Backfire have decided to release Daniel “impsta” Whaley and Jaryd “SUMMIT” Lazar. They are being replaced with Paul “ADRENALINE1g” Baker and former coL player David “Xp3” Garrido.

Backfire was very impressive two weeks ago at WCG USA Nationals, where they were able to finish 3rd. They knocked out Loaded in Group Play, and beat WinOut 16-2 in the Semi-Finals.

Backfire is currently competing in ESEA-Main and is preparing for IEM.

I played with nettik and tyson in Backfire back when CEVO was just starting and I always enjoyed playing with them. I stayed friends with them outside of the game so playing with them was an easy decision. That decision was even easier knowing I’d be playing with two of my old loaded teammates in Xp3 and djibouti. The atmosphere of the team is good and we all have fun competing together. I like this team a lot because the hunger is still there for all of us.” – Paul “ADRENALINE1g” Baker

 

Backfire 1.6:

Michael “NETT1K” OBrien
Cody “NOSYT” Tyson
Anthony “DJIBOUTI” Manosca
Paul “ADRENALINE1g” Baker
David “Xp3” Garrido

Souce: ESEANews

According to the ESL website, their new Anti-Cheat has reached the release-candidate stage after a closed beta of the software proved to be successful. A release candidate includes all of the final features and functions of the final piece, however it may still include several bugs that will be found from public testing. The ESL currently utilizes the ESL Aequitas Anti-Cheat, though a failed development for its second stage has resulted in a halt on the project.

Currently, the ESL is using a group of 150 testers in a closed BETA to discover bugs and “kinks” in the software. The testers are evaluating the software for any potential issues such as FPS drops, connection spikes or performence drops.

According to the ESL:

During the next few days we will plan the final “Rollout”. This means that we are now planning how to release “ESL Wire Anti-Cheat”. Maybe we will have an “Open Beta” phase before we actually start, but there are many reasons for and against doing this. Within the next few days we will again inform you about the current status.

More information about the ESL Wire Anti-Cheat can be found by clicking here.

The ESL today confirmed the IEM5 tournament in New York City during ComicCon. The event will be hosting a prize purse of over $60,000, part of the $400,000 total for the IEM series along with the right to compete in the Intel Extreme Masters Global Finals at CeBit in Hannover, Germany.

Below is the official press release.

——-

Cologne, September 20, 2010 – Electronic Sports League (ESL), the leading eSports league in Europe, presents the Intel Extreme Masters V American Championship, the continental finals of the global league of the video game champions. The event will be held on October 8 – 10 at New York Comic Con, the East Coast’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. The best professional gamers of the western hemisphere will fight for their share of 60,200 US Dollars, a piece of the total prize purse in the fifth season – 400,000 US Dollars. In addition, top teams and players will receive the right to compete in the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship which will be held at CeBIT in Hanover, March 2011. The main disciplines of the competition will be Counter-Strike 1.6, Quake Live and StarCraft® II – the most anticipated computer game of the last years.

In addition to the Intel Extreme Masters tournament, the New York event will host iRacing Intel GP Series North America Finals, the regional qualifications for the Grand Final held in 2011 in Germany. Apart from eSports action on the highest level, the audience will be able to take part in one of the Comic Con’s panels describing competitive gaming and will be given the opportunity to enjoy some of the latest computer game blockbusters on the 2010 Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition in the Intel Gaming Showcase.

Intel Extreme Masters V American Championship
Intel Extreme Masters, one of the most prominent international tournaments, has just entered its fifth season. The best gamers from all over the world compete for the World Champion title and their share of 400,000 US Dollar – the highest prize purse in an international eSports league. The Intel Extreme Masters American Championship, among other continental finals, gives the opportunity to qualify for the grand final of the tournament held next year in Germany.

iRacing Intel GP Series North America Finals
Next to the Intel Extreme Masters Continental Championship, the event in New York will also host the iRacing Intel GP Series North America Finals. On Saturday, October 9, ten top competitors from the US and Canada will face each other in a race for their share of 8,100 US Dollars and the right to represent their region in the World Final. The ultimate battle will be held at the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship event at CeBIT 2011 in Germany.
Further information at www.iracing.com/intel-gp-series

Comic Con Panels and Screenings
In one of the New York Comic Con panels Michal Blicharz, the Product Manager of Intel Extreme Masters at Turtle Entertainment, will explain the astonishing phenomenon of competitive gaming. The presentation will take place on Saturday, October 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Panel Room 1 (1A24).

eSports highlights on ESL TV, the IPTV station
New York Comic Con will be the scene of the battle for both Americas’ best e-athletes this year. It attracted over 77,000 attendees in 2009, easily making it the second largest comic book and pop culture gathering in the United States. Crain’s New York Business has ranked it as the second largest event in New York City. The IPTV station ESL TV will report live from the venue throughout the entire show. At www.esl.tv all eSports fans can follow the action in Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City from home.

Intel Extreme Masters
Intel® Extreme Masters is the global league of eSports champions since 2006. The league arranges the hardest and most popular competitions in Counter-Strike, StarCraft 2 and QuakeLive. eSports champions from Europe, Asia and America struggle for $400,000 in prize money – the most lucrative prize purse globally. Live tournaments at the worlds largest IT- and Gaming conventions feature the top performers of the season – global stars in eSports. The fifth season will have its exciting final in Germany in 2011, finding the top teams and players in the Intel® Extreme Masters World Championship.The IPTV station ESL TV presents the best games of the season live and reports directly from the offline events.
Further information is available at: www.intelextrememasters.com

Intel Corporation
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com

Turtle Entertainment GmbH
Turtle Entertainment was founded in 2000. The company quickly grew to be the European leader in the sector of electronic sports (eSports). The Electronic Sports League (ESL), operated by Turtle Entertainment, is active in 37 different countries worldwide. The league portal www.esl.eu reaches above ten million visits a month generated by more than 2,5 million registered users. Turtle Entertainment broadcasts ESL events via IPTV channel ESL TV since 2007. The headquarter has 160 employees and is located in Cologne, Germany. Turtle Entertainment owns the majority of the Chinese eSports league PGL (Pro Gamer League) since 2007. Important business partners of Turtle Entertainment are global corporations such as Intel, Alienware, ASUS, adidas, Volkswagen, Nokia, Trend Micro, Sennheiser, Windows 7, Sidewinder, SteelSeries and gamed.de.

Further information is available at www.turtle-entertainment.com

In November, Dreamhack will be launching yet another Dreamhack Winter event. The event will be held at Elmia in Jönköping, Sweden and will run from the 25th-28th.

Tournament organizers have announced the prize purse for the event which is now totalling to $35,400, with $14,000 set aside for first. KVD, an auction company, has also posted a $14,100 giftcard for the winners.

32 teams will be participating in the event. They will be distributed into 8 groups of 4 teams each, with the top 2 from each advancing to the playoff bracket. mTw have already been given an invitation to attend the tournament.

Prizes

1. $14,100 + KVD Gift Card for $14,100
2. $4,250
3. $2,800

View Larger Map

The ESL, in partnership with Turtle Studios has announced that six episodes of a TV eSports show will be broadcast on Eurosport and Eurosport 2, a channel that broadcasts in 59 countries and over 20 languages around the world.

Below is the official press release.

——-

Cologne, September 17, 2010 – Turtle Entertainment, the company behind the Electronic Sports League, together with Intel, the main sponsor of the Intel Extreme Masters, begin their cooperation with the Eurosport Group, the leading sports multimedia platform in Europe. The partnership will be focused on one of the Turtle’s main projects, the Intel Extreme Masters, described as a global league of video game champions. The result of the combined effort will be six episodes of an exclusive TV eSports show delivered to over 20 million viewers. It will have its premiere in early October 2010.

“Intel Extreme Masters” will be the first pan-European TV show presenting the Intel Extreme Masters V with the world’s best professional gamers in action. It will be broadcasted on both Eurosport and Eurosport 2. eSports champions from Europe, Asia and America will be accompanied by the Eurosport crew at all events of the Intel Extreme Masters V including Global Challenge in Cologne or American Championship in New York City. Each episode will focus on the gamers and their ups and downs in the tournament from its first live event in Shanghai untill its World Championship in Hanover in March, 2011.

“Eurosport is delighted to be involved in this exciting project which brings us together with innovative organizations Turtle Entertainment and Intel. This strategic cooperation demonstrates Eurosport undisputed ability to broadcast original entertainment programming across its multimedia platform,” says Vincent Le Goff, Head of Programming for Eurosport.

“Just like many other sports, eSports is about competition, passion and best-in-class technology. With today’s announcement we are witnessing professional eSports growing to the next level, and becoming a member of the traditional athletic family,” says Harald Wilhelm, the Event and Sponsorship Programs Manager at Intel Corporation. “ESL, Eurosport and their global networks are great partners for Intel to bring pc gaming competitions into the homes of sports fans around the world. We are excited to be part of it,” he adds.

“With the help of Eurosport we are breaking new ground for the Intel Extreme Masters,” says Ralf Reichert, the Managing Director at Turtle Entertainment. “This is the first time that ESL’s world best gamers are getting regular television coverage that reaches millions of homes on par with classic sport. We are thrilled to be able to relay the passion and intensity of eSports millions of fresh eyes,” he adds.

Each of the episodes will last for about 25 minutes and will be shown first on Eurosport 2 available in 47 countries in 15 languages. It will be repeated twice afterwards and then presented on Eurosport International broadcasting to 59 countries in 20 languages. In addition, an online video extract from each show will be available in the international video section of the Eurosport online network.

Intel Extreme Masters
Intel® Extreme Masters is the global league of eSports champions since 2006. The league arranges the hardest and most popular competitions in Counter-Strike, StarCraft 2 and QuakeLive. eSports champions from Europe, Asia and America struggle for $400,000 in prize money – the most lucrative prize purse globally. Live tournaments at the worlds largest IT- and Gaming conventions feature the top performers of the season – global stars in eSports. The fifth season will have its exciting final in Germany in 2011, finding the top teams and players in the Intel® Extreme Masters World Championship.The IPTV station ESL TV presents the best games of the season live and reports directly from the offline events.
Further information is available at: www.intelextrememasters.com

Eurosport Group
The Eurosport Group is Europe’s leading sports entertainment group. Eurosport, the n°1 pan-European TV channel, is broadcast in 20 languages reaching 120 million homes and 240 million viewers across 59 countries. Eurosport HD is the high definition simulcast of Eurosport. Eurosport 2, the new generation sports channel, broadcasts to 44 million households in 15 languages across 47 countries. Eurosport 2 HD was launched in August 2009. Eurosport Asia-Pacific reaches 14 countries in the region. Eurosportnews provides up-to-date sports TV news transmitted worldwide. Online, Eurosport has a network of dedicated sports websites in 10 different languages. Eurosport is ranked as Europe’s N°1 online sports destination and is visited by over 10 million unique users per month (comScore). Eurosport Mobile offers Live streaming, mobile sites and mobile applications in 9 languages providing LIVE sports news and results. Eurosport Events is the group’s expert division in the organisation, management and promotion of international sporting events.
For more information, please visit www.eurosportcorporate.com

Intel Corporation
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com

Turtle Entertainment GmbH
Turtle Entertainment was founded in 2000. The company quickly grew to be the European leader in the sector of electronic sports (eSports). The Electronic Sports League (ESL), operated by Turtle Entertainment, is active in 37 different countries worldwide. The league portal www.esl.eu reaches above ten million visits a month generated by more than 2,5 million registered users. Turtle Entertainment broadcasts ESL events via IPTV channel ESL TV since 2007. The headquarter has 160 employees and is located in Cologne, Germany. Turtle Entertainment owns the majority of the Chinese eSports league PGL (Pro Gamer League) since 2007. Important business partners of Turtle Entertainment are global corporations such as Intel, Alienware, ASUS, adidas, Volkswagen, Nokia, Trend Micro, Sennheiser, Windows 7, Sidewinder, SteelSeries and gamed.de.
Further information is available at www.turtle-entertainment.com

Three years ago, Valve introduced in-game advertisements to CS 1.6 much to the displeasure of the loyal community. Fortunately for gamers, the ads have come and gone and the whole issue has become mute. However, a recent study by EA Games has shown proof that in-game advertisements have the potential to bring in some serious revenue for advertisers.

The study, done by The Nielsen Company, on behalf of EA Games, used a Gatorade ad placed inside six games including NHL 09 and 10, NBA Live 07, 08, and 09, and NBA Street Homecourt. The Gatorade ads were placed on various aspects of in-game scenery and apparel such as billboards, bottles, and arena banners. The study found that the in-game ads “increased household dollars spent on Gatorade by 24 percent.”

The Senior Vice President for Communications & Industry Affairs Rich Taylor of the Entertainment Software Association had the following to say:

From the insights we’ve gathered, appropriately placed advertisements in games can improve a title’s aesthetic, profibalitily, and overall playing experience. Our core demographic is 18 to 35 year olds — which is the sweet spot for anyone looking to reach a new  base. Elected officials, nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies are all looking at in-game advertising as a way to reach the highly connected and influential gamer community.

The official press release from EA regarding this study can be found by clicking here.

Starcraft II Teams Preview – Part 3: EG

Any opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of compLexity Gaming or its parent company.

by JP “Moogle” McDaniels

Welcome back to the Starcraft 2 North American Team Preview. Today we’re going to look at a team that isn’t liked that much around here, but their presence in Starcraft 2 right now cannot be denied: Team Evil Geniuses (EG).

Team EG

Battle.net users were reminded by the invisible hand earlier this week that any form of cheating would be taken seriously and result in an account ban. In order for users to remain in the green, they must be using an unmodified game client.

The statement that was release can be found below:

Blizzard Entertainment has always taken cheating in any form in Blizzard games very seriously, and that’s no different for StarCraft II. If a StarCraft II player is found to be cheating or using hacks or modifications in any form, then as outlined in our end user license agreement, that player can be permanently banned from the game. This means that the player will be permanently unable to log in to Battle.net to play StarCraft II with his or her account.

Playing StarCraft II legitimately means playing with an unaltered game client. Doing otherwise violates our policies for Battle.net, and it goes against the spirit of fair play that all of our games are based on. We strongly recommend that you avoid using any hacks, cheats, or exploits. Suspensions and bans of players that have used or start using cheats and hacks will begin in the near future.

More information about the statement can be found here.

Stores across the world opened at midnight for the launch of the latest instalment of the blockbuster Halo video game series. Hundreds and thousands waited in lines to get their hands on the first person shooter. In the US, more than 500 stores opened their doors at midnight, while glitzy events were held in New York’s Times Square, Stockholm, Seattle, Sydney, London and Oslo.

The title is the fourth in the series and the last from US developer Bungie. The previous edition, Halo 3, was at one time the biggest-selling game of all time. That record is now held by Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare. The first edition of Halo was released as a launch title for Microsoft’s XBox game console and became an immensely popular title, spawning a slew of sequels. The game sees players engaged in a futuristic war between humanity and a race of aliens hell-bent on mankind’s destruction.

This latest version sees the same game principles, but puts you in the role of a super-soldier called Noble 6 as he battles the alien collective. Guy Cocker, editor of gaming website GameSpot, said the title was “quite a big deal” and had generated a lot of excitement on the web.

We’re able to track activity and Halo Reach is the most popular game on the site right now. In comparison to Halo 3 though, I’m not sure how well it will go down. It’s had a good critical reception, but Microsoft are certainly spending a lot of money promoting the game.

The franchise has been a very successful venture for Microsoft. The game has sold more than 34 million copies in the nine years of its life and helped boost the popularity of the Xbox 360. In May, an invitation for users to help play test the game before its final release attracted more than 2.7 million players. Microsoft’s entertainment director, Stephen McGill, told the games industry newspaper MCV that it was the firms “biggest Halo release ever”.

Master Chief, the main character in earlier installments, does not feature in Halo Reach. Halo Reach is the last title to be developed by Bungie Studios, a former subsidiary of Microsoft. Bungie split from its parent company in 2007, less than a week after the release of Halo 3. Microsoft, which retain the rights to the Halo series, has handed it over to an in-house development studio, 343 Industries.

More information about the Halo series and Halo: Reach can be found by clicking here.

It was on this day, 25 years ago that Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan. Mario has proven to be the biggest gaming series of all time, spanning over 200 instances of the Mario character, either appearing in his own game, or as a cameo in others. The game, for decades, as been a must-play that makes memories for all that do.

Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and appeared in the game designer’s first ever title, the 1981 arcade platformer, Donkey Kong. Miyamoto was hired as a graphic artist by Nintendo in 1977, and was given the task of designing a game after several of the company’s early coin-ops had failed to make an impression on the lucrative arcade market. Donkey Kong was created using the hardware behind an older arcade title named Radar Scope, which sunk without a trace in the US. Miyamoto ditched the shooting theme and added an ape and rolling barrels.

Mario was originally known as Jumpman. However, when Nintendo’s US office were trying to think of a better name in time for the American release of the game, they were interrupted by their landlord Mario Segale, after whom they christened the character.

To celebrate this occassion, Nintendo has developed a 25th Anniversary site. The site is in full Japanese but navigation is relatively easy. Check out the site by clicking here.