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MLG Works With HP and Blizzard Entertainment to Launch MLG PC Circuit!

By PixelBotGo on 2008-05-13 13:19:33 Filed under MLG Pro US

MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING WORKS WITH HP AND BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT® TO LAUNCH MLG PC CIRCUIT

Break-out Pro Gaming League Kicks off Expansion into PC Arena with World of Warcraft® Competition played on HP Blackbird 002 systems in San Diego June 13-15

NEW YORK (May 12, 2008) – Major League Gaming (MLG), the professional videogame league, today announced the launch of the MLG PC Circuit played on HP Blackbird 002. The kick-off event will be held alongside MLG’s Pro Circuit event in San Diego June 13-15 and will feature Blizzard Entertainment®’s World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade® and over $20,000 in prizes.

“We’ve just come off our Meadowlands season opener, which attracted a record-setting 12,000 players and fans. Working with industry leaders HP and Blizzard Entertainment will allow us to reach more of America’s 40 million competitive gamers,” said Matthew Bromberg, CEO of Major League Gaming.

The 2008 MLG PC Pro Circuit competitions will be played entirely on HP Blackbird 002 gaming PC’s. Created with gamers in mind, the award-winning HP Blackbird 002 Gaming PC is highly configurable and features liquid cooling and innovative thermal chambers to keep critical components cool while running next-generation games or other demanding computing tasks.

“HP is bullish on PC gaming across the globe and we’re honored to help MLG as it launches their new North American circuit,” said Rahul Sood, chief technology officer, Voodoo Business Unit, HP. “The HP Blackbird 002 was designed specifically for this level of intense competition. We can’t wait to see to see MLG contestants pwning their opponents with it.”

The first MLG PC Circuit event features Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, the world’s most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game, with more than 10 million players worldwide. The MLG PC Circuit will continue throughout the 2008 MLG season with additional stops in Orlando and Dallas, and other PC titles may be added in the future.

The expansion of MLG into PC gaming competition leverages two of its competitive gaming sites, GotFrag.com, the leading PC-gaming coverage site, and MMO-Champion.com, a leading World of Warcraft competitive strategy site. San Diego tournament coverage will be broadcast live on GotFrag.com all weekend long, with more than 20 hours of live programming and expert commentary.

The live broadcast of the first 2008 MLG Pro Circuit competition in March generated more than 750,000 video streams, 130,000 hours of video and over 600,000 on-demand views on MLGPro.com.

Registration for the MLG PC Circuit San Diego event begins on May 15. For more information on the MLG PC Circuit, visit MLGPro.com, GotFrag.com or MMO-Champion.com.

About Major League Gaming
Major League Gaming is North America’s first professional videogame league, and its only sanctioning body for pro gaming. MLG operates the multi-city MLG Pro Circuit, presented by GameStop and powered by Xbox 360; produces compelling competitions for national television, broadband and mobile distribution; and exclusively represents the best gamers in the world. It also operates a thriving online community and online tournaments for millions of gamers at mlgpro.com. MLG, founded in 2002, is based in New York City and is privately held.

About Hewlett-Packard
HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $107.7 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.

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Anti Street Cone Committee

Meet the Anti Street Cone Committee, or ASCC for short. As homicidal street cones become more and more a threat these days, this committee is committed to protecting you from their wrath. We can relate, because MLG has an ASCC of our own. We like to call it the “MLG Playlist.”

An Interview with the Chairman.

Mike Sepso Interview.

At MLG Meadowlands, Gamer-spotlight.com caught up with MLG Chairman and Co-founder, Mike Sepso, to chat about MLG, the 2008 season opener, and the future of the league.

Your friendly Neighbor.

Neighbor TS Onslaught v8.1

Here is some footage of Neighbor on the newly released Onslaught version 8.1. Although this version of Onslaught is not currently being used on the Pro Circuit, it’s still great to see the map in a different light.

An unfortunate event.

Do You Want?

Those silly dinosaurs. When will they ever learn?

Dualtage time.

Phurion and Fluxy Dualtage

Eight minutes long and worth every second of it. This montage, created by Phurion and Fluxy, contains two essential elements of a great video - creative editing and sick clips.

GameBattles explained.

GameBattles Tutorial

If you’re unaware or unfamiliar with what GameBattles is all about, check out this video which is narrated by MLG’s very own Nexy. Let Nexy’s soothing voice guide you on a navigational tour of the site, as well as point out a variety of features that you may have never known about.

Leeeeeerooyyyy…

Leeroy Jenkins

In light of World of Warcraft’s arrival on the MLG Pro Circuit, we thought we’d throw some WoW-related videos in the mix. If you’ve seen this video, you know it’s worth a second look. If you haven’t seen this video, let us be the first to welcome you to the internet.

More World of Warcraft.

Swarm Arena PVP

Here’s some footage from a World of Warcraft Arena PVP match. The battle lasts for several minutes and is taken from a Holy Priest’s perspective.

A SSBB champion.

Oryan’s Highlight Reel

With smooth and superior editing in hand, Oryan won the Community Choice Dr. Pepper SSBB Film Festival. Here is his winning entry. You can check out all the winners by Clicking Here.

Back to Halo.

MoB Deep vs. Xit Woundz

Wrapping up this week’s Top 10, here we have MoB Deep vs. Xit Woundz. The game is Team King on The Pit, and is taken from Homicide’s point of view.

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Major League Gaming Announces New PC Circuit!

By admin on 2008-05-06 16:59:50 Filed under MLG Pro US

Major League Gaming will add PC gaming to three of its Pro Circuit Stops. The PC Circuit will feature World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade® with $22,500 in prizes per event. The entire PC Circuit will be played on the HP Blackbird 002.

* Kick-off event: MLG San Diego, June 13-15th
* Other stops: MLG Orlando, July 11th-13th and MLG Dallas, October 3-5.
* Official PC Circuit game: World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade®
* Format: 3-vs-3 - more details on rules and the official format will be released on May 15th.
* Total spots available: 32 teams
* Prizes: $22,500 per event

Stay tuned to mlgpro.com and gotfrag.com for the official press announcement as well as registration information. Registration is expected to open May 15th.

Please note that if you are interested in registering for this tournament, only 32 spots (teams) are available and you will need an MLG Account on www.mlgpro.com in order to register.

MLG's network of websites, including MMO-Champion.com and GotFrag.com, will work to provide coverage and insight into the PC Circuit. GotFrag's premier online-video production, GotFrag TV, will stream live on site from all three events.

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Get Better Fast Site Launches!

By admin on 2008-05-01 20:28:51 Filed under MLG Pro US

MLG is all about helping you find out where you stand and how to get better. Over the past couple months you’ve seen an initial series of Get Better Fast articles and videos from our staff and pro players designed to help players of all skill levels take their game to the limit. Now, MLG is proud to announce the launch of our Get Better Fast site, which serves as a home for all of our Get Better Fast content and provides a Lesson Finder that will let you isolate and work on any aspect of your game.

Each week we’ll be rolling out new content from our staff and top pros targeted at players of varying skill and put them on the fast track to reaching the level of MLG’s top competitors. Also, in the coming months you will see the addition of new games and new ways to interact with the Get Better Fast universe. This is only the beginning.

Check Out the Get Better Fast Homepage

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Gal, Guy, Villain – Thanks

After winning the US Army-sponsored Film Festival, Interrobang created this video as a way of saying thanks to the community for their support. All goes well until it’s rudely interrupted by a familiar face.

Puckett has game.

Blackout Dunk

Shortly after Puckett released this video on the Game Room, he extended a challenge to the entire MLG community: Record the best slam dunk video of all time.

Raising the bar.

Dunk That Stick

Crazy Swift and Max LTD took Puckett’s dunk challenge to a whole new level. Although we’re not sure if it’s considered a “dunk,” we like it nonetheless.

Str8 Dashboardin.

Str8 Rippin Dashboard

Itz Tiggle got creative with his Xbox 360 Dashboard and recorded this quick clip to show it off.

MLG Meadowlands footage.

Triggers Down vs. Instinct

Here we have a match between Triggers Down and Instinct from the Meadowlands. The game is Team Slayer Guardian from Fearitself’s point of view.

Grifball goodness.

Ultimate Play

Here’s an interesting Grifball play which ends in clutch fashion. Wait for it.

Killtrocity with a twist.

Killtrocity with Ball

Oh the joys of the Multi-Team playlist. Watch and weep.

4 4 1.

One Plasma – Four Kills

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction and here is one such example.

More Blackout jumps.

New Blackout Jump

More and more Blackout jumps keep popping out of the woodwork. This jump, which is similar to the lift jump on Guardian, could up end up having immense tactical value.

Killer cones.

Epic Cone Kill

The title says it all. What more can be said? Enjoy!

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Super Smash Bros. Brawl Film Festival Presented by Dr Pepper Nominees - Vote Now!

By admin on 2008-04-24 21:29:28 Filed under MLG Pro US

MLG’s Smash Brawl Film Festival has concluded and the nominees have been chosen! Below you will find the five finest submissions from the contest, as selected by MLG’s panel of judges, and now we are giving you the chance to determine the $1,000 grand prize winner. Watch all of the nominees’ videos below and then click on the voting link to make your selection! Voting will close next Friday, May 2, at 12:00pm ET and afterward the winner will be announced. Thanks to all of those who submitted videos for the Smash Brawl Film Fest, and stay tuned for more Smash-related contests and special events!

Click Here to vote

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Get Better Fast: FearItself Scares Guardian Team Slayer Opponents

By admin on 2008-04-23 12:42:14 Filed under MLG Pro US

Some of the best video to study comes from late rounds of tournaments. This clip is from the Winners Bracket Semifinal match at of Pro Circuit Ladder #1, where FearItself and Triggers Down take on The Agency. Close to the end, Fear shows us how to keep in-game composure in their Guardian Team Slayer game. Before we get to that point, let’s note a few key points of this game.

FearItSelf starts out by grenading Blue Door without exposing himself. Usually an overeager opponent would first take a peek and, if Top Green was clear, he or she would commit further to an attack on Sniper Tower. FearItSelf is baiting, hoping to be able to get an easy clean-up kill after his grenade. However, there is no one rushing Blue Door and he has to settle for a clean up kill on Mackeo. Having burned some time with this tactic he looks at Camo, but that position has already been fortified and rushing it would result in a pointless death. Fear goes down from sniper fire after Lunchbox steals the sniper.

00:30 – When he respawns Fear first looks to see if he can support his teammates, however, they go down before he can move to help. Having not made his presence known he chooses to hang back and wait for them to respawn so they can perform an organized attack together.

1:30 – After TD established control of the Sniper Side of the map Fear chooses to stay at Green. From his position he can quickly put shots on Camo, Blue Door and, with a bit of adjustment, Bottom Snipe Lift. Notice when he engages Blue Door he does it from a more protected Mid Green, rather than the more-exposed Top Green.

2:00 – Deciding that they have to push to the other half of the map, Fear puts shots on and draws fire from Blue Window. This distraction gives a safer opening for Lowkin to charge across Green Lift. Immediately after Lowkin is across, Fear positions himself away from Blue Window fire to support Lowkin at Camo. After pushing the Camo opponent away, TD has a firm foothold on the opposite side of the map right as the Active Camoflauge is coming up.

2:43 – When he respawns at Snipe 1, Fear immediately grenades Bottom Glass, hoping to get a lucky kill on the Mauler Opponent. Notice how he manages to bounce his grenade to the Green Side of Bottom Glass. However, The Agency quickly pinches the recently spawned members of TD in Sniper Tower and, with little mobility, they go down quickly.

2:58 – Respawning into Roy’s fire at an awkward angle, Fear’s first goal is to get some breathing room. Notice how the first thing he checks when he moves into Explosive Hallway is that the Fusion Cores have been blown away. A good player is always aware of his surroundings. After cleaning up Roy at Camo, pay attention to the Wall Extension Fear uses as cover when he engages his Blue Door opponent.

3:40 – After some excellent teamwork clears out Sniper Tower, there is a lone opponent left on Elbow who is unaware of Fear. Often players try to wait for the Elbow rush while sitting in Snipe 2, Fear chooses to get a good angle on Elbow Door from the top of Snipe Ramp. This leaves him less exposed from grenades being thrown into Snipe 2. It also allows him to look under glass faster.

5:00 – In his previous two respawns Fear only manages to go one-for-one but on his third he gets a safe spawn in Sniper Tower. After trading some cross map shots with Mackeo, he moves to Bottom Green to fortify TD’s set up at Sniper Tower. Notice the grenade throw from Elbow to Camo. Choosing to learn from his previous mistakes, he decides to venture out and grab the Mauler during a lull in the fight to prevent his opponents from using it against him.

6:42 – After half of his team goes down at Sniper Tower, Fear switches his position and rushes with a Mauler. When he is grenaded to no shield, he chooses to hide behind another Wall Extension in Snipe 1 and recharge his shields. Once regrouped, TD charges the other side of the map and picks off a few kills.

8:16 – After spawning in Green again, Fear grenades Blue Door and picks up an easy kill on Lunchbox. When he picks up the Active Camouflage, notice how he chooses to sit still at Camo near a part of the wall with a complex texture (bushes, wall pattern, wall ledge.) This gives him some natural camouflage and helps him blend in when he is only semi-transparent. To get the most out of his Active Camouflage, Fear chooses to only shoot when there is a guaranteed kill. Once it runs out and, since the enemy team is largely unaware of him, Fear does a long loop around his opponent’s side of the map to attack from a different angle than the rest of his team.

10:12 – Down by five kills when their opponent only needs three for the win, Fear manages to sneak away with the sniper. He positions himself on Elbow and baits the Camo. Although the initial shot doesn’t pay off and, overeager and not fully camouflaged, Mackeo is a predictable kill a few moments later. Fear chooses to play conservatively and only look for the easy shots. This tactic pays off as Victory, unaware Fear is the one sniping, tries to engage him in a Battle Rifle fight and gets sniped. Changing his position slightly, Fear grabs a nasty jumping headshot on Roy.

11:38 - At this point it’s clear that someone on TD called out an Agency rush on Snipe 1, so both Hysteria and Fear make that kill a priority in order to protect their sniper. Lowkin manages to fend of his precarious Camo position for a kill and TD grabs their first lead of the game with two kills left. After fending off another solo, unsuccessful rush on Sniper Tower by the Agency and with one or two kills left in the game, the Agency chooses not to peak out and engages only their Battle Rifle opponents. Noticing he’s not getting any opportunities from Sniper Tower, Fear moves to Green in order to get a different angle on his opposition. The move pays off and, from a semi concealed position at Mid Green, FearItSelf picks up the last kill of the game.

Points to Raise your Team Guardian Game: When holding the Sniper half of the map, make sure to leave someone at Green to prevent a rush from Elbow (1:30). When the game is close and at a stalemate, switch your position around to catch your opponents off guard (11:38). Try and draw fire to yourself to create an opening for your teammates (2:00). Wait for your teammates to respawn or move into position so you can perform an organized attack (00:30). If you’re near your opponents and they are unaware of you, sometimes it’s better to take your time and attack them at a different angle than the rest of your team (8:16). Tell your teammates if you see they are about to be rushed (11:38).

Points to Raise your Individual Guardian Game: Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best tactic; wait for your Active Camo to fully engage at the Camo Platform (8:16). Use the Wall Extensions in Snipe 1 and Explosive Hallway for cover during Battle Rifle Fights (6:42, 2:58). Bait an empty Top Green while grenading Blue Door for an easy kill (Start). Learn the Grenade Throw from Elbow to Camo (5:00). Learn the Grenade Throw from Snipe 1 that hits the Green Side of Under Glass (2:43). When you’re being rushed from Elbow, watch Elbow door from the Snipe Ramp, not Snipe 2 (3:40). Be aware of your surroundings, if there are Fusion Cores around you, clear them out first or use them to kill your opponents (2:58). When fighting someone at Blue Door from Green, engage them from a more protected Mid Green rather than the exposed Top Green (11:38). Be aware of places you can hide to recharge your shields (Behind the Snipe 1 Wall Extensions or on the Under Glass Ledges) (6:42).

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Next Verse, Same as the First: MLG Interviews Strongside

By admin on 2008-04-21 21:54:01 Filed under MLG Pro US

Homepage Photo: Jon Wasserman

After proving themselves the most dominant team in Halo 2’s long history on the MLG Pro Circuit, all eyes were on Final Boss as they entered into a new era of competition in Halo 3. They entered MLG Meadowlands with winning in mind and, after dominating nearly every opponent in their path, the guys from Final Boss achieved their goal in seemingly easy fashion. We sat down with Strongside to talk about the win, San Diego, and Ogre 1 on Guardian:

MLG: Let me kick this off by saying congrats! Did it feel like old times again?

Strongside was an essential cog to Final Boss' Meadowlands machine.

Strongside: Yeah! It was one long weekend, but it feels good to be back on top again. We had been practicing for so long and it was awesome to finally play for real. It was definitely was one of the longest weekends we’ve had in a long time, but it was good to be back and in the thick of it all.

MLG: Let’s talk about the Finals for a moment. It was pretty obvious that the crowd was heavily in Final Boss’ favor throughout the series. How does that feel during a big match?

Strongside: Having the crowd in your favor is definitely a huge confidence booster. Nothing else gets you pumped up like having the majority of an entire venue cheering you on. Especially when you do something sick and the crowd just starts going wild - that’s when I play my best.

MLG: Tell us about what it was like to play through an Open Bracket for the first time in years?

Strongside: Oh geez! It was definitely a challenge, but it was a good experience to play teams that we usually never have the chance to go against. It was fun getting to play on split screen and battling our way to the top instead of automatically being seeded in the Championship Bracket. To tell you the truth, it really felt like back in the days of when I first started playing in the league.

MLG: You guys had a LAN with Classic prior to the event. Do you think that helped you in the Finals?

Strongside: To be honest, I think it actually helped us throughout the entire tournament. They play an aggressive style which seems to be good strategy in Halo 3. That is something we weren’t really used to and by playing with them we adapted to that style. It really made us realize that we had to make some changes in our game.

MLG: I asked Classic the same question and they agreed that it also helped them out throughout the whole weekend.

Strongside: It definitely helped us both.

MLG: Could you tell that they were going to do well based on practicing with them?

Strongside: (laughs) It’s funny you ask that. While we were LANing, everyone had gone to sleep except for myself and the guys from Classic. They asked me about how they thought they were doing and how I thought they would place. I told them, “You guys are getting Top 2, hands down.” They were downing themselves and were expecting a Top 5 or 6 finish, but I explained to them, with their unique playing style, no other team is going to be prepared for it – and I was right!

MLG: Wait. So you’re saying Ogre 2 sleeps? He’s a human?! I find this very hard to believe…

Strongside: (laughs) Believe it or not, yes! Ogre 2 is human.

MLG: Changing focus again, tell us a little about what went wrong in that match against Instinct.

Strongside: Instinct were just on their game in that series and were all playing extremely well. I think what we did wrong is when we start to win a game, we tend to start taking it easy. Instinct are a team that you definitely can’t do that against and we learned that the hard way.

MLG: Did going to the Losers Bracket affect you mentally and was it tough to bounce back after such a loss?

Strongside: It did affect us mentally, but I think it was in a positive way. It made us more determined than ever to come back and win it all. It was tough, but at the same time, it was a good challenge to really test our team. The entire tournament was really draining and I think that may have had something to with the loss, but I really had a lot of fun getting to play so many games in the MLG atmosphere. When you’re at a tournament, everyone is watching you and you’re pumped the whole weekend. It doesn’t even compare to playing at home with no crowd and no one there to cheer you on.

MLG: Aside from your teammates on Final Boss, what player impressed you the most at the Meadowlands?

Strongside: I’m going to have to cheat on this one. I have to go with the entire Team Classic roster. Every one of them was equally the strongest player I saw all weekend. For being their first tournament together as a team, they played absolutely insanely! They all seem to contribute to doing everything and don’t have a role-based team like our own. I expect to see great things from them in the future as they get more experience together.

MLG: I can’t say that I disagree. Now what was the sickest play you saw all weekend?

Strongside: Ogre 1.

MLG: Triple kill… Guardian… Finals?

Strongside: Yes, ridiculous!

MLG: Indeed.

Strongside: Insane in the brain!

MLG: That too.

Strongside: I’m so glad I got to see it first hand. I was on the death screen and was watching him as he almost single handedly took out the entire team. That was definitely one the highlights of my weekend.

MLG: The roar that followed from the crowd was deafening.

Strongside: The crowd loved it. I loved it. Everyone loved it.

MLG: Ok so here’s the scenario – it’s a 49-49 slugfest between FB and Str8 on TS Guardian. You were in blue window and Elamite was at the bottom green. After a two-minute stalemate, you kill Elamite for the win. Tell us a little bit about how it played out from your perspective.

Strongside: Just so you know, Elamite just left my house a few minutes ago!

MLG: That’s probably a good thing.

Strongside: (laughs) That was an unbelievably intense moment and my heart was pumping so fast. I was in the blue window and I had "the feeling" that I get every once in a while to just wait it out. When I get that feeling, I know to just go with it. Sure enough, before long he jumped up onto the tree and I finished him off for the W.

MLG: What goes through your head after pulling off a play like that?

Strongside: Total relief. It’s also nice to be able to finally breathe normally again!

MLG: All right, as much as I’d like to go on, we have to stop with the sick plays. Is there anything that you feel FB has improved on from ’07?

Strongside: For the most part, I’d say our teamwork. As time goes on, we just keep getting better at reading each other and knowing what needs to be done at all times.

MLG: Speaking of teamwork, did you see any innovative strategies from anyone?

Strongside: It seemed to be pretty standard except for a few of the top teams. I'm guessing after some of the video footage starts to roll out, we’ll start to see many different strategies and tactics evolve for San Diego.

MLG: Do you think the Top 8 will stay the same throughout the season?

Strongside: It’s hard to tell at this point, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s going to change a little bit from tournament to tournament. Strategies will be changing and everyone will keep getting smarter as time goes on. Teams will probably start to mimic strategies that they saw from the top teams at the Meadowlands, which will keep making it harder to stay on top.

MLG: And finally, looking forward, are you starting to prepare for San Diego yet?

Strongside: I'm actually starting back right after this interview. I’m guessing the other guys will start practicing in a few more days or so. Normally I wouldn’t have taken this long of a break, but I needed to catch up on sleep!

MLG: That’s what I call dedication. Unfortunately, that about wraps it up. Anything you want to add?

Strongside: I have to give a shout out to all our fans! You guys definitely pumped us up throughout the entire tournament and kept us going when times got tough. Thanks for the support! Hope to see you guys in San Diego!

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The Chairman’s Office #2

Shot in the days leading up to the 2008 Pro Circuit’s debut, MLG Chairman, Mike Sepso, gives you a rare look behind the scenes at the Meadowlands Expo Center.

When pigs fly.

If Pigs Could Fly

This is one of those things that makes you go “hmmmm?” The video, which has spread across the web like a wildfire, depicts a very unexpected chain of events on Last Resort.

T to the 2nd power.

Tsquared Montage Preview

You may have heard of this guy before. He goes by the name “Tsquared.” We hear he’s pretty good at this game called “Halo.”

More pro footage.

Final Boss vs. Team Classic LAN

We’re sure you’ve probably heard about the infamous practice LAN that took place between FB and TC prior to MLG Meadowlands. If so, you’ll be happy to know that some of that footage has made its way onto the Game Room. (Ant’s PoV)

Legendary jumps.

Blackout Jump Video

The Legendary Map Pack is only a mere days old and the competitive jumps are already starting to pour in. Here is a great video which showcases many of the known jumps on Blackout.

Vegas 2 goodness.

Dynasty vs. Frag Dominant Scrim

This video features a Vegas 2 scrim between Dynasty and Frag Dominant. Both teams are jam packed with some of the 2007 Pro Circuit’s biggest names and may provide a glimpse into the level of competition at MLG San Diego.

Next? A hybrid sport.

Jammer Ball

Watch out Gilbert Arenas – Master Chief has arrived.

Spartan Laser defies logic.

Spartan Laser + Portal = ???

The Spartan Laser has a mind of its own sometimes. Here’s an interesting experiment which yields some equally intriguing results.

Snowbound sans shield doors.

Snowbound w/out Shield Doors

Ever wonder what Snowbound might be like without shield doors? Here’s the cure for your curiosity then. After a large amount of testing and tweaking, it has been done.

An epic montage.

Kryptic's Halo 3 Montage

We leave you this week with a montage of epic proportions. Take notice that the vast majority of these clips were taken against some of the best players in the game. See you next week!

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A Classic Pro Circuit Debut: MLG Interviews Team Classic

By admin on 2008-04-18 21:07:08 Filed under MLG Pro US

Halo 3’s inaugural season on the MLG Pro Circuit is paving the way for a new generation of professional gamers to pick up where some of their predecessors have left off. However, these teams will need to possess even more talent and dedication than teams of the past. This fact is largely due to MLG’s ever-expanding player base.

By waltzing through the Winners Bracket en route to an impressive second-place finish at the 2008 Pro Circuit season-opener, Classic proved they have what it takes to fit this mold. And with a growing trophy case that also includes first place in the MLG Holiday 4v4 Tournament, first place in MLG’s E for All event, and first place in the Old Spice-sponsored GameBattles Fall Season Playoffs, Classic’s legitimacy in the league is now impossible to overlook.

We pulled up a chair with Fear, Ant, and Soldier187 to talk about the past, present, and future of Classic.

MLG: Great job this weekend fellahs! You guys played incredibly well throughout the weekend. How confident were you coming into the event?

Classic's debut on the Pro Circuit was extremely impressive.

Fear: Thanks! The LAN with FB definitely gave us an edge over most of the teams last weekend. But when we got matched against FB in the Finals, we had to switch it up a bit since they knew how we played.

Ant: Thank you. Yeah, we were pretty confidently after playing with FB.

MLG: We’ll touch on the LAN with Final Boss in a bit more detail later. For now though, tell us about how it feels to be pro gamers for the first time?

Ant: It feels amazing to finally be an MLG pro!

Fear: Feels great! It’s always been a goal for me to achieve pro status. It feels especially good being the second seed heading into San Diego.

Soldier187: It feels awesome to finally get the recognition we deserve for our skills.

Fear: One more thing, I would like to thank every member of our team for their dedication. We worked extremely hard to get where we are. Congrats guys!

MLG: Group hug?

Team: (laughs)

MLG: Let’s talk about your success prior to Meadowlands. You guys dominated nearly every competition you entered in the months after Halo 3’s release. Do you think that played a part in your success?

Ant: I think it helped a lot as far as teamwork and confidence. While many other teams were still getting their rosters set up, we were already out there competing.

Soldier187: Yeah, it did. It really gave us a lot of time to build on our teamwork chemistry.

Fear: There’s no doubt that it helped us on many levels. We’ve been playing together since nearly day one of Halo 3’s release and our teamwork has come a long way since then.

MLG: What types of things did you work on the most leading up to the event?

Classic had developed considerable teamwork heading into the Meadowlands.

Fear: (laughs) Me talking more often and not zoning out!

Ant: (laughs)

MLG: (laughs) Really?

Soldier187: (laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty much it!

Fear: That’s why I can’t thank my team enough. They pretty much trained me to be the player I am now.

MLG: That’s a sign of great teammates! Getting back to the Final Boss LAN, do you think practicing with them prior to the event hurt or helped you?

Soldier187: Regardless of meeting them in the Finals, it helped us out a lot. Absolutely.

Ant: It helped us a ton in the long run. I think it made us a better team all around.

Fear: I can say without a doubt, it definitely helped out by a huge amount. That was the first time we LAN’d together as a team, and we were a little sketchy at first. But we were there to work on our negatives and we did just that.

MLG: I’m guessing it helped both of you guys, considering both teams dominated all weekend.

Fear: Yep. That reminds me, I’d also like to give thanks to the guys from Final Boss for letting us swing by for that week. Good times.

MLG: Aside from FB, what other team impressed you at the Meadowlands?

Ant: Believe the Hype seemed pretty good. I think they have a lot of potential this season.

Soldier187: Yeah, I would have to say Believe the Hype too. They were pretty solid.

Fear: Carbon impressed me the most. Everyone predicted them so far out from all the other top teams, but when it came down to it, they were highly underestimated.

MLG: There’s no denying that Carbon turned a lot of heads this weekend.

Ant: They did. I’m guessing they won’t be doubted like that again.

MLG: Changing focus towards your game, what do you feel is the strongest aspect of your game as team?

Soldier187: Our communication is one of our strongest points. We all work extremely well together. I’d also have to say that we're also pretty amazing at rushing!

Fear: I agree with Soldier. I think it’s our ability to overwhelm teams with our rushing.

Ant: Yep. We’re champs when it comes to rushing.

MLG: Funny you should say that. When I interviewed Walshy prior to the event, he said the reason Final Boss picked you guys to LAN was because of your extremely aggressive style. (Read Walshy’s interview HERE)

Fear: Yeah, they all said that if we were that aggressive at the event, then we would definitely surprise a lot of teams. I guess they were right!

MLG: Never underestimate Walshy! What do you think is the strongest part of your game as individuals?

Soldier187: We actually have the luxury of being able to do everything pretty equally. It makes our game sort of spontaneous and unpredictable.

Fear: I agree, but if I had to choose just one, it would be playing a support role.

Ant: That’s easy – Stat-whoring!

Team: (laughs)

Ant: (laughs) In all seriousness though, I try to stay as balanced as possible. Out of everything, though, I think my slaying is my strongest aspect.

MLG: Speaking of slaying, Fear: that triple you bagged from the lobby on Construct was just plain sick-nasty! I was watching from the microphone tower and nearly spit out my drink!

Team: (laughs)

Fear: Thanks! It definitely gave us a huge momentum boost and it felt great to pull that off in front of so many people.

MLG: Now that you have a taste of how Halo 3 plays on the Pro Circuit, are you planning to do anything differently to prepare for San Diego?

Soldier187: Well, we are still planning to LAN before the event. Aside from that, we’re going to focus more on our Pit Team Slayer. It was one of our weak points at the Meadowlands, so we want to improve for San Diego.

Fear: First off all, we’re going to take a well earned break for about a week. After that we’re going to practice nonstop for the remainder of our time.

Ant: We’re also going to work on our rushing, our communication, and some other surprises!

MLG: We love surprises! Now let’s talk about the venue itself. What did you think about what the venue had to offer as compared to previous seasons?

Soldier187: I was truly amazed at how much MLG has expanded in just the few years.

Fear: This might make me sound weird, but I loved the lighting in the venue. At the last event I went to, the lights were on and it was pretty bright in there. It was much darker this time around, which made the atmosphere for gaming much better.

Ant: I thought it was awesome. With so many great things to do inside the venue this year, it’s impossible to get bored between rounds.

Fear: The amount of space was pretty impressive too. With so many people around, it was nice to have a ton of extra room between everything.

MLG: To wrap things up, you guys banked a massive $12,000 this weekend. Any plans for the money yet?

Soldier187: None yet. It’s going to be a spur-of-the moment thing for me.

Ant: I’m going to stick a large portion in the bank. I do plan on getting some cool stuff though, I just haven’t decided yet.

Fear: I don’t really have any plans for the money yet. My most recent purchase was a new sound system for my car. I bought that with the money we won from winning the first MLG Online Tournament, though. So it looks like I’m going to be banking it for more important things.

MLG: That’s a wrap guys! Once again, congratulations on achieving pro status and we’ll see you in San Diego!

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