun at the same time as performing.

EVO:  So off the HALO topic for a minute…What games have you been playing lately or have you stuck with that franchise loyally?

A: Im not just a devout halo fan; i play a variety of other games such as Battlefield 3 for instance. I’ve been playing this constantly since it’s been out.

EVO: Tell us about that a bit more ie. what is your driving force that makes you play that particular game?

A: Not only is Battlefield 3 really enjoyable and realistic but there is also a 1.6 Million dollar tournament coming up soon so I’ve been practicing really hard for that.

EVO: You recently participated in the Gottacon 2012  HALO Reach Event; tell us about that experience and what it was like to play up here in Canada vs your home in the US.

A: I had an amazing in Canada especially with my gaming buddies Vorlin, ExceL and Conker. Gottacon was definitely a change for me only because I hadn’t played halo 2 weeks leading up to the tournament but i still managed to take the W. It was a really fun experience for me i hope i can make it for next years Gottacon!!!

EVO: Are you planning on participating in any events this year regardless of what game it is?

A:Besides the BF3 tournament im not really focusing on any other game. If there are some local tournaments around me for halo or something i will for sure be attending but as far as MLG Events go im putting those on hold until Halo 4 comes out.

EVO: For all of our readers out there who want to get into competitive gaming but are not sure about the community that drives it what can you give them for advice to make a easy transition from casual gamer to Competitive gamer?

A: Like i said the best things to do to transition from a casual gamer to a competitive gamer are 1) Dedication 2) Practice 3) Drive   if you have those 3 key elements you will be a competitive game in no time!!

EVO: Thank you very much for taking sometime and speaking with us today and I hope we hear all about your online exploits as the year goes on.

A: It was an honor to be interview by the one and only Dwayne!! If you ever wanna do other interviews don’t hesitate to ask!!

Dwayne”EVO Knight” Morash

Clan Spotlight: Fox Hound

EVO: Thanks for taking time out of your day to chat with us about your Clan guys. Lets start with your roster. How many  gamers make up Fox Hound exactly and who are they ?

II SoLiDuZ II : We are getting new recruits everyday.

II SoLiDuZ II                   PrideFulSeven       xGrimm 420            oAL Capwn                     madki11

IISoLiD SnaKeII              x OriginalSZ       AirWaffleCakes           Achilles Strife

Cloud Strife 7               crawler2000          DevilsEve                 Undeadassassins

MLP Killer                     DrooLeR11              I3ashy                    Kof Foxy

EVO: So what was the inspiration behind the name “ Fox Hound” ?

II SoLiDuZ II : The FoxHound name comes from the Metal Gear Solid series, the 2 leaders IISoLiD SNaKeII and I are big Metal Gear Solid fans and choose to name our clan after the best Unit in the Metal Gear Solid games.

IISoLiD SNaKeII:  Our clan name comes from a group of mercenaries named FoxHound that band together under one unit  for one cause.So they can use stealth and tactically to eliminate all opposition.

EVO: How did all of you guys manage to come together and actually form a dedicated clan that takes competitive gaming seriously?

II SoLiDuZ II : After IISoLiD SNaKeII and I left another clan we decide to make our own clan.We were always competitive gamers and wanted to get more gamers like us .

EVO: How long has Fox Hound been playing together as an organized unit and have  you found it difficult coordinating with each other’s schedules and Real life commitments?

II SoLiD SNaKeII : The clan was made in September last year , and no we take time out to play or just even talk in party chat each week.

EVO: One of the stigmas attached to organized clans and competitive gamers is their superior attitudes and larger than life personalities when it comes to playing games competitively. You guys seem pretty chill and easy-going; is that something you have had to consciously work at or are you really that way in general.

II SoLiDuZ II : I am always laid back im just a cool person everyone loves me lol.

IISoLiD SNaKeII : I am laid back also but I will verbally assassinate you if you get on my nerves.

Pridefulseven : I am pretty chill and sometimes i like being asshole playing around.

EVO:  When you talk about  “ Clans” to non competitive gamers the first thing that comes to mind is an elitist “ Gamer Club” that caters only to the best of the best and usually admittance into that club comes with a long set of rules and requirements handed out by the clan leader. Is this something you have also implemented in your recruiting and what exactly does someone have to do to become a member of Fox Hound?

II SoLiDuZ II : For us now you have to go through tryout to see how good you are , but if you’re a really cool person you can still get in.

II SoLiD SNaKe II : As far as the requirements they must have good teamwork skills, communication and can play a decent amount of time out of the week.

oAL Capwn : I think that the clan shouldn’t have racist or socially retarded people in it lol.

EVO:  You recently took part in an ONLINE Tournament hosted by the EVO Gaming League for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. That game received some pretty major thrashing in the media and on the established gaming review sites. What are your thoughts on the state of the game after launch compared to other competitive shooters and do you think hosting comepetitive events based around that game is a good idea?

II SoLiDuZ II  : I love the game and everything I expected i got out of the game besides a couple of glitchs that can be easily patched.I think it’s a great  idea to host competitive events , even tho we didn’t win the tourney our clan have a lot of fun and we will actually practice this time before the next  tourney lol.

Pridefulseven : I think the game is great it just has its little its flaws.

EVO: Now having said that, you guys did not win that particular event . Do you  think that Fox Hound will continue to support that game in the future ?

II SoLiDuZ II : We will definitely support Resident Evil ORC in the future , we all love the game.

Pridefulseven : Of course just because the other teams won doesn’t mean we will stop playing they just got luck we didn’t practice more lol.

EVO: What has the been the biggest challenge you have faced as a team; whether that be an opponent, a tournament or even just some personal challenges you’ve faced along the way?

 II SoLiDuZ II : Our biggest challenge was some personal stuff that happened but we got through it .

EVO: After all is said and done , would you recommend gamers out there taking steps to organize themselves into a cohesive unit like you have and what are some steps they can take to get them off on the right foot?

II SoLiDuZ II : I would recommend others to start a clan but they need to have patience and have time have fun and play games.And i would tell them don’t go for quantity go for quality , because you can have a lot of members but none of them stay to long , i like to get loyal members.

Pridefulseven : I would advise people to start they own clan if they want to, its is a great way to meet people.And the tips i would give is have people who loves playing games and good at the them who all get along.

EVO: I want to thank you guys for taking time away from your games to chat with us about yourselves and what Fox Hound is all about. Before I sign off I have to ask all of you guys; with all the new shooters coming out this year what does the future of Fox Hound hold. Are you guys going your separate ways when they start rolling in or do you have a handful that you’ve decided you are going to focus on as a unit?

II SoLiDuZ II : We will be making a Halo 4 , Ghost Recon and maybe even a Rainbow Six division when all of those new games come out.And the clan is like a XBOX family we will be around for a long time.

Pridefulseven : No , there might be new games coming out but its doesn’t mean it will break up the clan. Actually it will increase the members and depth in the clan because we will have more divisions.

EVO: Thanks again guys and We will be sure to keep an eye on your exploits this year and hope to see more of your gameplay Videos as well. Keep up the good work.

II SoLiDuZ II : I haven’t uploaded anything since the tourney but i will be soon.If any has request on what kind of Resident Evil ORC videos they want i ill take them.And thanks for interviewing us and putting us on the front page lol. FoxHound For Life

Pridefulseven : Dont let me catch you guys on Resident Evil ORC multiplayer alone lol.

EVO: Fox Hound has several homes on the internet and you can learn more about them as well as checking out their gameplay videos by going to the following sites

FoxHound Clan Site : http://www.wix.com/thebest666/foxhoundclan#!

II SoLiDuZ II : Youtube Channel  : https://www.youtube.com/user/IITreyII?feature=mhee

Cloud Strife 7 : Youtube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/user/sherrie553

Dwayne” EVO Knight” Morash

Killer Beauty: A female gamers perspective on Competitive gaming

Competitive Video Gaming has long been the domain of the male portion of the gaming population with the female gamers being stereotyped as the ones who prefer to sit on the couch and play Mario Bros. or  strut their stuff in Dance Central.

EVO Unlimited was fortunate enough to get an interview with a dedicated gamer who not only breaks the  above mentioned stereotype but might even give anyone who steps into the virtual arena with her a run for their money!

Her name is Tammy Sue and yes guys…she is a “Girl Gamer”

Hello Tammy. Thank you for taking some time today to talk to us about your journey into the world of competitive gaming. I want to get some basic stuff out-of-the-way and well get on to the juicy stuff in a bit.

EVO Unl: I know it’s not proper to ask but for the readers at home; how old are you? 

Tammy:I am 38 just proving even more games are no longer just for kids’ lol

EVO Unl: What was the first Video Game that you remember playing and what system?

 Tammy:I would have to say the Atari system and it was some command and conquers game to many years to remember the exact name. Yes dating myself even further lol

EVO Unl:What interested you about playing video games versus other forms of entertainment that is available to us?

Tammy:I have a pretty good balance of many different forms of entertainment, I just like on-line gaming because you have the ability to interact with people from all over the world and have fun doing so.  And where else are you going to be able to blow stuff up without getting in a world of trouble lol

EVO Unl:How long have you been playing games of a competitive nature?

Tammy:For about 4 years on the PS3 and about 10 on computers

EVO Unl:Do you have a preferred platform to game on (Xbox, PS3, Wii, PC etc…) and if so what attracts you to that platform in particular.

Tammy:Well I am a diehard PS3 player and I prefer the Battlefield games I have been playing those since bad company 1 and still a huge fan with battlefield 3. I love the team play and it takes and the interaction with your fellow gamers to have a fully enjoyable gaming experience.

EVO Unl:What are you currently playing in the way of competitive games?

Tammy: I play a wide range of games but at the moment I mainly focus my attention to Battlefield 3.

EVO Unl:What do you like about BattleField3?

Tammy:Well I like the play style and ability to use the mics and the team play based game play. And the graphics are awesome.

EVO Unl:What are your thoughts on the overall state of battlefield 3?

Tammy: I love blowing stuff up on the game and kicking butt and taking tags. And must say thou my biggest dislike is people using  defrag to hide in places and just random fire and getting kills for aiming at doors lol but there are upsides and downsides to every game.

EVO Unl:Do you find that female gamers get enough respect when it comes to the world of competitive gaming and the community that surrounds it?

Tammy:No not always when I first began to play people would stayed teamed up with me for many matches UNTIL I would use my mic and they heard I was female lol and I personally get a lot of hate mail each day from fellow male gamers who just cannot handle a female in their game let alone doing better than them.  But threw my years of playing a have developed an awesome group of fellow players that help ensure I receive very little disrespect on the mics.

EVO Unl:The popular myth in traditional sports is that females are not able to deal with demanding physical sports such as football etc. This MYTH is totally dispelled of course when it comes to Video Games and online competition but have you faced any challenges personally in stepping into the world of competitive video games especially first person shooters and such?

Tammy:Well in this day and age anymore that myth has a few times been dispelled even in the traditional sports lol.  When I first began I faced it a lot and Male gamers would opening complain about a female being on their team. I just made it a point to show them this is not just a man’s world we as females can play these shooter games and sports games just as well and even better at times the gender of a person has nothing to do with the accomplishments they can make in life on the game and off.

EVO Unl:More of a non gaming question but worth asking; do you find that other girls/women have a stigma towards other girls who play video games on more than a casual level i.e. Guys typically get bugged about being gaming nerds etc…

Tammy:This all depends on the personality of the non-gaming person. But yes I at times would get some gruff for it, I just always tell them not to knock it till you try it and you might just find yourselves hooked.

EVO Unl:Is there anything the industry can do to open up the doors to attract more of a female demographic to video games both competitive and casual gaming.

Tammy:Well for starters like in the game I play it would be nice if I could actually use a female character. I find a lot of games unless RPG bases tend to make it more inviting to the males and do nothing to draw us in or even lead us to believe its ok for us to love to play a war game ect.

EVO Unl:In closing do you have any words of advice for all those female gamers out there that are not quite sure what to make of this strange hobby that us guys have traditionally dominated that might make them feel a little more comfortable joining in on the fun?

Tammy:I would have to tell them nothing makes you feel better than to kick their Butts in a game that they tend to think is only for men. And for the really girly girls where else in life are you going to be able to have your nails done all nice and still kick the hell out of someone and not break them lol

EVO Unl:Thanks for your time Tammy and I hope that you stay involved with the community and continue to enjoy the world of competitive gaming!

Tammy:Thank you for your interest in to the female side of things I keep it short and sweet but there are still many Challenges we Fellow gamers face in this Male dominated gaming world.

Tammy aka "TammerSue" is 38 years old and an avid Battlefield 3 player

Interview conducted by : Dwayne” EVO Knight” Morash

Dominating the Battlefield: An interview with DC5

 

DC5 is one of the most prolific clans on the scene when it comes to the Battlefield series of games. They have a huge reputation and a long history of dominance in the field of large-scale warfare ( Battlefield games).

We managed to pull DC5 Spitfire; one of their core  members away from his controller long enough to have a chat with us about his Clan and their history with the Battlefield series in general.

EVO Knight:  Tell me about your Clan “DC5” and how did it come about?
DC5 Spitfire: Dc5 is a legendary clan from Xbox. We originated on the OG Xbox back when BF2: MC came out. The person who made up the name “Dc5” made a mistake and it we were supposed to be called Dc1. Dc5 is military readiness, everyone peaceful, where as the original leader thought it meant all out nuclear war. Needless to say the original leader is no longer with us.

EVO Knight: How long have you been playing games in the Battlefield series?
DC5 Spitfire: I have been playing the Battlefield series since BF2 came out in 2005.

EVO Knight: What draws you to Battlefield verses say other shooting games specifically Call of duty since that’s it biggest competitor in this space.
DC5 Spitfire:In Battlefield 3 you don’t have 1 million kill streaks in the air at any time. Theres only a set of 4 air vehicles in the sky, and all require a considerable amount of skill to master. Battlefield 3 has also been on top of the pile for taking more gunskill. You have to prioritize your targets and the random deviation when firing makes things a bit more challenging. More importantly what draws me is my team, we have had a target on our backs since Battlefield 1943 and we have to hit every oncoming Battlefield title hard.

EVO Knight:Do you think that Battlefield 3 lived up to its hype and promise?
DC5 Spitfire:  I definitely believe Battlefield 3 was a success. 10 million + copies sold is a great accomplishment for any Battlefield game, especially making it the fastest selling EA game to date.

EVO Knight: Back to “DC5”. Are they actively playing Battlefield 3 as an organized group in light of private matches not being included in the game at launch?
DC5 Spitfire: We are always playing together in public matches, or scrimming/joining other teams rooms. We are still playing, and trying to master, BF3 to our full potential. We believe we have a great chance at taking home the 1.6 million dollars that Virgin Gaming is hosting and we are taking the initiative.

EVO Knight:How does your clan stay active as far as a skill set goes. Do you guys form parties and go into matches together or is that harder in light of PM’s not being in the game?
DC5 Spitfire:It is still easy to get matches despite of no private matches. Everyone on the game is content with have a 10v10 scrim with 2 blue berries (randoms) and having a good match.

EVO Knight: What are some of your specific accomplishments in BF3 so far? ( KD ratio, levels attained, in-game moments etc..).
DC5 Spitfire: Some of my prize accomplishments in BF3 *SO FAR* I would have to say is that we are back, Dc5 is back stronger than ever. We were off the charts in BC2 for a while (playing as a team called Herp Derpin Wise Guys) and now were back with new friends. We merged with a long time gone MLG team called Type-Z, dubbing our team name “Team Dz5” and we have been playing well together. My personal in-game moment that is my allstar favourite is this: It was a clan match against a team called “Pinnacle” (they consist of Halo pros Ogre 2, Lunchbox, and Roy) We were down 2-11 tickets on Damavand Peak. The tickets dwindled down to 2-5 and then they neutralized our first flag. Since tickets account for each time a player spawns in as opposed to dying, a good 3/4 of my team was in the spawn menu hoping for some magic to happen. Anyways, im on the flag and a good chunk of Pinnacle come to make a last-ditch effort, with 3 perfectly placed M320’s I stopped them all in their tracks and ended up with 7 kills in roughly 3 seconds, winning the game for Dc5.

EVO Knight: I have noticed that you have taken yourself out of the local competitive seen in the past couple years. You haven’t attended any local events. Whats your reasoning and what are your plans moving forward?
DC5 Spitfire:or me and my local teammate Prince, it is hard for us to get to EVO, especially with the current EVO location (R.I.P Evo) also, there is no drive for me to play competitively locally anymore as the only game I played was CoD, which I do not play anymore.

EVO Knight: Can you tell us what draws you to a specific game and are there any other games we can expect DC5 to “ form up” in ie. Forming your clan around any new games coming out?
DC5 Spitfire: Any game that isnt Call of Duty im attracted too. I know that if it isnt Call of Duty there will be no quickscoping zzirGrizz wannabe’s yelling “COLLATERAL!!!! Oh YEAH!!” on the mic. Me and some other Dz5 members are planning to pick up Ghost Recon Future Soldier once it comes out. We will plot our future on that game if it plays good competitively.

EVO Knight: Any last tips on how you think being a party of an organized clan affects the gaming experience you would get out of a game versus just playing on Xbox live with Randoms?
DC5 Spitfire: Playing with an organized party definitely improves the game experience. For average skilled players you may stand a chance against either solo Battlefield vets or other organized parties. For me and Dz5 we only really play together in pubs to learn new spots to lay down soflams or to just mess around. Playing by yourself is can also be beneficial, you are able to focus more on yourself other than where your team mates are, how are they doing etc. I always playing Operation Metro CQ when im playing by myself and my team is away. It helps refine my gunskill even if I have to carry bucket loads of blue berries.

Thanks Spitfire. I wish you guys all the best at the Virgin 1.6 million dollar tournament!

Dwayne” EVO Knight” Morash

Till COD do us part: Interview with Team “Playytime”

EVO Knight: Hi guys. I understand you two just had a big Victory last week at Gottacon 2012. Was that your first competitive event that you participated in live?

Aneil Grewal :No this was not our first competitive event, we have gone to evo tournaments in the past and for me that is pretty much it.

Jason Stewart: For me this was my second major event. I attended MLG Anaheim last year.

EVO Knight: What do you like about organized competitive play versus online matchmaking and do you find that your skill transfers over from one to the other?

Aneil Grewal:I like organized play more because of the connection is smoother and the settings used in competitive. Online play is just not hard for us and when you switch to competitive there is a challenge.

Jason Stewart: I think it takes a little more skill to play at events. You have the pressure from spectators, along with the fact that there is no “host advantage” to help you out. It’s a really even playing field.

EVO Knight: How long have the two of you been playing together as a team and what made you decide to take the step into forming one officially?

Aneil Grewal:We have been playing together as a team since call of duty 4 , we decided to form one officially when we both found out what gamebattles was.

Jason Stewart: Me an Aneil have been playing together pretty much from the start. We have always been into competitive gaming through gamebattles and now just seemed right to start going to events.

EVO Knight: Talking about Call of Duty. This Game has been slammed in the media and on the internet for being unbalanced and very “ noob friendly”. What is your opinion on the state of the Call of Duty franchise in the competitive arena?

Aneil Grewal:I like the state of competitive is looking good, its not filled with all the things that publics matches are (noob tubes, claymores , rpgs) competitive play is like a totally different game.

Jason Stewart: I totally agree that the game is very “noob friendly”. That is one of the main things I dislike about it. It really takes away from the skill you see in games like Halo and even Rainbow Six. I think the game has a lot of potential to be a great competitive game it just needs support from devs and the community.

EVO Knight: What are your plans for competing in the future? Now that you have a taste for winning do you want to continue on with other games and events?

Aneil Grewal:Yeah , we are planning on doing more online tournaments throughout various websites and evo online. Hopefully our 4’s team picks up the new rainbow six and we can start going competitive in that franchise aswell as call of duty.

Jason Stewart: I will definitely be attending more events. I have loved them ever since my first one. I guess you could say I want to continue now that I have a taste of winning.

EVO Knight: Can you tell us a little bit about your experience online with Call of Duty and how it may or may not be different from playing in local events i.e. Sportsmanship and skill levels?

Aneil Grewal: My personal experience online isnt fun at all in public matches due to the camping and bad perks , but when its local and the right settings it is fun. A lot of teams that play competitive have bad sportsmanship and trash talk but usually they do have the skill to back it up.

Jason Stewart:
Local events usually have higher skill levels and better sportsmanship. People might trash talk online but it is much harder to do when you are staring the person in the face. As for skill level, I think that lots of teams just don’t think they are good enough to show up, but usually it is a small step up from online.

EVO Knight: Please share some advice to some new players to competitive gaming. How can they improve their game and achieve success at local events.

Aneil Grewal:If you are new to the competitive game find some players you are familiar with and form a gamebattles team. Start to scrim against good teams and you will eventually build chemistry and learn strats.
Always watch livestreams and tip videos from professionals to improve your game and pick up some turtle beaches to start off.
To achieve success at local events just be confident and make sure you and your partner know each others gameplan.

Jason Stewart: the best advice I can give, not only for gaming, is that practice makes perfect. I takes dedication to become the best and you have to be willing to put in the hours.

Aneil and Jason currently have a website set up for their team   http://www.wix.com/playytimegb/playytimegaming and set a good example of what PRO players in the Victoria are like. I hope to see more of these two guys in future events we run.

Dwayne”EVO Knight” Morash

Locked Stalked and Two Smoking Barrells :Interview with “Vorlin” & “Loco” MW3 Gottacon FFA Champs

EVO Games caught up with  Vorlin and Loco ; Gottacon2012’s FFA champions in the Modern Warfare 3 Tournament. This was a unique Free 4 All match in that both Vorlin and Loco stood up and claimed the first place title together. The final winner was determined by a scoring system in the final batch of 7 players. All 7 players played 3 matches of FFA and their scores were tracked and tallied to determine who was the final winner. In an interesting twist of fate Vorlin and Loco had identical scores. Fitting perhaps because both players are in actual fact ;real life friends and also partners in this years upcoming MW3  Doubles event. So what may have been a tricky finale we let them decide who placed first.

Heres what they had to say about the event and some insight they shared about MW3 and the state of competitive gaming in the Victoria Area.

Evo Knight:Okay Guys I’m just gonna get the obvious out of the way…You BOTH won; how do you guys feel about that ?

Vorlin+ Loco ( In unison): Pretty good

Evo Knight:From a sportsmanship point of view how did you deal with it?

Loco: We were both doubles partners so its okay..were buddies

Vorlin: Were friends so its cool

EVO Knight: Probally the first  time a call of duty tournament ended nicely eh?

Vorlin+Loco: Laughs

EVO Knight:So how long have you guys been playing Modern Warfare 3 competitively?

Vorlin: Well he plays a lot of Gamebattles with a friend of mine from West Van names Braiden and he’s front page Gamebattles; 24th spot right now so he plays a lot < pointing at Loco > I don’t really ever play it.

EVO Knight: You’re a HALO guy.

Vorlin: < Smiles> I’m a HALO guy.

Loco: I got it the night it came out and have been playing it competitively for say the past 2-3 months.

EVO Knight: Previous games?

Loco: I played Modern Warfare 2 and it started with COD4

EVO Knight: What where your thoughts on the competition level today?

Vorlin: I expected better. I didn’t even expect for me to get first; maybe the top 3. I thought there would be other guys that we don’t know about, maybe some local guys that play COD all day in their bedroom just show up and dominate.

EVO Knight: Have you ever been to a local event in person versus playing online?:

Vorlin:I’ve never been to a Call of Duty Tournament.

Loco: This is a first as well.

EVO Knight: What about your doubles match coming up?

Vorlin: We expect to win. We actually put effort into it and we have been practicing

Loco: If we don’t come first it will be a loss.

Vorlin:  A big Dissapointment for us.

EVO Knight: What is the number one thing the community can do to improve competitive play in Victoria?

Vorlin: More awareness for all the games and for people to get out of their rooms and come out and compete and have a good time.

EVO Knight: What do you think of this event so far?

Vorlin: Amazing!

Loco: I’m impressed!

Vorlin: Best gaming event I’ve been to other than MLG Chicago.

EVO Knight: So last question ; can you give some advice for people playing competitively ?

Vorlin:You have to put the effort in and you have to want to get better and play to win.

Loco: For Call of Duty a lot more than HALO you have to get your strategy down with your partner and if you don’t know what each other is doing your probably going to lose but if you work as a team and know what the other person is going to do then your do well; Time and effort like he  < Vorlin> said.

EVO Knight: Thanks Guys and good luck with your Doubles matches.

Brothers to the End: An interview with Ben “Strangulate” Huyghe and Mike “Culapse” Chaves

Brothers to the End:

An interview with Ben “Strangulate” Huyghe and Mike “Culapse” Chaves

Winners of the Evo Games Gears of War 3 Doubles Tournament At GottaCon 2012

We had the chance to talk to the Duo right after their Gears of War 3 Gottacon Victory and they answered a few questions about competitive gaming with the Gears of War franchise.

How did you feel about the competition here tonight?

Mike: I don’t know man, you answer that.

Ben:  I knew there were some good console players here, so I figured they would be decent. I wasn’t scared. I know I’m the best, so I perform to be the best.

Did you take any steps to prepare yourselves?

Mike: None.

Ben: I played doubles today on Gamebattles and I listened to some mad beats on my ipod yo.

How do you feel about the LAN environment in comparison to online play?

Mike: It’s a lot more reliable in terms of competition, and a lot more exciting. It’s more intimidating.

Ben: There’s more pressure to perform and more skill. It’s go big or go home.

How do you feel about Epic Games recent decision to make purchase of the new downloadable content mandatory for continued use of their dedicated servers?

Ben: They’re going back on their word, but at the same time it does make sense.

If you had one thing you could change about Victoria’s competitive community, what would it be?

Ben: A lot of gears players have to look inside and decide to love it and improve. They need to showcase the cool things about gears at its best.

What are your plans for Gears of War 3 and competitive gaming moving forward?

Ben: I recently attended a tournament in New Jersey and placed 5^th out of 32 teams. Major League Gaming is adding Gears of War 3 to the circuit around June so we’ll see what happens.

Mike: I’ll play until someone beats me.

Benjamin Huyghe is currently a top player on the Gears of War 3 Gamebattles ladders, and attends various LAN tournaments on a regular basis. Mike Chaves does not own an Xbox.

Interview by Spencer ” Spitfire” Alexandruik

REACHing the Top: An Interview with Alex”Vorlin”Walger

An Interview with Alex “Vorlin” Walger

Written by Spencer “Spitfire”Alexandruik  

Alex “Vorlin” Walger is known as a professional Halo: Reach player who is currently #1 on the MLG Gamebattles 2v2 Ladder. He is notorious for his skill level and sportsmanship, and a name to look out for in 2012.

S: Ok so first off, do you remember the first game you ever played? What started it all?

A: Quite possibly Pokémon Red.

S: Were you immediately hooked on video games or did it take time to develop?

A: I’m currently working on a remix of the Victory Road song used in that game, I was hooked. I played N64 afterwards, mostly Super Smash Bros, then moved onto Gamecube.

S: When did you make the leap from recreational to competitive gaming?

A: I played Halo 1 campaign a lot at friends’ houses and decided I was going to buy my own Xbox and eventually get Halo 2. I played Halo 2 for a while under the alias Fireteam Ruby (lots of big team battle). Late in Halo 2 I was getting pretty good so I went and competed at the LAN in Ladner BC when I was 12. I won the first round of FFA and everyone was pretty surprised and then I didn’t place well afterwards.

S: How did you discover LAN tournaments?

A: I must have heard about them online from a local.

S: What were your first impressions of LAN Tournaments?

A: I was young (12) so I was overly excited. I was also very cocky. I was impressed by the raw talent around me.

S: Did your placing effect your motivation to continue attending events?

A: It didn’t matter to me; I still wanted to keep playing.

S: From when you first picked up halo to your skill level today, when was it that you consciously made an effort to better yourself?

A: I never tried to better myself. I just played.

S: So it never became a goal for you to learn and adapt? You just played the game?

A: Yeah I just play for fun and now I consider myself one of the better players around.

S: Interesting approach, I’m sure a lot of people would envy it. Did you notice an increase in better placing as you attended more tournaments?

A: Yes, I attended a lot of BCLG LAN events held by Snowpro (James Botwright) and went from placing in the middle of the pack to placing 1st every time. One event I won every single round of FFA against a lot of good local players.

S: Do you think even subconsciously you observed the playstyles/tendancies of your opponents and adapted/improved?

A: Not at all, I just play.

S: You’re really sure of that hey?

A: Yeah I just game and hope for the best

S: So how do you like Reach compared to the other Halos?

A: I find it boring, I miss halo 2 the most because that’s what I grew up playing.

S: Do you also find it easy in comparison?

A: Definitely, if I can play as little as I do and still be one of the best around it’s a pretty easy game in comparison.

S: Do you think that game developers are starting to design games to be easier in order to cater to a more widespread market?

A: Of course, case in point: Call of duty.

S: Does it still frustrate you even knowing as developers this is the smartest move for them financially speaking?

A: I don’t mind at all. I only dislike it when call of duty players think being good at their game takes some sort of skill.

S: Do you think that even with the decreasing requirements to perform well there is a future for competitive gaming?

A: There will always be games that people can compete against each other with. That shouldn’t be a problem.

S: So you plan on sticking with competitive gaming for a while?

A: I am not so sure about that. I feel like I’m running on fumes here. I am competing at a high level online but I never play enough LAN. It’s very expensive to go to MLG events.

S: Have you tried obtaining sponsorship?

A: My doubles partner Fabian has been getting a lot of messages about sponsoring us for 2v2s on Gamebattles but we don’t feel like making any commitments right now. It’s not that easy to obtain a decent sponsor.

S: Any advice for new or current players trying to improve?

A: Put in the hours into the game and you will get results, just not always the ones you expect.

S: Thanks for your time Alex, good luck in 2012.

A: No problem, thanks.