WB Rds 2 and 3

I wanted to break down the round two and round three match-ups in Meadowlands. Here are the match-ups and my predicted scores.

Round 2

Round 2 – Series 1 – (1) Str8 Vs (6) Carbon  -  Str8 Rippin will again prove to be too much, but I think Carbon will play them well.  Could be 3-2, but my prediction is 3-1 Str8.

Round 2 – Series 2 – (4) Triggers Down Vs (11) Belive the Hype- I think this is a dangerous series for tD.  They could in theory overlook a BtH team that is very talented.  If their not careful tD could get upset.  I think they’ll be ready though, 3-0 tD.

Round 2 – Series 3 – (3) Final Boss Vs (10) Status Quo - I think this will too much for FB.  The games will be close, but SQ will prevail 3-0.

Round 2 – Series 4 – (1) Instinct Vs (7) Ambush- Ambush has a lot of talent, but I think instinct talent is better and Instinct will definitely have the better teamwork,  Instinct 3-0.

Round 3

These are the rounds we’ve been looking forward to.  They both will be hard fought and a blast to watch.  So here we go.

Winners Bracket Semifinals - Series 1 – (1) Str8 Vs (4) Triggers Down  -  Although Triggers Down might have the talent edge.  Str8 Has the teamwork and chemistry edge.

Winners Bracket Semifinals – Series 2 – (1) Instinct Vs (10) Status Quo - This is the series that has troubled me the most.  I can’t pin down where I stand with this series.  I am going to have to go with experience and say Instinct wins 3-2 in a very hard fought and close series.

Bracket Contest

Ladies and gentleman, here you have it your opportunity to win a 13 month Xbox live membership just for giving us your predictions for the 2009 Meadowlands Championship Winners Bracket.  We will be awarding the person with the most correct answers with a 13 mo xbox live membership.

To enter you must submit your answers in this format:  Round 1 series 1  - winner & score (str8 3-0) Don’t forget a round or series, because it will hurt you chances if you do.  You can copy and paste the following with your answers and send your emails to: Contests@mlginsider.com   

 Ties breakers will be as follows 1.) Most accurate overall series scores 2.) Final score of the final game 3.) Randomly drawing out of a hat.

Good luck to all you can copy the format below for your entries: (don’t forget to add the game series score for each round ex. 3-1,3-0, 5-3)

If you need direction on the bracket see the bracket above.  Series numbering starts at the top for each round.

DEADLINE FOR ALL ENTRIES IS 12 NOON ON FRIDAY APRIL THE 3RD – WINNER’S WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY MONDAY APRIL 13TH.

——————————-

Round 1 Series 1:
Round 1 Series 2:
Round 1 Series 3:
Round 1 Series 4:
Round 1 Series 5:
Round 1 Series 6:
Round 1 Series 7:
Round 1 Series 8:
Round 2 Series 1:
Round 2 Series 2:
Round 2 Series 3:
Round 2 Series 4:
Round 3 Series 1:
Round 3 Series 2:
Winner Bracket Championship:
Final score of the final game of WB Champ:

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(#9) Antigravity

Antigravity is a young team that has had numerous top ten finishes and some higher amongst it’s members.  They have the potential to be there again, but competition is even stiffer this year.  Here’s how they breakdown:

Severince:

• Positives: Good Br, solid well rounded slayer, Very smart, uses angles well
• Negatives: Plays a little too solo at times, needs to “run with “the team. 

Mudvayne:

• Positives: Very smart, good instincts, one of the better ”team”  guys,  well rounded
• Negatives: A little too tentative at times

Eli:

• Positives:  good at pushing with the team, solid team player
• Negatives: too aggressive at times,

Lil Seb:

• Positives: Extremely aggressive and a very natural slayer, has a very accurate Br, he puts shots on everyone, and has good awareness
• Negatives: Very young and can make too aggressive of decisions, needs to stay alive better, sometimes too confident

Summary: These guys could really be on of really be off.   I think they have a chance to surprise Carbon in round 1.  They have the weapons to be dangerous, I think they need more time to be consistently top 8.

Bold Prediction: 9th  I think they will be about where they started.

Meadows Rd 1

I wanted to break down the round one matchups in Meadowlands. Here are the match-ups and my predicted scores.

Round 1 – Series 1 – (1)Str8 Vs (14)Xit Wounds –  This should be str8 forward….. yes pun intended.  3-0 Str8 Rippin

Round 1 – Series 2 – (9)Antigravity Vs (6)Carbon – I think AtG could give them some trouble, but in the long run Carbon wins 3-1 with all being close games.

Round 1 – Series 3 – (5) Classic Vs (11) Believe the Hype – I think this has the potential to be a huge upset, I think classic is a little over hyped.  My call 3-2 in favor of BtH.

Round 1 – Series 4 – (5) Heaven & Earth Vs (4) Triggers Down – This is a tough draw for HaE.  I think tD and HaE both have similar play styles and I think tD will just be a little better in all aspects Triggers down 3-0

Round 1 – Series 5 – (3) Final Boss Vs (13)  The Incredibles – This pits the Twins against each other for the first time in a long time.  Sorry Dan, Tom will take this one,  Final Boss 3-0

Round 1 – Series 6 – (10) Status Quo Vs (8) VG The New Order – I think this will be a very hyped match, but in the end I don’t know if Defy and Best Man are strong enough. Status Quo 3-0

Round 1 – Series 7 – (7) Ambush Vs (12) Darkest Hour – Ambush is extremely talented and will be too much for Darkest hour, but DH might squeeze one out.  Ambush 3-1

Round 1 – Series 8 – (2) Instinct Vs (16) The Riot – The Riot is full of players who have done this before, but they get probably the worst possible draw they could have gotten.  No question about it Instinct 3-0.

Heads Up w/Strongside

I got to sit down with a guy who is Halo.  He created “Strongsiding” and is known for his ability in ridiculous situations to stay alive.  Who is this mythical monster who wields the rockets and sniper more effectively than most?  Ok, enough fancy talk,  it’s Michael Cavanaugh a.k.a. Strongside.  The blond bomber who’s more chill than a Jack Johnson CD.  Here’s what he had to say:

Trent: First off, for those who don’t know, where did “strongside” come from?

Strongside: The name “StrongSide” came from a classic movie “Remember the Titans” They yell leftside! strongside! It means there rightside is there stronger side to take the ball and honestly i thought it just sounded cool so I made it my gamertag.

Trent: AHHH…. Love the movie. Now this off season you made the move to SQ. What prompted that?

Strongside: Yes, I joined SQ. I wanted to start something new with some young guys and build as a team. Last year was a rough season for me and I thought I didn’t play to my potential. I thought teaming with some young guys that loved the game would bring the H2 Strongside back. I lost my drive to play and was about to quit at one point. After playing with these guys at “The Winter Lan” at Totz’s  I saw the potential and talent that Totz and Flamesword had.  I knew Ace was a good player already and he knew how to play.  I was thinking that if I could teach them the game and show them the ways we could do it. It was what Walsh did with me when I first joined final boss. So I thought I could do it with these guys.

Trent: Are you surprised at how quickly you guys have meshed as a team? You have beaten some great teams in your recent LANs.

Strongside: Yeah, it has surprised me a bit. It feels like we have been teaming for a season already with all the practice we’ve put in.

Trent: Well,  you seem to be rejuvenated by these young guys. Has “Side” found his “second wind”?

Strongside: Yeah, I’d say so. I’ve been playing almost non-stop since I joined up with this new team. I’ve been visiting ToTz’s house a lot so it has been really easy to build chemistry. We have had our whole team together so many times at his house and that has really helped the most.

Trent: Now, just for a minute, let’s go back to last season. You started off with a bang in Meadowlands and even had Sundance saying you were going to be the season MVP after one event. What happened for things to sprial downhill like they did for both you and the team?

Strongside: Last season was very different for me. Before Meadowlands, last year, I put in almost the same amount of time that I am putting in now. I really wanted to see my team do well all season. After winning the first tournament, I thought it would be easy to win the rest of the events and I lost almost all drive to practice. As for the team, it seemed like we lost our camaraderie. It was like we weren’t a team anymore. That eventually broke us up.

Trent: Lets hear your top 5 for Meadows, in order. (laughing) No Pressure.

Strongside: 1st –  sQ that’s my only prediction.

Trent: Ok,ok …. we’re gonna play rapid fire now…. have you seen this yet?

StrongSide: yup

Trent: Best gamertag on the circuit

Strongside: FearitSelf

Trent: Loudest?

Strongside: CallMeGod

Trent: Books or music?

Strongside: Music

Trent: H2 or H3

Strongside: H1

Trent: Guardian or Lockout

Strongside: Lockout

Trent: I figured that one… boxers or briefs

Strongside: Briefs

Trent: Man after my own heart…Ball or flag?

Strongside: Ball

Trent: Rockets or Sniper

Strongside: Sniper

Trent: Camo or OS

Strongside: Camo

Trent: Your favorite player

Strongside: Kobe

Trent: Implusive or thoughtful

Strongside: Thoughtful

Trent: Your surprise team of the year other than SQ

Strongside: Believe the Hype

Trent: Okay these are for SQ only.  Best sniper

Strongside: Ace

Trent: Best with rockets

Strongside: FlamesworD

Trent: Most likely to just go totally off?

Strongside: ToTz

Trent: Hates Xbl the most

Strongside: ToTz (laughing) errr… (still Laughing)

Trent: Eats the mosts

Strongside: Ace at  P.F. Changs!

Trent: Reallly? What’s the most you’ve seen him eat?

Strongside: At a Brazilian Steakhouse, he ate for 45 minutes straight. No lie.

Trent: Ohhh … those places are great I can’t blame him … We’ll have to take you guys if it comes to Orlando again.

Strongside: Sounds like a date.

Trent: Most definitely … Trent  or Robbie …. (laughing) careful remember who doing the interview

Strongside: Trent all the way.

Trent: Yeah baby, (laughing) you catch that Robbie? Well, this has been a lot of fun man.  What would you like to say to your fans?

Strongside: Keep it Real and thanks for all of the support for Status Quo.  Make sure to show your support at Meadowlands, so you can score some Official Status Quo Fan Gear!

Trent: Nice …. Last thing, I was talking to Mason He said he’s looking forward to some fun banter in round 3.  Any thoughts?

Strongside:  He better bring his “A” game, because it’s hard to bash ToTz when his volume is at Max. There won’t be any 1v1′s this tournament, and if there were, I think Mason and I both know who would win.

Trent: (laughing)That hilarious. Any last Shout outs before I let you go?

Strongside: Joe Fries for going huge today give him some plus rep on the forums. Good luck to everyone going to Meadows!

Trent: Well, good luck to you in Meadowlands and see you online. Thanks for the interview

Strongside: Yeah, thank you for the interview

Thanks again to Mike for the interview.  He’s a very chill guy and exactly what you see is what you get.  Good luck in Jersey to Mike and the rest of SQ.

The Business Wins

MbN The Business and TH3 NSAN3Z faced over the weekend for the champion ship match of the Gears of War 2 Online qualifier for Meadowlands.  Though Th3 NSAN3Z were the champions in Vegas last year, they were defeated by MbN the Business.  The Business won 3 games to 2 against the NSAN3Z.

Congratulations to MbN The Business and good Luck in Meadowlands!

FtH Wins

The  match between FeeL tHe HyPe and Deadicated 09, would be the one to decide who would  win the online qualifier.  FeeL tHe HyPe was victorious winning 3 games to 1. 

Now the question on everyones mind is how will these amazing players do on LAN against some of the best in the world. Because winning the qualifier this year has no real affect on placings going into Meadowlands, Feel the Hype has alot to prove in Meadowlands

Good Luck to Feel the Hype!

Sir Gandhi

 

The word on the street has been confirmed.  Gandhi will in fact be doing commentary for Halo 3 in Meadowlands.  This is great news. I’m not saying anything bad about Puckett or Nexy, but having a seasoned pro player being involved in the commentary is a very large benefit for the community.  

Gandhi has won a National Championship and has played in the playoffs every year he played.  He has a lot of knowledge that he can bring to the commentary team.  Looking forward to it.  Congrats Scott.

HPX Headset by Turtle Beach

We had the TurtleBeach HPX Headset tested by multiple testers and here is the summary of what they thought. We tested the TB headset with the astro mix amp.  They gave the HPX’s an overall score of 28 out of 30 possible stars. You can purchase a pair through www.turtlebeach.com.  Be sure to tell them you saw it at MLGInsider.com.   Here is the breakdown of their scoring: Read more

Snipedown Interview

We took a minute to sit down with Eric Wrona, also known as Snipedown.  The 2008 “Rising Star” award winner, the 2008 Las Vegas MVP and a member of the 2008 National Championship team in Str8 Rippin.  We’re bringing you the man in the dress and the youngling on the Dr. Pepper sponsored Str8 Rippin. Here he is: Snipedown.

Trent: Well… Right off the bat, you have become one of the most well known players in the Pro Halo 3 circuit. How does that feel?

Snipedown: It feels great. When I think about how far I have come in just one year I even amaze myself.

Trent: When you were just an “on-line warrior” around this time last year, what did you expect going into Meadowlands?

Snipedown: I was pretty nervous going into that event. I had high expectations because you can’t go in thinking you were going to do bad, but I never expected to get top 8 at my first event.

Trent: Well, you did more than just place top 8. You played so well that you caught the attention of top teams. I mean after one event you were sought after in the f/a market. That’s got to be a big confidence boost.

Snipedown: I had no idea that any of the top teams even noticed me after that event. When I heard that Instinct was thinking about picking me up, I couldn’t have been happier. I was more confident in my gameplay and my team than ever before. It was great

Trent: Okay, now the whole transition to tD then to Str8? You guys had a great team on tD was there anything in particular that caused the break up or was it just the incredible opportunity to team with Str8?

Snipedown: The whole team swap was a huge misunderstanding. There were so many things that were said that were taken the wrong way. I told Str8 “no” a bunch of times, but then i thought about all the pros and cons of the situation and decided to take a chance with them. I was also pretty good friends with Elamite at the time so that had a pretty big influence on my decision as well. It definitely worked out the best it could have, even though a lot people think the Orlando Triggers Down team was the best team last season

Trent : Let’s move on to Dallas. You guys lost a heartbreaker in Dallas. How did that affect the team and you individually getting ready for Vegas?

Snipedown: After Dallas we were so motivated to play every day it was insane. I played more halo during the Dallas to Vegas break than I think I played all season and it definitely paid off.

Trent: Now in Vegas you won the “Rising Star Award”, MVP and the National Championship. That has to have been an almost unbelievable feeling? The perfect trifecta.

Snipedown: It was the perfect end to the perfect season. I ended up on the best team I could have asked for and I walked away with one of, if not the greatest feelings of my life and along with some of the best friends I could have meet

Trent: Well, how have you dealt with this all of a sudden fame? Has it got to your head at all? Even a little?

Snipedown: I mean yeah, it has gone to my head. There’s no way it couldn’t, but I try to keep my head in the right position as much as I can so I don’t become the Terrell Owens of MLG.

Trent: He does have big muscles and is pretty studly though?

Snipedown: He’s freakin huge

Trent: (laughing) We all wish we could be like him. Outside of your team what three people would you like to team with?

Snipedown: neighbor, ghostayame, hysteria

Trent: I would have seen hysteria and neighbor, but ghost … really, why?

Snipedown: He loves the game and he plays all the time and is always trying his best to get better. Along with that his name is Eric, together we form E2

Trent: Very true, Ghost has been a perennial powerhouse. We’re gonna play rapid fire now….. quick questions quick answers.

Trent : Who has the best hair on the circuit?

Snipedown: Pistola

Trent: Who is the loudest?

Snipedown: T2

Trent: (laughing) Who is the funniest?

Snipedown: SK

Trent: Sniper or Br

Snipedown: Sniper

Trent: Camo or OS

Snipedown: Camo

Trent: sneakyyyy

Snipedown: beaverrrrr

Trent: (laughing) Favorite player

Snipedown: Legit

Trent:Best player on str8?

Snipedown: Legit

Trent: Favorite band

Snipedown: Wiz Khalifa

Trent: H2 or H3

Snipedown: H2, no doubt. I was the biggest online warrior ever

Trent: Last one …mlginsider or mlginsider? (wink, wink) Trick question

Snipedown: None of the above. (laughing)

Trent: Ouch that’s cold…

Snipedown: mlg INSIDER

Trent: (Laughing) Ahhh, now I see.  I have two questions from our users….. then I’m done. Do you get any attention or recognition from your teachers about being a professional Halo 3 Player?

Snipedown: Actually I do, my business teacher, tennis coach, and physics teacher are all pretty interested in what I do.

Trent: That’s awesome. They ask about the events when you get back?

Snipedown: Yea

Trent: Last one… and this is the one I get asked the most. Who would win in a 1v1, you or Neighbor?

Snipedown: We will just have to wait and see, might be a mainstage event at ML.

Trent: (laughing) That would be awesome

Snipedown: We are playing the Octagon on mainstage.

Trent: That would make the wait worth while. Well, before I let you go do you have anything you want to say to your fans or any shout-outs?

Snipedown: Nothing other than the usual. Cheer us on at ML and I’m gettin an overkill

Trent: (laughing) Nothing other than the usual, huh? Thanks for your time Eric

Snipedown: Yup

 

There you have it.  The kid who according to the awards has one of the brightest futures in Major League Gaming.  Can’t wait to see he and Str8 Rippin try to defend their title against the onslaught of good teams that want what they have.  Good Luck guys.

2009 Sponsors

Key notes here for the 2009 season is Dr. Pepper’s continued sponsorship of Str8 Rippin and Old Spice’s sponsorship of Instinct.  The Old Spice deal was actually finalized about 3 weeks ago, but MLG wanted to release the Sponsorship through the New York Times.  While the actual details of the Old Spice sponsorship are not available yet, there are rumors swirling around that there may an increase on he amount of “salary” the players of Str8 Rippin will draw from Dr. Pepper.  

In addition MLG was able to add Bic Comfort 3 Advance and Castrol, while maintaining the strong relationships they has last season. This looks to be an exciting and eventful year as MLG looks to expand on it’s growth last year.  

The official sponsor roster for 2009 is as follows from MLGpro.com — Dr Pepper, Old Spice, Stride, Ballpark, BIC Comfort 3 Advance, Bungie, Castrol, Gamestop, HP, Ubisoft, and Xbox 360.

Qualifier Finals

Halo 3

The winners bracket came to an end over the past week. With FeeL tHe HyPe dominated the competition and took first place.  Now they move on to play the winner of the losers bracket.

The match between intensityRising and Dedicated 09 will determine who plays FeeL the HyPe in the Championship round.

GoW2:

In the Gears of War 2 play off bracket MbN: The Business defeated DpG Fear to win the winners bracket.

For the losers bracket their is a  grudge match between DpG Fear and TH3 NSAN3Z. The winner will go on to play MbN: The Business in the Championship Match.

Status Quo

I got to look at some footage for Status Quo and here’s what I came up with.  So without further adeu I give you Status Quo.

Strongside

• Positives: This Strongside need I say more, okay I will.  This guy can go beast at any time.
• Negatives: Needs to make sure he doesn’t go too solo.

Ace

• Positives: Strong Slayer, solid in all skill sets
• Negatives: Young, needs to be a leader

Baby Totz

• Positives: one of the best br’s in the game, he has no real deficiencies in his skills
• Negatives: he needs to continue to mature as a player, still makes “young” decisions

Flamesword

• Positives: Has the potential to be one of the most dominant players when he’s hot
• Negatives: He takes some unnecessary chances, occasionally putting him team at a disadvantage

 

Summary: I think this team will be a surprise even though thay have been hyped.   The reason is that I don’t it’s all hype.  I think they are the real deal.

 Bold Prediction: top 4

Believe the Hype

 

In this breakdown session we look at “Believe the Hype”.  Belive the Hype is a young squad, but they have been around for quite sometime.   Here’s how the cookie crumbles.

Cloud

• Positives: sick slayer, guys has  a very steady and plays the game extremely intelligently
• Negatives: (I guess it’s a negative)  Has a tendency to take on multiple opponents, he does win some though

Clutch

• Positives: Very good team player, does what is nessacary 
• Negatives: Rushes a little too much sometimes,

Hynes X

• Positives: Solidslayer, good snipe good br, good all around skill sets
• Negatives: Needs to protect his teammates a little more, gets too focused on “getting kills”

Demon-dany-z

• Positives: Strong slayer, monster with the power weapons
• Negatives: br is a little “busy” at times

Summary: This is one of those teams that could really unsettle the brackets  They have a lot of good young players, who can slay and they have a good team shot.

Bold prediction:  Top 10

Bracket Randomization???

What the heck is that?  Bracket randomization is a strategy that is being used to attempt to randomize the bracket for MLG.  Since the rolling points system should bring more stability to the pro ranks, MLG is trying to mix it up a bit.  Here is their explaination:

The first and second seeded teams, based on Rolling Rank Points, will be placed in the top and bottom spots of the bracket respectively. All other teams will be placed into groups, based on their seeds, and then randomly placed into one of the four quadrants. These groups are in order to assure that the quality of opponent stays similar across the quadrants.

The groupings are as follows:   Group 1: Seeds 3 and 4 ; Group 2: Seeds 5-8 ; Group 3: Seeds 9-12;  Group 4: Seeds 13-16

To clarify, this does not mean that the brackets will be completely random. You will not see the 1st seed meeting up with the 3rd seed in the second round. The randomization is done by groups, so in the first round, a team in Group 1 may only match-up with a team from Group 4. Likewise, a team from Group 2 may only match-up with a team from Group 3.  

You can see the groups in the bracket below. (click it to enlarge it)

"F.T.H." Interview

I got a chance to sit down with Coach BossMayne, PRiZoto TiZype, and The Main Slayer from the number 1 online ranked team FeeL tHe HyPe. These guys are some of the funniest guys I’ve talked to in a while. Prizoto is hilarious, and MainSlayer is a beast with rockets.

Insider: Hey guys thanks a lot for doing the interview!

FtH: Not a problem, glad to be doing it.

Insider: First question, how did you guys come together to be a team?

Mainslayer: Well…It started when I went into the MLG playlist and got paired up with Luckyy ShoTT and HighC. We did well together and Lucky asked if I wanted to join his MLG team. I ignored it at first, then he kept bugging me so I finally said OK and we started running games. They wanted to tryout and pick up Brolly, but I said no, lets try out Captian X Clutch, now known as PRiZoto TiZpe. After a while HighC left they picked up Mister Excel. After that we just kinda clicked.

Insider: How often do you guys practice?

Prototype: From around 6 pm Central to 2 or 3 am. These guys never let me get sleep.

Main Slay: I go to bed a 3am…Sleep for 2 hours..Get up go to school and back at Halo 3.

Insider: How do you guys feel about placing first on the online tournament but not having a top 16 place in Meadows?

Bossmayne: The way we see it, the Qualifier is just practice and is not a priority. We consider ourselves to be a top 16 team and have a lot to prove this year.

Insider: How do you guys feel about going up against “Intensity Rising” in the winner bracket finals?

Main Slayer: We are confident. We played them in the playlist and beat them. One of our only losses in the ladder is because Prototype’s sister got on the computer and put him into red bar for 5 minutes of a King of the Hill game.  It’s hard to come back from an 80 point gap.

Bossmayne: Intensity has a bunch of great players but they lack the team work that these for guys have. My “ninjjaz” have amazing teamwork and better communication than 50% of the teams out there

Insider: Your “ninjjaz”

Bossmayne: Yes, my “ninjjaz”

Mainslayer: With the double j’s and the z at the end

Insider: Alright…….Moving on……..Are you guys looking forward to Meadows?

Prototype: Yes we’re pumped. We’re hoping for a top finish to get our names out there and to get some amazing scrims with some awesome teams. We’d love to play against some pro teams to get ready for Meadowlands.

Insider: How do you guys see yourselves placing in Meadows?

Bossmayne: Top 16 for sure. We are going to be the next Team Classic, except we are better than them and are going to take first instead of 2^nd.

Insider: What team are you guys looking forward to playing in Meadows?

Bossmayne: We are hoping only to play top 16 teams. We want to play only top 16 teams because we want enough points to be top 16 in Columbus, and to show some pros that there are hidden teams out there with enough talent if they only have a chance.

Prototype: Well…I really want to play Status Quo, Strongside is a beast and can’t wait to see what they do this year.

Insider: How long have you guys been a team?

MainSlayer: Well, around 3 or 4 months. (They argue for a bit) Yeah between 3 and 6 months.

Bossmayne: I’ve known you guys for around a year now.

Insider: Main Slayer, how did you get into MLG and onto Feel The Hype?

MainSlayer: Well, I use to be a Matchmaking noob trying to get 50s in everything. So I skipped school one day because I wanted to get my 50 in the MLG Playlist. So I go in and get paired up with LucKyy ShoTT and HighC. On the other team was Xit Wounds. I did not know they were pro at the time. Luckyy Shot was like, dude these kids are pro. Then I said so what? We played them and won. After Luckyy Shot asked me if I wanted to be on his competitive Major League gaming team, and after he bugged me for a while I finally said yes. I use to call out stuff like brute shot and power drain. But, there is no brute shot or power drain in MLG so they had no clue what I was talking.

Insider: PRizoto TiZype, how did you first get into MLG and compettitvie gaming?

ProtoType: Well, back in Halo 2 I played Hardcore a lot. I got paired up with who is now Tizoxic, he liked the way I played so sent me a FR, he taught me MLG and I just got hooked. This is before he was pro though.

Insider: How did you end up with FeeL tHe HyPe?

Boss: I knew Main Slayer for almost a year now, and I coached Proto Types team back in Dallas. Even though we are both thick headed and butt heads some time. We both want to be dedicated and go somewhere in this game so we manage to get over it pretty quick. Since I’m their coach and agent I take care of all the sponsors and everything so they can focus just on gameplay.

Insider: You guys talk about sponsors, who exactly sponsors you guys?

Boss: Our sponsor is Firestormgaming.com They are an awesome sponsor and are helping us out a lot!(They also have another but didn’t want me to add to the interview)

Insider: Alright, for all of you guys who didn’t know. Call me slayer has beaten top pros in a 1v1, you can check him beating Neighbor in a 1v1 on my fileshare, LApollo ze GodL. Proto type, how do you stand up against some of the other players out there?

Bossmayne: Dude…He has Walshy like tactics and reflexes with a Snipedown sniper.

ProtoType: Yeah, call me YhslDown…..

Everyone: (nothing but silence) (then we die laughing)

Insider: Have you guys been to MLGinsider before?

Bossmayne: When I have a computer, yeah. You guys have great interviews, a lot of awesome commentary and some great gameplay analysis.

Insider: Well that about does it for me, its been awesome! Good luck in your match tomorrow against intensityRising, and good luck in Meadows

Check out some of their awesome gameplay on MLGinsiderApolo’s fileshare this afternoon. Also watch for the FeeL the HyPe’s Team Montage coming out later this month…It’s going to be awesome!

“F.T.H.” Interview

I got a chance to sit down with Coach BossMayne, PRiZoto TiZype, and The Main Slayer from the number 1 online ranked team FeeL tHe HyPe. These guys are some of the funniest guys I’ve talked to in a while. Prizoto is hilarious, and MainSlayer is a beast with rockets.

Insider: Hey guys thanks a lot for doing the interview!

FtH: Not a problem, glad to be doing it.

Insider: First question, how did you guys come together to be a team?

Mainslayer: Well…It started when I went into the MLG playlist and got paired up with Luckyy ShoTT and HighC. We did well together and Lucky asked if I wanted to join his MLG team. I ignored it at first, then he kept bugging me so I finally said OK and we started running games. They wanted to tryout and pick up Brolly, but I said no, lets try out Captian X Clutch, now known as PRiZoto TiZpe. After a while HighC left they picked up Mister Excel. After that we just kinda clicked.

Insider: How often do you guys practice?

Prototype: From around 6 pm Central to 2 or 3 am. These guys never let me get sleep.

Main Slay: I go to bed a 3am…Sleep for 2 hours..Get up go to school and back at Halo 3.

Insider: How do you guys feel about placing first on the online tournament but not having a top 16 place in Meadows?

Bossmayne: The way we see it, the Qualifier is just practice and is not a priority. We consider ourselves to be a top 16 team and have a lot to prove this year.

Insider: How do you guys feel about going up against “Intensity Rising” in the winner bracket finals?

Main Slayer: We are confident. We played them in the playlist and beat them. One of our only losses in the ladder is because Prototype’s sister got on the computer and put him into red bar for 5 minutes of a King of the Hill game.  It’s hard to come back from an 80 point gap.

Bossmayne: Intensity has a bunch of great players but they lack the team work that these for guys have. My “ninjjaz” have amazing teamwork and better communication than 50% of the teams out there

Insider: Your “ninjjaz”

Bossmayne: Yes, my “ninjjaz”

Mainslayer: With the double j’s and the z at the end

Insider: Alright…….Moving on……..Are you guys looking forward to Meadows?

Prototype: Yes we’re pumped. We’re hoping for a top finish to get our names out there and to get some amazing scrims with some awesome teams. We’d love to play against some pro teams to get ready for Meadowlands.

Insider: How do you guys see yourselves placing in Meadows?

Bossmayne: Top 16 for sure. We are going to be the next Team Classic, except we are better than them and are going to take first instead of 2^nd.

Insider: What team are you guys looking forward to playing in Meadows?

Bossmayne: We are hoping only to play top 16 teams. We want to play only top 16 teams because we want enough points to be top 16 in Columbus, and to show some pros that there are hidden teams out there with enough talent if they only have a chance.

Prototype: Well…I really want to play Status Quo, Strongside is a beast and can’t wait to see what they do this year.

Insider: How long have you guys been a team?

MainSlayer: Well, around 3 or 4 months. (They argue for a bit) Yeah between 3 and 6 months.

Bossmayne: I’ve known you guys for around a year now.

Insider: Main Slayer, how did you get into MLG and onto Feel The Hype?

MainSlayer: Well, I use to be a Matchmaking noob trying to get 50s in everything. So I skipped school one day because I wanted to get my 50 in the MLG Playlist. So I go in and get paired up with LucKyy ShoTT and HighC. On the other team was Xit Wounds. I did not know they were pro at the time. Luckyy Shot was like, dude these kids are pro. Then I said so what? We played them and won. After Luckyy Shot asked me if I wanted to be on his competitive Major League gaming team, and after he bugged me for a while I finally said yes. I use to call out stuff like brute shot and power drain. But, there is no brute shot or power drain in MLG so they had no clue what I was talking.

Insider: PRizoto TiZype, how did you first get into MLG and compettitvie gaming?

ProtoType: Well, back in Halo 2 I played Hardcore a lot. I got paired up with who is now Tizoxic, he liked the way I played so sent me a FR, he taught me MLG and I just got hooked. This is before he was pro though.

Insider: How did you end up with FeeL tHe HyPe?

Boss: I knew Main Slayer for almost a year now, and I coached Proto Types team back in Dallas. Even though we are both thick headed and butt heads some time. We both want to be dedicated and go somewhere in this game so we manage to get over it pretty quick. Since I’m their coach and agent I take care of all the sponsors and everything so they can focus just on gameplay.

Insider: You guys talk about sponsors, who exactly sponsors you guys?

Boss: Our sponsor is Firestormgaming.com They are an awesome sponsor and are helping us out a lot!(They also have another but didn’t want me to add to the interview)

Insider: Alright, for all of you guys who didn’t know. Call me slayer has beaten top pros in a 1v1, you can check him beating Neighbor in a 1v1 on my fileshare, LApollo ze GodL. Proto type, how do you stand up against some of the other players out there?

Bossmayne: Dude…He has Walshy like tactics and reflexes with a Snipedown sniper.

ProtoType: Yeah, call me YhslDown…..

Everyone: (nothing but silence) (then we die laughing)

Insider: Have you guys been to MLGinsider before?

Bossmayne: When I have a computer, yeah. You guys have great interviews, a lot of awesome commentary and some great gameplay analysis.

Insider: Well that about does it for me, its been awesome! Good luck in your match tomorrow against intensityRising, and good luck in Meadows

Check out some of their awesome gameplay on MLGinsiderApolo’s fileshare this afternoon. Also watch for the FeeL the HyPe’s Team Montage coming out later this month…It’s going to be awesome!

Darkest Hour

Last year Chilled Reality was consitently placing in or near the top 16.  They have had a “few” (wink, wink) roster adjustments over the off-season and now emerge as “Darkest Hour”.  They still have their same core of ArtofWar and CallMe God, but have added the multi-talented Twylight form UtI and the “cool as Ice” Frosty.

CallMeGod

• Positives: very patient, uses his surroundings, very smart player, strong support player, good br
• Negatives: Can be too cautious, needs to step up at times and “get into the fight” more

ArtOf War

• Positives: Strong Slayer, good timing of when to rush and pull back, good awareness, again very patient
• Negatives: Should get into the mix more, allows his teammates to die too much.

Twylight

• Positives: strong slayer, very steady br- he just needs to show more confidence in his Br(ie. not push in for the melee)
• Negatives: Needs to trust his Br, needs to stay alive more

Frosty

• Positives: Sneaky, uses cover well, can cause problems for his opponents.
• Negatives: He has a tendency to get too sneaky, and not play as a team, needs to learn to stay alive

Summary: The are very talented.  The biggest problem I see for them is their chemistry.  Yes, pro’s all know how to play, but when you have that many team changes chemistry can be a big issue.  The also may feel the pressure of  “if I don’t do amazing, will I get dropped?’.  So I don’t see them reaching their full potential.

Bold Prediction: 13th

Incredibles Analysis

The Incredibles have the number 13 seed and the recently unretired Ogre 1.  In addition to OG1 you have Mantrain, Tupac and MioFF.  Se as far as “The Incerdibles” away we go.

Ogre 1

• Positives: Still one of the best, strong Slayer
• Negatives: Not a big objective guy,  little too conservatiive at times

Mantrain

• I’m honestly surprised he’s on this team, I think he maybe a little in over his head.

Tupac

• Haven’t seen much from Tupac, so I really can’t say much about him.

MioFF

• Haven’t seen much from MioFF either, so I really can’t say much about him as well.

Summary:  I think this team is only here because of Ogre 1′s points from last season.  They will be bounced out very early in my opinion.  I hope they prove me wrong cause it makes for a better tournament. 

Bold Prediction: sorry guys …. 20th

Xit Wounds

The  analysis this time is directed towards Xit Wounds.  This is a team that has been around for a long time.  The members have changed at times, but it is a squad whose name is well known.   This event Xit wounds is made up of  Itwasluck, Slyfox, Bonfire and Elumnite. 

These guys want to take the name from just being a known name to a champion.  Here’s how they shake out.

Itwasluck

• Positives: very experienced, smart, good slayer, uses his nades extremely well
• Negatives: streaky goes hot or cold real fast, needs to stay alive

Elumnite

• Positives: very balance player, does whatever needed, strong support, team player
• Negatives: a little too aggressive at times,

Bonfire

• Positives:  Solid BR, lots of experience,  solid sniper, has great movement, very aware
• Negatives:  at times too individualistic in his play

Slyfox

• Positives: pure slayer, great with power weapons, stays alive
• Negatives: Very aggressive, take chances at times

Summary:  These guys could be very strong if the make a conscious effort to improve their play in objective games.  They seem to have a natural chemistry, maybe that will help them to push up in the Pro seeds.

Bold Prediction:  Top 12

Qualifer Update

Its down to the Round 4, in the Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 playoff bracket.

Halo 3

In round 3 FeeL the HypE played THE UnDeFiNeD. Though The undefined fought hard they could not stand up to the first place FeeL tHe HyPe.

In the 2^ndmatch Sector 7 played intensityRising. Sector 7 fought hard but they could not match the 2^ndplace team intensityRISING

Now on March 12^th 1^st and 2^nd place teams will battle it out to be claimed Online qualifier winners! Who will win? Only time will tell.

Gears of War 2

In round 3 TH3 NSAN3Z came up against DpG Fear. Though the first place team from last year stepped up to the plate DpG Fear would not be denied. With that loss TH3 NSAN3Z is dropped to the losers bracket.

The next match was MbN The Business against Simply UnderRated. Though Simply underrated was ranked 15^th they played a top 8 game but still could not hack it.

In the final match MbN The Business will play against DpG Fear on March 12^th.

Montage Weekly #2

Whats up Everyone! This is Apollo and I’d like to welcome you back to another addition of Montage Weekly! Every week or so I’m going to be updating everyone on the hottest montage trailers, Montages, Funtages, and everything in between! Along with giving you a link, I’ll be giving you my thoughts, as well as a rating for the video! Lets get started!

Name: Psylence Trailer

Editor: Robotik Designs and Xam MediA

GamePlay: Robosteeze and CitriC AciDDDD

Link: http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/view/WDyO3atr1wI.html?video_page=7

This trailer is one of the better ones I have seen. It is a high definition trailer, and has some amazing music to it. It is edited almost to perfection, with a lot of 3^rd person views, and some great syncing. Only complaint would be it needs more actual footage.

Ratings:

Editing: 5/5 Plasmas: Editing is simply great

Gameplay: 4/5 Plasmas: Could use just a bit more actual gameplay

Overall: 4.5/5 Plasmas: It’s a great trailer and leaves you on the edge of your chair for the full thing!

Name: Orima: Teaser Trailer

Editor: TM22

GamePlay: TM22, ST68, Halomaggot, Scarecrow, Avo, Shift, Sargoth, Smurfx2, WarHero

Link: http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/view/GCCvPWG9PQQ.html

This is a 9 person campaign montage. The trailer is like a breath of fresh air. It’s really relaxed, and chill. With some smooth editing and some amazing sticks in campaign this montage is one to be looked forward to.

Ratings:

Editing: 5/5 Plasmas: This is really smooth editing

Gameplay: 2/3 Plasmas: There is very little actual gameplay but it promises much

Overall: 4/5 Plasmas: It’s a great trailer…But there’s no actual gameplay

 

Name: Extermination

Editor: Suddoth 2

Gameplay: Suddoth

Link: http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/view/jT9iTF7kk8s.html?video_page=4

This montage starts out extremely well. Good quality clips, all really nice overkill exterminations. But then, after about 2 minutes it goes to very very low quality clips. The skill of the clips are still awesome, some really cool no scopes and br kills. But the quality brings it down so much. With a better quality, like the beginning it would have made MLG top 10 without a doubt. But the quality just brings it down. As for editing, there’s not much in the way of it, a few simple transitions and that is it.

Ratings:

Editing 1/5 Plasmas: Very little in the way of editing

Gameplay: 5/5 Plasmas: Some of the clips are just amazing. But after 2 minutes the quality becomes something very close to a camcorder.

Overall: 3/5 Plasmas: If it had better quality it would have been awesome. Some more editing would have been much wanted.

 

Name: Str8 Rippin Montage

Edit: Zola

Link: http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/view/TRYG6kNx4Ko.html

Only a god would be able to edit better…This is superb editing with the most amazing gameplay to date

Gameplay: 5/5 Plasmas: Pure epicness

Edit: 5/5 Plasmas: Only a god could edit more

Overall: 10/5 Best montage to date

 

MLG Update Pt2

This is the MLG Update Part 2 for those of you who decided to stay away in the off-season or just lived under a rock.  We talked about some of the roster changes in Part 1.  You can read that here.  This article is to discuss the changes to the Pro Circuit.  There have been three drastic changes to the Pro Circuit.  The Circuit this year with have a modified bracket, a new Pro Points system and a will charge a fee for the first time for it’s new-and -improved “Spectator Experience”.

Let’s talk about the brackets first.  This year the Championship bracket play will start on Friday with the Open bracket play.  The top 16 teams will play the first round of the championship bracket on Friday.   Then the losing teams will then play 2 placing rounds for the loser’s bracket.   The top 16 Open teams  will still make into the Championship bracket  like in previous years, but they will go directly to the Loser’s bracket.  However, they will not face a top 16 team for the first three rounds.  This is actually  making it easier for an open team to make the top 20.

Next I want to address the new “Rolling Points System”.  MLG wanted to increase stability in the Pro Ranks and with this thought they changes the Points system.   Starting this first event,each team will carry over 50 % of their point totals from last season.  Then after the first event in 2009, the points from the first 2 events last year will expire.  One additional event from the previous year will expire after every event this year.  This will increase the stability of the Pro ranks and will increase the familiarity of the Pro teams with fans and hopefully will increase MLG’s following.

Finally, let’s talk about the New “Spectator Experience”.  The first ad biggest chance in this is that every event will have an entry fee now.  It will be $20 at the door or $15 dollars if purchased ahead of time online.  Now this fee is meant to cover the expenses associated with the new experience. 

New this year to the “spectator experience” will be the following features:

• Chill out in the GameBattles Arcade, play mini-games, and interact with other fans!
• Spectators can get their name out as individual competitors in the Halo 3 FFA and Gears of War 2 Wingman Competitions!
• Get the VIP Treatment by Becoming an MLG High Roller

Click here for more details on the spectator experience.

39-16 Sq wins

The final tally of the SQ Vs Str8 LAN was 39 – 19 in favor of Status Quo.  The series by series score is as follows:  1st series 8-3 SQ, 2nd series 11-0  SQ, 3rd series was 6-5, the 4th series was 8-3 and the 5th and final series was 6-5 in favor of SQ.   So a very solid performance from Sq, but anything  can happen at the event.

HaE Analysis

This is part 2 of our 16 team pro breakdown.  Next up is the number 15 seed Heaven and Earth.  Their line up consists of Poweezy , Killerdrew, Hokum and Perplexity.  Let’s get right to it!!

Poweezy

• Posistives: Team player, Solid overall skill set, very consistent
• Negatives: Can be a little too conservative at times and too aggressive other times, needs to be in the middle.

Killerdrew

• Positives:  Solid Slayer, steady br and good snipe
• Negatives: A little too aggressive at times, sometimes too “slaying” oriented

Hokum

• Positives:  He was know in Halo 2 for having a solid Br and Sniper, he seems to have picked up where he left off in halo 2
• Negatives: Not as much experience with Halo 3 as other pros last year

Perplexity

• Positives: Bigtime slayer, can be a beast
• Negatives: Short team chemistry, Not been in with the “big boys” as often

Summary:  They all have experience.   How well they do will be determined by how quickly they meash and how they can do with their bracket draws.

Bold Prediction: Top 12

Instinct Contract

We sat down with Lunchbox to discuss the new contract that team Instinct just signed.  We asked him to share a little bit about it and to tell us how they became the first pro team to contract to be together for the season.  So  here we go:

Insider: Well, you guys have made it through a very active offseason and stayed together. What prompted you to draw up a contract for the team?

Lunchbox: Well, it was basically implemented to remove temptations and any possibility for shady team changes. We all wanted to team together and stay together so why not have a contract was our thinking?

Insider: That sounds reasonable enough. Who brought it up or was it kind of just a general consensus to do it?

Lunchbox: Mason brought it up originally and all of us completely agreed.

Insider: Now the contract includes all four players, but did you include xXx in the contract?

Lunchbox: Yes we did

Insider: Can you expound on what the contract stipulates as far as in what situation could you separate or what happens if one of you breaks the contract?

Lunchbox: Well, all five of us have to agree on the change and there are financial reprocutions if that is not followed

Insider: The reprocutions, are they like a set fee or a percentage of winnings or something like that?

Lunchbox: I’d rather not go into that. We’re just keeping that between the team members.

Insider: Fair enough, no problem. How long is the term of the contract? Is it for 1 season or is it for a certain # of events?

Lunchbox: It is for the 09 season.

Insider: Nice, I think the fans will be excited to know they can get behind a team and know they can cheer them on all year long. Was that something you were thinking about when you designed the contract or was that just an added bonus for the fans?

Lunchbox: I think that was an added bonus, but we always have our fans in mind.

Insider: Well, I’m very glad to see a team commit to each other and I think this will only make you guys work that much harder and be that much better.

Lunchbox: Yeah, just a side note, our focus can now be completely on improving instead of who we think we could pick up or drop. After a tournament, our minds can be 100% geared towards improving instead of a team change, which almost all of the other teams will be worried about

Insider: I think that will be a great benefit for you guys. I was thinking that it may actually help to relax you guys and allow you to play better during events knowing that you won’t be bailed on if something bad happens.

Lunchbox:Yeah exactly

Insider: Well, you’ve obviously seen all the pro seed rosters and I know you guys are set on winning MLG Meadowlands. You had a rough LAN with SQ a couple of weeks back, not that it should, but does that worry you or are you more pumped and motivated now?

Lunchbox: It was a wake up call, we went in very under practiced and they were completely prepared. We learned a ton and overall it was very helpful.

Insider: Well, the obvious question is…. Will Instinct win Meadowlands?

Lunchbox: If we are playing our best, we have just as good a shot as anyone

Insider: Good answer. Well, I appreciate you time Jason. Is there anything you feel like adding ?

Lunchbox: Come out to Meadowlands and cheer us on, and thanks to all our fans

Insider: Awesome. Well, good luck man I know you and Justin really want to get that first event win. Best of luck to you in Meadowlands bro.

Lunchbox: Thanks a ton

SQ 19 -3 over Str8

Str8 Rippin and Status Quo started their weekend LAN up in Chicago at Totz house.  They played two 11 game  series and two more games before calling it a night due to exhaustion. 

Status Quo won both series and both extra games to lead the weekend LAN by a score of 19-3.  SQ won the first 11 game series 8-3 over Str8 Rippin.   They then proceeded to goose egg Str8 beating them 11-0.  SQ also won the final two games before going to bed.

This really leads us to wonder if Triggers Down is more dominant than expected.  If you remember tD beat SQ very bad over the weekend and since then SQ has proceeded to beat Instinct soundly and is leading Str8 19 -3 .  Are we looking at a new 1 & 2 in in Meadowlands by tD and Sq?  I’m not ready to say that yet, but maybe .

"The Riot" Analysis

This is a series that will start from the 16th seed and look at every Pro team individually breaking down their strengths and weaknesses.   This first article discusses the 16th seed “The Riot”

“The Riot” consists of four players who have been around the MLG community for quite some time.  They are: Wooly, Snuff Said, Squirrel and Goodwill.

 

Here is their breakdown.  We will start with the positives and then list what they need to work on.  Finally we will give you our summary of the team and our projection.

Wooooly

• Positives:  Moves extremely well, very explosive, ability to catch fire and take over, potential to dominate in slaying
• Negatives: Takes a few too many chances, could be slightly more conservative , and needs to work on staying alive (waiting for your sheilds to charge is better than waiting for a respawn). 

Snuff Said

• Positives: Very steady BR, smart player and a very confident player
• Negatives: Work on awareness and not rushing as much

Squirrel

• Positives: Smart Player, Utilizes cover extremely well, stays alive and he is a big team player
• Negatives: Br and Snipe are average in the Pro circuit

Goodwill

• Positives: Great decision maker, team player, good awareness, does the “dirty” work, stays alive and uses cover well
• Negatives: Not an impressive slayer with Br or Snipe

Summary:

All in all, I think the Riot has the potential to be a top ten team and possibly top 8.  I don’t think they are ready for anything more than that.  They are a well rounded team that works very well together, very well. 

Bold Prediction: Top 18

“The Riot” Analysis

This is a series that will start from the 16th seed and look at every Pro team individually breaking down their strengths and weaknesses.   This first article discusses the 16th seed “The Riot”

“The Riot” consists of four players who have been around the MLG community for quite some time.  They are: Wooly, Snuff Said, Squirrel and Goodwill.

 

Here is their breakdown.  We will start with the positives and then list what they need to work on.  Finally we will give you our summary of the team and our projection.

Wooooly

• Positives:  Moves extremely well, very explosive, ability to catch fire and take over, potential to dominate in slaying
• Negatives: Takes a few too many chances, could be slightly more conservative , and needs to work on staying alive (waiting for your sheilds to charge is better than waiting for a respawn). 

Snuff Said

• Positives: Very steady BR, smart player and a very confident player
• Negatives: Work on awareness and not rushing as much

Squirrel

• Positives: Smart Player, Utilizes cover extremely well, stays alive and he is a big team player
• Negatives: Br and Snipe are average in the Pro circuit

Goodwill

• Positives: Great decision maker, team player, good awareness, does the “dirty” work, stays alive and uses cover well
• Negatives: Not an impressive slayer with Br or Snipe

Summary:

All in all, I think the Riot has the potential to be a top ten team and possibly top 8.  I don’t think they are ready for anything more than that.  They are a well rounded team that works very well together, very well. 

Bold Prediction: Top 18

R6V2/CoD4 Qualifier

The Call of Duty 4 teams have been busy!

1. A Soldiers Glory- This team has put some serious work in to get into this top spot. Their record is 133 wins and 9 losses! These guys worked hard and deserve the spot. They are on a 2 game losing streak but they are not letting it get to them.

1. BgR EnVyUs- EnvyUs was knocked out of the top spot by A Soldiers Glory. They need to do some hard work to get back into the top spot. Their record is 104 wins and 9 losses.

1. pT l oLd school – Old School is working hard to get out of their 3^rd place spot in this tournament. They are barely 100 points behind EnvyUs and are trying to knock them out of 2^nd place.

1. The Genocide- This is a new team into the top 5. The Genocide worked hard to get up to the top 5 with 70 wins and 2 loses.

1. Lackluster Talent- This team worked hard and is barely in 5^th place. With 148 wins and 24 loses they are only a few loses away from dropping out of the top 5.

Rainbow 6 Vegas 2

1. Lost Cause- Lost Cause is working hard to keep in first place. With 50 wins and 16 loses they are in the lead by a good deal, but still can not afford to drop focus. They are also on a 8 game winning streak.
2. BloodLine- Blood Line is in 2^nd by a small margin. They have a record of 27 wins and 7 losses. They are hard at work keeping their 2^nd place spot.
3. MomentuM-This a new team into the top 5. With a record of 23 wins and 8 loses they are putting their best effort into keeping in 3rd
4. Rage-Rage has come out swinging, with a record of 10 wins and 0 loses they could very well go straight to the top with a few more wins.
5. History N The Making- This is another team who is coming out big. With a record of 11 wins and 2 loses they are only 1 game behind Rage. This could possibly be the start of a new rivalry.

Stay tuned on MLGinsider.com for all things MLG!

Qualifier Play-off #2

 

Halo 3

Round 3 of the Halo 3 Winners play off bracket was played in the past week! And we are here to bring you up to date on whos breaking out and coming up big!

First match is current 1st place team FeeL tHe Hype. They played and defeated 24th ranked SPiRit 3-0 and move on to play in round four which is on March 5th.

Next Match was UnDeFiNeD, who is in 5th place, against 20th placed team Total Audacity. Undefined came out big and defeated Total 3 - 2. They move on to play the 1st ranked team FeeL the HypE.

The third match is 19th ranked Sector 7 against ranked 11th In The Spotlight. Sector 7 came out to play and defeated In The Spotlight 3 – 0.

The final game is 7th ranked GIMME mY MONEY against 2nd place intensityRISING. IntensityRISING defeated them 3 – 0, and moves onto play Sector 7 in round four!

Gears of War 2

The first match played was 1st ranked team, TH3 NSAN3Z, against the 25th ranked team ReLease. Though ReLease fought hard they could not defeat TH3 NSAN3Z. TH3 NSAN3Z defeated ReLease 3 – 2.

The next match was Strength in Numbers who is ranked 12th against 4th ranked DpG Fear. Though they fought hard Strength in Numbers could not stop DpG from winning 3  – 1. DpG Fear now moves onto round 4 to play against TH3 NSAN3Z.

The third match is 3rd ranked vVv Destiny against 6th ranked MbN-The Business. MbN- The Business upset this top team 3 - 2 and now moves onto round 4.

The final match is another upset. 7th ranked pX I Fully Spaced was defeated 2 - 3 by 15th ranked team SimplyUnderRated.  Simply now moves on to play The Business in round 4 on March 5th

Top 16 are Set.

The top 16 teams that qualify for Pro status are finally set for Meadowlands. The biggest surprise of all – Ogre 1 is back!!  Here is the break down from MLGpro.

Meadowlands Halo 3 Top 16 Team Rosters Set

MLG Bracket Show to Announce Bracket Tomorrow

The roster deadline has passed for the teams aiming to start in the Meadowlands Championship Bracket, and MLG Commissioner John Nelson has released a list of the Top 16 seeded Halo 3 teams headed into the competition. Check out the names and rosters of teams starting in the Meadowlands Championship Bracket below, which are now locked until after the Meadowlands competition.

While the Top 16 seeded teams are now known, it is still unknown which teams will face off in the first round of the Winners Bracket. Tomorrow, MLG’s new Bracket Show will reveal the Meadowlands Halo 3 randomized Championship Bracket quadrants, surely kicking off countless debates about which team will prevail. Be sure to look out for the video on mlgpro.com tomorrow to find out which teams will be facing off in the first round of the Winners Bracket. For more information on Quadrant Randomization, click here.

You can also see the team names and rosters with their rolling rank points on the Halo 3 Team Standings page.

  

 

Now we are finally set for Meadowlands.  We will break one team per day for the community.  Be sure to check back and read the break downs each day.

MLG Update pt1

This will be a two part update for those just getting back into the MLG swing or those new to MLG.  I wanted to take a minute and look at the adjustments to the rosters over the last few weeks.  There has been quite a few changes and will probably be a few more until the March 5th deadline.  I think a few surprises stand out in particular. 

The first of the noted surprises is the fact that Gandhi has yet to find a team.  In speaking, with him, he said that e’s not overly concerned and that he would want to commentate.  Unfortunately, as of our last conversation has still had yet to receive any kind of offer from MLG to be a commentator.  So we will have to wait and see if he still plays or if he sits this event out.

The second pleasant surprise was the return of a fan favorite in Hokum.   He will be playing with the resurgent Killerdrew and Powwow team of HaE.  They are going to be a very competitive team for top 8 in Meadowlands.

Here are some bullet points for those who lived in a cave over the last few months.

• Ogre 1 is not teaming with Ogre 2 for the first time the may face each other
• Instinct is now comprised of Walshy, Lunchbox, Roy and Neighbor
• tD dropped both Karma and Fearitself for Pistola and Heinz
• Hokum returned to play Halo 3
• Team Classic is back together
• Strongside  moved to an up-and-coming team in Status Quo

Stay tuned for Part 2 summarizing the league changes…..

Passes 4 sale

Gears 2 Rd by Rd

MLGpro just released the Gears of War 2 round by round gametypes for the 2009 Meadowlands event.  You can see all bracket and matches below.

GoW 2

Open Bracket Game Types

Winners Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Execution – Ruins
Game 2 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 3 – Execution – Jacinto

Round 2
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 3 – Execution – Ruins

Round 3
Game 1 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 2 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 3 – Execution – River

Round 4
Game 1 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 2 – Execution – Ruins
Game 3 – Execution – Security

Round 5
Game 1 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 2 – Execution – River
Game 3 – Execution – Blood Drive

Losers Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 3 – Execution – Ruins

Round 2
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – River
Game 3 – Execution – Jacinto

Round 3
Game 1 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 2 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 3 – Execution – River

Round 4
Game 1 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 2 – Execution – Ruins
Game 3 – Execution – Blood Drive

Round 5
Game 1 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 2 – Execution – Ruins
Game 3 – Execution – Security

Round 6
Game 1 – Execution – River
Game 2 – Execution – Security
Game 3 – Execution – Pavilion

Championship Bracket Game Types

Winners Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 2 – Execution – River
Game 3 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 4 – Execution – Security
Game 5 – Execution – Stasis

Round 2
Game 1 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 2 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 3 – Execution – Security
Game 4 – Execution – Ruins
Game 5 – Execution – River

Round 3
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – Stasis
Game 3 – Execution – River
Game 4 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 5 – Execution – Ruins

Round 4-Winners Bracket Finals
Game 1 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 2 – Execution – River
Game 3 – Execution – Ruins
Game 4 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 5 – Execution – Pavilion

Round 5-Finals
Game 1 – Execution – Ruins
Game 2 – Execution – Security
Game 3 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 4 – Execution – Stasis
Game 5 – Execution – Blood Drive

Best of 11
Game 8 – Execution – Security
Game 9 – Execution – River
Game 10 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 11 – Execution – Jacinto

Losers Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 2 – Execution – River
Game 3 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 4 – Execution – Security
Game 5 – Execution – Stasis

Round 2
Game 1 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 2 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 3 – Execution – Stasis
Game 4 – Execution – Ruins
Game 5 – Execution – Pavilion

Round 3
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – Stasis
Game 3 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 4 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 5 – Execution – Ruins

Round 4
Game 1 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 2 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 3 – Execution – Security
Game 4 – Execution – Ruins
Game 5 – Execution – River

Round 5
Game 1 – Execution – Ruins
Game 2 – Execution – Security
Game 3 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 4 – Execution – River
Game 5 – Execution – Blood Drive

Round 6
Game 1 – Execution – River
Game 2 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 3 – Execution – Stasis
Game 4 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 5 – Execution – Jacinto

Round 7
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – Stasis
Game 3 – Execution – River
Game 4 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 5 – Execution – Ruins

Round 8
Game 1 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 2 – Execution – Ruins
Game 3 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 4 – Execution – Security
Game 5 – Execution – Stasis

Round 9
Game 1 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 2 – Execution – River
Game 3 – Execution – Ruins
Game 4 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 5 – Execution – Pavilion

Round 10-Losers Bracket Finals
Game 1 – Execution – Stasis
Game 2 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 3 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 4 – Execution – River
Game 5 – Execution – Security

Placement Rounds
Round 1
Game 1 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 2 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 3 – Execution – Stasis
Game 4 – Execution – Ruins
Game 5 – Execution – Pavilion

Round 2
Game 1 – Execution – Security
Game 2 – Execution – Stasis
Game 3 – Execution – Jacinto
Game 4 – Execution – Blood Drive
Game 5 – Execution – Ruins

Round 3
Game 1 – Execution – River
Game 2 – Execution – Pavilion
Game 3 – Execution – Ruins
Game 4 – Execution – Stasis
Game 5 – Execution – Jacinto

Halo 3 Rd by Rd

 

MLGpro just released the round by round gametypes for Halo 3 .  The gametypes for both the championship and open bracket are below.

Halo 3

Open Bracket Game Types

Winners Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 2 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Round 2
Game 1 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Construct

Round 3
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Construct
Game 2 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Round 4
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – The Pit

Round 5
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 2 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Round 6
Game 1 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Construct

Losers Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – The Pit

Round 2
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Construct
Game 2 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Round 3
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 2 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Round 4
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – The Pit

Round 5
Game 1 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Construct

Round 6
Game 1 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 2 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Round 7
Game 1 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 2 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Slayer – Construct
Championship Bracket Game Types

Winners Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 2 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 3 – Team King – Construct
Game 4 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Amplified

Round 2
Game 1 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Construct

Round 3
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Team King – Construct
Game 5 – Team Slayer – The Pit

Round 5-Winners Bracket Finals
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 4 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Round 6-Finals
Game 1 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Amplified
Game 3 – Team King – Construct
Game 4 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Tiebreaker Game
Game 11 – Team Slayer – Construct

Losers Bracket
Round 1
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 2 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 3 – Team King – Construct
Game 4 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Amplified

Round 2
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 4 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Round 3
Game 1 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Team King – Construct
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Amplified

Round 4
Game 1 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Construct

Round 5
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Amplified
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 4 – Team King – Construct
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Round 6
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 2 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Construct

Round 7
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Team King – Construct
Game 5 – Team Slayer – The Pit

Round 8
Game 1 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 3 – Team King – Construct
Game 4 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Round 9
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – The Pit
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 4 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Round 10-Losers Bracket Finals
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Construct
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 4 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Amplified

Tiebreaker Game
Game 11 – Team Slayer – Guardian

Placement Rounds
Round 1
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Guardian
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Lockdown
Game 4 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Narrows

Round 2
Game 1 – Multi Flag – The Pit
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Narrows
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Team King – Construct
Game 5 – Team Slayer – Amplified

Round 3
Game 1 – Multi Flag – Onslaught
Game 2 – Team Slayer – Construct
Game 3 – Team Oddball – Guardian
Game 4 – Multi Flag – Narrows
Game 5 – Team Slayer – The Pit

Euee Interview

 

I got a chance to sit down with one of my good friends the other day and talk to him about what he does.   He is one of the coolest guys you’ll ever know and is obsessed about MLG.   All he wants is to do is go pro.  He loves to laugh at Mackeo’s faces, his favorite pro is Karma and he seriously even has dreams about  Master Chief.  I am proud to present one of the greatest guys around… Euee

 

 

Apollo: What first got you interested in singing?

Euee: Well, my cousin use to rap for 3 hours straight and that got me into singing and rapping a lot.

 

Apollo: You’re known for your “MLGpro” song,  what made you decide to make it?

Euee: I was playing Halo 3 with my best friend and he said, “I’m surprised there’s no MLG song.” Then I was like “Man, I’m gonna make one about trying to go pro”.  The rest is history

 

Apollo: How long would you say it took to do the whole “MLGpro” song?

Euee: About 2 hours, I had to find a catchy beat, make a good hook and it had to be  something that every body would like because not everyone likes Rap.

 

Apollo: Was it hard to come up with the words and make it all fit together?

Euee:  Not really, I already new what I wanted to do.   Hardest part was trying to fit all the team names in and make it rhyme.   I guess it came out fine though.

 

Apollo:  I would take a shot at saying it was a huge success.

Euee:  (laughing) Thanks,  I’m pretty happy with all the success.

 

Apollo: How long does it usually take to write, record, and  post a new song?

Euee: It matter’s if I know what I want to do.  Sometimes it can take weeks, sometimes it can take hours…just depending on my mood.   Like The Karma song I did, it took me 1 week to complete.

 

Apollo:  Speaking of the Karma Song, have you gotten any response from Karma or any of the other pros about the song?

 

Euee: Well, I sent a Message to Karma telling him I made the song, but no response. I don’t know if anyone else heard the song, all I know is Puckett is the man.

 

Apollo:  Could we be hearing a “Puckett” song next?

Euee: I don’t see why not.  I got a few songs up my big ol’ sleeve.

 

Apollo: Can you give us any hints as to whats up your sleeve?

Euee:  (laughing) I’ll just tell you there’s a song about BK’s, a Triggers down song,  a MLG insider song, and another parody called “If I were a Pro”.

 

Apollo:  Any chance I can be a backup singer for any of the songs?

Euee: Heck yeah man!

 

Apollo: What first got you into MLG in general?

Euee: Well, Im a huge gamer.  I have every system ever made including atari, sega game gear and Virtual Game gear.  You name it, I got it.  I’m also a very competitive player.  I always wondered how cool it would be if you could play a game and get paid for it.   Then I heard about MLG and stuck with it.

 

Apollo: Will we be seeing you on the circuit next year?

Euee:  I hope so.  It’s just hard looking for people to team with.! 

 

Apollo: Where do you get your inspiration for your songs?

Euee:  Video Games,  no question about it.   I just love video games that much.

 

Apollo: What type of music do you listen to when your not making your own?

Euee: Hip hop/Rap.  I’m now starting to get into rock a lot more.   I listen to mainly Rap though. Artists like Lil wayne, Ludacris, CHAMILLIONAIRE, Eminem, and Young Jeezy.

 

Apollo: What is your thought process when you make a song,  what do you listen for in a beat, or do you look for similar sounds in words?

Euee: When I make a track, I have to have the mind set ” Funny or Serious” I’ll listen to a beat for 15 seconds. If I don’t like it within that time range, I won’t Use it. When it came to “MLG Pro” once I heard that beat I fell in love with it, It had so much energy in it.  All I had to do was make it so that other gamers trying to go pro would like it as well.

 

Apollo: What are you plans for the future with your singing, are you going to try to get signed by some company or “go pro’” for you music? (laughs at himself for the terrible and bad joke)

Euee: I wouldn’t mind playing on the main stage, or even becoming MLG’s “Artist”. I would love to get signed. I would  make parodies about funny stuff, and make a Gaming album for all the gamers.

 

Apollo: So your going to try to become the  MLG version of Weird Al Yankovic

Euee: (Laughing)  No, if I make Parody it would be about stupid stuff, like BIG GIRLS or something of that sort.   For MLG it would be more serious tracks about gaming, like “You’re a BK”.  I mean, who doesn’t hate BK’s and who can’t relate to that song.

 

Apollo: The next, question could be seen coming for a mile away,  but have you heard of Bryan Simon?

Euee: Bryan Simon is the Man. I have him on my Myspace. We were suppose to make a track together.

 

Apollo: Alright, now time for some rapid fire questions.

Euee: I’m ON IT!

 

Apollo: BR or Snipe?

Euee: BR

 

Apollo: You or your cousin in a rap battle?

Euee: Me

 

 

Apollo: Karma or T2

Euee: KARRRRMMMAAAAAAAA

 

Apollo: Guardian or Pit?

Euee: Pit

 

Apollo: New FB or Old FB?

Euee: Old FB, but the new FB  is going to rape all day with Mackeo.

 

Apollo: Does that mean your expecting Mackeo to finally come out of the shell and bring some of his hidden talent back?

Euee: Heck Yeah, I think mackeo is one of the best players on the circuit…I love watching him play on the main stage, because he makes me laugh every time I see his faces.

 

Apollo: Well…I kinda walked into that one.  Next question: Mazsik or xXx

Euee: xXx

 

Apollo: Alright man, as always its been awesome to talking to you!

Euee: Yeah its been fun!

 

 

To listen to his new song about his favorite pro Karma and all his other songs check out his myspace www.myspace.com/txgotflowz .  If anyone reading this knows Karma.  Send him Euee’s song and make sure he hears it!