FORTNITE: A VICTORY ROYALE FOR EPIC GAMES
HOW WESG & CANADA CUP ARE PUTTING CANADA ON THE ESPORTS WORLD STAGE
UPCOMING GAMES AND REVIEWS
SHOW MAP INSIDE OCTOBER 2018 | ISSUE 2 A LETTER FROM TABLE OF CONTENTS OUR CEO & FOUNDER
For the second time in 2018 it is our honor to welcome back Canada’s SHOW MAP 18 largest group of passionate gamers, pro players, developers, journalists
and artists. While our March show exceeded our wildest expectations, COVER STORIES we’re building on that passion with the biggest gathering yet right in the
heart of downtown Toronto. FORTNITE: A Victory Royale for Epic Games 7
WESG Just four years ago on my journey to make EGLX a reality, I witnessed 21
a growing scene of gamers all across the country: arcades, board game CANADA CUP 24
shops, even bars. Anywhere and everywhere you could go, you went. My Gaming Addiction is Not About the Number of Hours Holding a Controller 22 vision was to unite everyone under a single event that we could really call
our own, a principle that drives us year after year. We are blessed with one of the greatest communities in the world: thank you for spending your time FEATURED+MORE with us this weekend. The Oculus Santa Cruz 5
Naturally there’s even more room to grow as we ready up to bring more The Luigi’s Mansion Game You’ve Probably Never Played 8 events your way. If you’d like to submit feedback for any reason to our team
at Enthusiast Gaming, please do so at [email protected]. I’ll be seeing plenty Spyro Dev: You Don’t Miss Spyro As Much As I Do 9 of you out on the showfloor, so don’t be afraid to say “hello” in person! Esports and Motorsports Have More in Common Than You Think 14
Thank you again for helping us build this incredible community together. It’s Enthusiast Gaming Online Properties 26 only going to get bigger and better from here.
EGLX SPRING 2018 28
GAME REVIEWS 10
DID YOU KNOW?
A BLURB ABOUT THE COVER ART That green robot on the cover is Mr. Destructoid, the official mascot of the irreverent Destructoid.com, which was founded in March 2006 by Yanier “Niero” Gonzalez. The other dapper gentleman (pictured along with his loyal minions) is Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, one of The Escapist’s leading personalities. Both are part of Enthusiast Gaming’s industry- defying network.
Two of the most popular gaming publications are finally coming together under one roof, so be sure to say “hi” at EGLX this weekend!
ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 3 THE OCULUS SANTA CRUZ
It’s an exciting time for VR right now. Most major room-scale VR sets require trackers that capture your movements to simulate a free experience, so you can walk around and feel like you’re part of the At this point anyone who’s remotely interested in the concept has a variety of world without pressing movement buttons. options. There’s the first-to-market Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, the PlayStation VR, Oculus Go, and the Gear VR. VR has grown quite a bit since its consumer infancy But with a wireless, tracker-less, six degrees of freedom-centric headset, the entire in early 2016, and at this point headset manufacturers have nailed down room- feel of the digital world is all-encompassing. Think of it as a souped-up Oculus scale VR, especially when coupled with the expansive Oculus Touch remotes. Go in the sense that it’s a self-contained box. New remotes based off on the But there’s also another big wave of innovation coming, spearheaded by Oculus advancements of the Touch set will help the Santa Cruz headset realize this vision. Santa Cruz. We’ve known about it for quite some time, but the Santa Cruz project is aiming to Right now the big demands from VR enthusiasts and prospective users alike are really wow people with usability combined with a high-end VR experience. Just for VR to either go cordless, or become a more convenient hobby as a whole. The prepare yourself now for a high-end price. Oculus Go already made this possible with a limited Snapdragon 821 chipset, but the Oculus Santa Cruz is going to push things even further.
The secret sauce behind Santa Cruz is the adherence to the principle of six degrees of freedom. For years VR manufacturers have struggled to marry every major concept of VR into one product, and it seems as if Oculus is coming close.
ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 4 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 5 FEATURE
FORTNITE: A VICTORY ROYALE FOR EPIC GAMES
Chris Carter Destructoid.com
No one at Epic Games could have predicted just how prevalent Fortnite would Another chief reason for Fortnite’s continued success is Epic’s quick follow- become when it launched its “Save the World” chassis back in mid-2017. through. While competitors are hammering down lists and vague windows for Following in the footsteps of horde mode trends of old (remember when those eventual fixes, Epic pens detailed blogs, drilling down the technical and artistic were in everything?) and the still-dominant concept of creation, Fortnite was aspects of the game in a digestible format for its users. If you want to know what’s poised to make a decent dent in the industry, but it wasn’t until Battle Royale going on with any particular item or concept, odds are it’s being addressed right came knocking that its super-stardom was truly realized. In just two months of now or the fix is already live. development time Epic completely turned Fortnite around and pivoted into a completely new, burgeoning field. You’ve probably heard of, or even played Fortnite before. But just in case: Battle Royale games (whose concept is derived from the 2000 Japanese film Before Ninja was commanding millions of followers, before you could find Fortnite of the same name) involve dumping large numbers of players (typically 100) t-shirts at every novelty store, it had a low key PVE (player-versus-environment, onto an island with randomly generated gear, with the simple task of being the in this case, monsters) focus. Save the World mode launched in July of 2017 last person (or team) standing. You can use any means necessary to win, even with a paid early access period. Its reception can only be described as mixed, pacifism. This unique style of gameplay and propensity for nail-biting scenes is particularly due to its slow progression systems and darker tone compared to the exactly why Fortnite is conducive to streaming online, adding yet another layer Fortnite we know today. It took pretty much every popular trope under its wing: to its growing level of accessibility. zombies, construction, a horde focus, you name it, Epic tried to incorporate it. One of the most popular streamers in the world, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, commands Two months later the real money started flowing in. Battle Royale was up and over 10 million followers (roughly the size of the entire Fortnite community after the running in September of 2017, and its free-to-play model enticed millions more first rush).Streaming has moved from a niche side hustle into a full-blown industry, players than Save the World ever could: working its way up to the impressive enough to reach the attention of popular celebrities like Drake, who even joined 10 million mark in just several weeks. From there it broke out of the chains of Ninja for a Fortnite session. If you haven’t been exposed to Fortnite yet, odds are PC and into the mobile world, as well as PS4, Xbox One and most recently, you know someone who has. Nintendo Switch. While many are quick to call it a fad, Fortnite isn’t going away anytime soon. Someone at Epic had the foresight to quickly enter the market early while Ninja was just featured as a cover story for ESPN under the auspices of “Living their only real competition was PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (also known the Stream.” The gaming landscape has changed. One person can now single- as PUBG, another popular Battle Royale title) and it paid off. Developers big handedly influence how many eyeballs are watching a particular game. This and small are scrambling to either innovate or make a quick buck, and Fortnite was put to the test recently when Ninja boosted the stream numbers of Street quickly cemented itself as an early contender: an ecosystem that sucked players Fighter V’s Finals at EVO (the Evolution Championship Series tournament in Las in before they could commit to other projects. Why play other games when Vegas). Even if he leaves, another will rise in his place. you’ve invested so much time (and potentially money) into Fortnite? The Battle Royale genre might not be the top dog forever, but that’s exactly Epic didn’t rest on their laurels, though, as they brought over the creation what people said about MOBAs over a decade ago. With DOTA 2 and League mechanic from Save the World to add some spice, allowing players to craft their of Legends still commanding gigantic prize pools, it’s safe to say that even if the own forts, sniper perches, or makeshift defensive structures. They also eased genre dries up, winning formulas still rise to the top. FuriousSeas.com Made possible with the support of the Canada Media Fund up on the aesthetic edge, incorporating a brighter and more enticing canvas and Ontario Media Development Corporation alongside wackier items and emergent events, like the recent time warp storyline that allowed millions of players to witness a live in-game catastrophic event.
6 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: @FuriousSeas ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 7 FEATURE FEATURE
THE LUIGI’S MANSION GAME YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER PLAYED
CJ Andriessen Destructoid.com Michael John EscapistMagazine.com
Luigi’s Mansion holds a very near and dear place in my heart. It was the first removes the requirement to use the Strobulb. I went with normal mode and dove Spyro changed my life. The little purple dragon, and the team that brought him romantic relationships. Spyro’s adventures are difficult and filled with failure, but game I bought for my GameCube... or technically second because the cashier at into Gloomy Manor (though I did have the option to skip it and go straight to Old into being, gave me focus. I bruised my knees trying to sort out Spyro’s quadruped the games are in their own way quite forgiving. mechanics, and started drawing what would be the early levels of the game. As I’d love to say this was carefully planned, but it really wasn’t. It felt like as we got WalMart scanned Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader first. Either way, Clockworks). the production picked up momentum, our very small team began producing a very our bearings in the dragon universe, more complexity and ambiguity ensued. It it was the first GameCube game I played, the first one I beat and the first of the large project, and I got even busier: I did sound editing, wrote a bit of dialogue, was a reflection of how the creators grew to trust and even love each other as 128-bit era that I absolutely fell for. Luigi’s Mansion Arcade’s mansions are split into individual rooms that are and worked with Stewart Copeland on the soundtrack. we gave the purple dragon more worlds to find and more folks to meet, and its explored one at a time. Gloomy Manor feels like the selected areas were chosen players a little more (but not too much more) to think about. The series has been stuck in my mind as of late. Since the announcement of at random while the latter two mansions are more adequately interconnected. There comes a point in a creative process where you feel like you aren’t creating Luigi’s Mansion 3, I’ve felt myself gravitating back towards my original copy of Just like in the original games, there’s money hidden throughout each room you things anymore, but rather uncovering them. This is particularly true when working Little wonder, then, that those children of the late 1990s would become attached Luigi’s Mansion and its 3DS sequel Dark Moon, barely able to resist the urge collect using the Poltergust vacuum. There are also safes and treasure chests to with a gifted team and a clear vision. By the time we were bringing Spyro to life, I and so enamored with the re-imagined trilogy. It represents a chance not only to to drop everything and play them, already far too busy with other games. More be opened by charging up the Strobulb and flashing them. Money is importable was beginning to live in Spyro’s world, discovering what might be through the next go back to one’s own magical time in life, but poignantly, it is often a reminder of portal, obsessed with its contents. an experience of safety and comfort for children whose worlds sometimes offered specifically, it keeps me busy with new games; games I haven’t played before. because it factors into your final score, along with how many ghosts you suck up neither. The lovely thing about video games is that the stories and worlds and Life’s short and I can’t spend all my time reliving the past greats when there are and how many hits you take factor into your final score. Some months into production we learned that Sony wanted to release Spyro characters are not merely shown, but are experienced, making for a nostalgia that so many new titles I’ve yet to experience. to coincide with the anniversary of the PlayStation’s launch. The release date is played out in the first person. It’s sticky, and it’s powerful. After four years of waiting, finally playing Luigi’s Mansion Arcade was absolutely couldn’t move. For more than two months, I worked seven days a week. I would No, if I’m going to enjoy a Luigi’s Mansion game right now, it will have to be one worth the time and money. Not that I’m going to claim it’s the greatest arcade come into the studio at odd hours, in the early morning or on weekends, so that I When something big in your life ends, especially if it ends when you’re fairly I’ve never played before. As luck would have it, such a game exists about five game ever. That would be silly because Star Wars Episode 1: Pod Racer still could be running builds on idle Silicon Graphics machines as I moved a gem here, young, you often don’t really notice. Insomniac went on to develop what would blocks from my apartment. exists. But it certainly reminded me of why I love this series so much, and only or an enemy there. The rest of the team worked with the same fervor. There’s an become the wonderful Ratchet & Clank games. I was young enough to still feel furthered my anticipation of the crazy hotel we’ll be exploring when Luigi’s energy to producing something that you really believe in. I didn’t pause to think like the best was still in front of me. I left that life, and a certain purple dragon, of why I believed in it so much, but I loved the game and I loved the people I was behind. In 2014, a year after the release of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Capcom pulled Mansion 3 launches on Switch next year. working with. I wanted it to be perfect. back the curtain on an arcade spin-off of the franchise. Luigi’s Mansion Arcade Throughout the intervenin g 20 years, I have rarely spoken about Spyro. My wife, takes the ghost-sucking action of the series and puts it into an on-rails shooter. After the first game came out, two more years were spent feverishly making more also a member of the game industry, did not realize I had worked on it until we I’ve been dying to play this since it was first announced but only got the chance of Spyro’s world. Two sequels followed, each released exactly a year apart. Each had known each other for more than three years. I carefully omitted Spyro from recently when I learned the Round 1 Bowling & Amusement Center at my mall increased in scope and ambition (arguably too much, on the third game). I had most of my talks and lectures. Spyro was part of my past, and I felt it was best to had the cabinet among its impressive line-up of Japanese fighting and rhythm designed a couple dozen levels, placed more gems than I could count, and been keep it that way. games. With $20 worth of credits, I set out Friday night to see what it was I’d completely immersed. I used to joke that every level I designed took a month off In April though, my past came rolling back in a way I couldn’t ignore. I was helping been missing all these years. of my life expectancy. It was hard as hell, and it was the best time of my life. The third game’s credits close with: Toys for Bob reimagine (as best as I could recollect) some of the behaviors and designs from the original games. They understood that Spyro was, above all else, Calling Luigi’s Mansion Arcade an original game would be something of a lie. “We hope you have enjoyed the Spyro Trilogy! a game about heart, innocence, and a world that makes sense. Spyro is forever The locations within are all modeled after mansions from Dark Moon. There is We had four great, fun, sleepless years creating it.” the child we all wish we could have been, in worlds that we’d all love to visit. the beginner-friendly Gloomy Manor, the slightly more difficult Old Clockworks, and the unlockable final Treacherous Mansion. Only small bits from each And then it was over. When I got home late in the evening, I decided to look at Twitter to see people’s mansion are explorable. Gloomy Manor features branching pathways while Old Spyro is a unique mascot character in that he is clearly and unabashedly a child. reactions. Multiple people, adults in their early 30s, were recording videos of themselves watching the release trailer. They were crying. “Oh my god, my Clockworks and Treacherous Mansion are more or less linear in design. While characters tend to be ageless (Mario, Crash) or aspirationally cool (Sonic), Spyro is frozen in that magical space between innocence and experience. It childhood” and “Spyro was where my sisters and I went to feel safe when the was this Spyro that so many human children — many of them quite young — world around us was crazy.” The most common YouTube comment was “I’m not Luigi’s Mansion Arcade can be played with two players and features two settings: immediately formed a lasting bond with. crying, you’re crying.” a normal mode and an easy mode. Normal mode requires players to flash ghosts with the Strobulb before sucking them in with the Poltergust 5000. Easy mode The three-game trilogy is Spyro’s journey through adolescence. He first comes to You’re right, YouTube commenters: I was crying. I was glad the family had gone grips with a changing relationship with adults, then understands the importance of to bed, that I was alone in my darkened kitchen. I didn’t need anyone seeing me friends, and finally explores alternative identities and the impending confusion of like this.
8 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 9 REVIEW REVIEW
Brett Makedonski Destructoid.com Chris Carter Destructoid.com
Lara Croft has always lived in her father’s shadow. This famed archaeologist Maybe it’s disingenuous to partially define Tomb Raider by its influences be- Spider-Man means a lot to me. I’m not going to go off on a tangent you’ve heard Spider-Man is pretty much an ideal character to star in a video game, and devoted the latter years of his life searching for The Divine Source, a Fountain of cause this is the culmination of a three-game arc. This is Tomb Raider now. The a million times about how Peter Parker is such an everyman and easy to identify this project takes advantage. Combat is FAST. Playing for just a few minutes Youth-type mythological key to immortality. Like Ponce de León, he never found first game taught Lara how to survive. Rise of the Tomb Raider made her com- with. No, I’d rather share a personal story. will make it perfectly clear what sets this game apart from the pack. Instead it. His quest eventually killed him. fortable, confident, and competent at killing. The evolution with Shadow of the of following the typical “combo then counter” flow, you can quickly web up an Tomb Raider is less notable. Now she’s just a little better at murder. Games and other forms of media aren’t just mere entertainment. They can enemy with a gun, then punch someone in the face before they get their attack Calling Lara a survivalist hasn’t felt sincere since 2013’s Tomb Raider. That story transcend boundaries, make an artistic statement, and offer an element of off, then grab that first guy’s weapon from afar and sling it back into his head. saw her overcoming insurmountable odds to escape dire circumstances. The Perhaps the most surprising change to Shadow of the Tomb Raider concerns its escapism. For some, that means control in a period of their life when they have sequels, Rise of the Tomb Raider and now Shadow of the Tomb Raider, are dif- structure. The first game was mostly linear. The second game expanded upon none. As a kid in the middle of a messy divorce, all the wise-cracking Peter My favorite part? Incapacitating dudes with webbing straight-up instead of having ferent. Lara is an instigator. She’s a go-getter and she’s a risk-taker. The opening that with large open-world areas. This is a muted combination of the two. Shad- Parker had to do was cheer me up, but his creators did more than that. to pummel them. Aerial combos are key, which can be linked to a swift web grab salvo of Shadow of the Tomb Raider climaxes with Lara triggering a cataclys- ow of the Tomb Raider has three towns that serve as bigger hubs, and this is to help you traverse the room. I’ve finished some skirmishes, even at least one mic flood that devastates a village in Cozumel, Mexico. Jonah, her best friend, where most of the exploration happens. Each one has its share of offshoots that Spider-Man goes beyond your typical power fantasy. A lot of his strength comes boss fight, without ever touching the floor. Being able to heal using focus (super pleads with her to stop all this risk-taking. It’s just getting people killed. lead to tombs, crypts, and other secrets. The story missions take place in envi- from his resourcefulness, and his willing to push himself beyond the scope of his meter, basically) makes any fight recoverable, even after a big mistake early on. ronments where there isn’t much room to deviate from the main path. super powers to become something more. To some, he’s an inspiration. I’m glad In one ear and out the other. Lara jets off to Peru in search of a Mayan artifact that Insomniac Games got it right. Upgrades are also elaborate. You can level-up Spidey across three (tempered that might quell the apocalypse. She’s not the only one searching for it, though. This isn’t a bad change. The towns add a much-needed sense of humanity to as to not create too much bloat) skill trees and create/mod 25 different suits. I’m Trinity, the nefarious paramilitary organization that was introduced in Rise of the Tomb Raider. For once, we see the collateral damage wrought by Lara’s actions. What I like right off the bat is that Insomniac, Sony, and the Marvel powers that a sucker for outfits and Spider-Man does them one better, as each one has a Tomb Raider is racing to claim it for themselves. They want to use the relic to Paititi is the most impressive of the three villages. This lost Incan civilization is be allowed this to be its own thing. It’s not the billionth origin story and it’s not power, and after unlocking it, you can equip any ability on any previous suit --no restart the world so that they’re elevated as gods. the home to humble dwellings and ornate temples. Here’s where we see some based on the MCU, which lets the game take bits and pieces from the mythos worrying about whether the cool-looking one actually sucks. Gaining access to of Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s visual spectacle. The greens of the lush jungle, as it pleases. heavy-hitters like Scarlet Spider and Noir in the first few hours also avoids the Lara’s intentions are technically altruistic and an undeniably better alternative to the blues of the crystal clear waters, the oranges of the South American sunsets, problem of all of the good stuff unlocking at the very end. These costumes go to Trinity’s plan, but they come off as self-serving. She leaves a wake of destruc- and the golds of the ceremonial decadence can be breathtakingly beautiful. Within 30 minutes, Peter gets a call from his superhero contact, his day job, some pretty wild places. tion everywhere she goes. Her actions in Cozumel set off a chain of storms that and Aunt May. Insomniac has made it clear from the get-go that this narrative is wreck a village in the Peruvian jungle. As the residents try to rebuild, Lara scoops Lara has a conversation maybe halfway through Shadow of the Tomb Raider about the many faces of Peter Parker, and that frantic atmosphere helps ramp There’s a lot of heart at the center of just about every activity, even the open up every piece of building material she can find. It’s a video game thing that where she’s told you can’t spend your whole life chasing someone else’s dream. up the intensity, shaping the focus between major action sequences. But he world ones that you might need a break from every so often. Collectibles are feels extremely selfish against the backdrop of crisis and poverty. As a defeated Your destiny isn’t defined by your family name. We all have to carve our own still tells jokes (“Don’t forget the hyphen between Spider and Man”), and that cute, consisting of things like a portable game system Peter once used during townsperson laments, “Archaeologists just take.” paths. Lara nods like she understands but does very little to convince us she light-heartedness keeps the edge off, a welcome tonal shift from many other stakeouts, or the menu of the restaurant for his first date. You can high-five actually understands. superhero romps. citizens for small amounts of XP and unlock an ability that lets you do aerial That’s a theme we’ve seen before, primarily in Tomb Raider’s two biggest influ- tricks while swinging. If you’re the 100%-er type, a quick R3 press queues up a ences: Indiana Jones and Uncharted. This one is more Temple of Doom than That’s why the narrative payoff falls short. Lara has always played the roles It helps that you actually feel formidable while all of this is happening. Insomniac convenient pulse with giant shiny on-screen beacons, preventing constant map anything else, at least stylistically. There’s a large emphasis on subterranean of savior and protector and researcher and badass -- almost entirely because nailed the web-swinging, arguably the most important element of a Spider-Man checking. It’s the little things. settings and there’s a cult-like tribe that resists Lara. A late section has all the those are parts she has been thrust into. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a per- game. “Web zips” with X are essentially air dashes, holding down R2 allows evil-red imagery that sets the same mood as a Thuggee sacrifice to Kali. fectly good game, but it feels as though it never figures out a way to address the for control over swinging, and Spider-Man sort of bounds along any surface Spider-Man isn’t just a great superhero game, it’s a proof of concept for most compelling aspect of this arc: Lara’s personal growth. What path does she you slam him into, running up walls or sticking to ceilings when able. I’m sure Insomniac as a company. This project shows that they can handle pretty much As for Uncharted, those parallels are well-documented by now. Some of Shadow want to carve? What does she want her legacy to be? Maybe she’d be happiest plenty of time was spent fine-tuning all of this because it feels like a perfect any universe, because if you can accurately recreate Peter Parker’s nimbleness of the Tomb Raider’s very best moments are in its explosive set pieces where spending her life raiding tombs -- all of the danger with none of the world-ending compromise, something I’d call arcade realism. Even better, swinging into a and gentle heart, you can do anything. With multiple teasers at the end, I think the earth is literally crumbling away beneath Lara. Platforming is always script- stakes. The glass half-full analysis is that she’s a regular chip off the ol’ block; scene is enhanced by the scope of the game, which plops down citizen NPCs they’ll get that chance. ed to be intense and dangerous. Combat zones have flammable props liberally glass half-empty, she never really escaped her father’s shadow. where they need to be to give each set piece more weight. scattered throughout because that’s more exciting than a simple bullet to the head. These are traits both these series share. Nathan Drake and Lara Croft are spiritual siblings at this point.
10 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 11 REVIEW REVIEW
Chris Carter Destructoid.com Dan Roemer Destructoid.com
World of Warcraft is enjoying another wind right now. I hesitate to label it as Speaking of, the overarching “War Campaign” helps stitch all this together. As a toad enthusiast who is baffled that after The Year of Luigi we’ve yet to hear Playing Clear Pipe Puzzleplex for the first time, I didn’t realize you had to hold “second,” because you could argue several eras have been examples of It’s another endgame questline that helps give context for various invasions plans for The Year of Toad, I was still stoked that toads everywhere are finally the analog stick in the direction you wanted to turn next while going through the resplendent comebacks (Wrath of the Lich King is the most popular choice of (plopping you into enemy territory to set up shop) and serves as a backdrop getting the spotlight in the form of Captain Toad. Still, I couldn’t help but feel pipes. Instead, I was trying to flick the analog stick in the direction once I was our community), but Blizzard is riding a post-Legion wave of excitement. for the entire expansion. Will the core focus change from a war over resources distraught at the time knowing Captain Toad was released on a sinking ship of near or at the turns themselves, resulting in me missing nearly every turn and into something greater? Probably, and I hope it does so sooner than later so the a platform. Thankfully, Captain Toad has now made its way to the Switch and a fair amount of lost lives. Captain Toad and Toadette are like the crew of Star Battle for Azeroth doesn’t really slow that train down. concept isn’t over-saturated, but for now I’m enjoying the skirmishes -- world 3DS and if you missed out on the Wii U like me, there’s no time like the present Trek: The Next Generation. They’re great at thinking on their feet, problem- PVP has opened up more as a result despite being rote when leveling. to enjoy some fantastic puzzling on the go! solving, and having diplomatic discussions. But once you put them in an action The leveling process on the horde side (my main faction of choice at the film, it’s obvious they aren’t action stars. Basically, these two levels arethe moment) was smooth enough that I never really felt like it dragged. The three Blizzard has also made efforts to remove themselves from the “kill 10 boars” This adventure takes place across three episodes, each with a number of equivalent of Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis. They don’t match new zones are well-crafted and densely packed with lore-rich quests and mentality of MMO questing. During my travels I was chased by a bone dinosaur, different levels and bonus challenges to complete. The levels themselves, the overall puzzle-solving theme of Captain Toad and simply aren’t necessary. secrets. I only had one bug with a quest called “Profit and Reconnaissance” helped a turtle god clean up a coral reef and rode a dolphin, gained momentary although small in size, allow you to manipulate the camera around them to that basically added two minutes of time and another world quest (of 100+) Super Saiyan powers to kill snake men, led an undead army into battle after uncover various hidden areas or objects. It’s this foundation of a mechanic upon Thankfully, the Switch and 3DS versions of Captain Toad include some didn’t spawn. That’s...not bad! The servers didn’t buckle when the expansion striking a deal with a trickster deity, and squished enemies as a giant frog. which the bulk of the puzzle-solving is built, with the simple rule of Toad or additional Super Mario Odyssey-themed levels and they’re wonderful. These first hit and haven’t since in a major way. Blizzard has a few missteps every Toadette not being able to jump (due to their heavy backpacks). Besides moving capture and highlight the notable Kingdoms from Super Mario Odyssey, as well now and then (Diablo III would like a word) but at this point they have their big There’s more on the way as is customary with the subscription-sustained World the camera around, you’ll also be tapping or using the gyroscope-controlled as offer up some slightly unique puzzle-solving mechanics from Odyssey itself. launches down pat. of Warcraft. The first raid, Uldir, is out and was backed by a nail-biting world- cursor (when docked on Switch) to stun enemies or activate objects in the You’ll gain access to the levels once you’ve completed the three episodes and first race, and Warfronts, while in a skeleton state similar to Island Expeditions, environment to reach the star and complete the level. they act as a perfect end-game incentive. Oddly enough, however, the Super I was impressed from the get-go but the more I played, the better it got. The could grow into something more as additional fronts are added. Mario 3D World-themed levels from the original Wii U release are nowhere to jungle-heavy Zuldazar is one of the most visually impressive zones in the entire Each level is beautifully crafted and meticulously planned out, with a number be found on the Switch and 3DS versions of the game. 14-year history of the game (and its capital city rocks a great song to boot). I will say this: I’m the most intrigued I’ve been to date with World of Warcraft’s of them throwing in their own unique mechanics. The first episode acts as Nazmir (pictured above) is a macabre painting in motion. Blizzard has gotten storyline. The enemy isn’t clear yet, and the breadcrumbs spread throughout an introduction to many of the puzzle mechanics and is fairly simple overall. Whichever version you go with, you’re going to be in for a great time. Everything really good at sprinkling little details about, too, from lengthy side quests to the two campaigns are set. Battle for Azeroth isn’t my favorite expansion but For those of you aiming for 100% completion, Captain Toad offers up a good about Captain Toad is overwhelmingly charming. The soundtrack is solid, with small extras like lore potions that let you walk on water momentarily or fill you it’s definitely up there. challenge in the form of hidden collectibles around the environment and bonus plenty of unique level themes and a few familiar tunes from previous Mario with blood rage. You might even miss them, and as a result I’ve been going back challenges to complete. games thrown in for good measure. I’d argue there’s never been a better time to areas I’ve already cleared in search of Easter eggs and hidden questlines (I to be a toad fan, and with Captain Toad and Toadette planting their flags on found several). Quality toad sounds from Samantha Kelly aside, not all the levels are wonderful. more of Nintendo’s platforms, here’s hoping we continue to see them for years A good number of them re-use a lot of the same puzzle concepts with a slight to come. The “three giant rich zones” (desert, jungle, cursed marshlands) angle works twist, which definitely felt like padding at times. Then you have some trash-tier better than the “tons of semi-rich ones” specifically as it pertains to Battle for levels as well, such as Drop-Road Dash and Clear Pipe Puzzleplex. These Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to visit my doctor. After collecting every pixel Azeroth, especially since each faction can experience the other hub in excess levels, in particular, throw the perception-based puzzle solving out the window toad, I can’t stop hearing them. after reaching the level cap. At that point you’re drawn back into the “world in favor of dumb gimmicks. Drop-Road Dash is an entire stage dedicated to a quest” stream that was cemented in Legion, which involves a giant pool of collapsible pathway floating in the sky filled with enemies that you simply run events across both new continents that you can solo or group up for to further through. Clear Pipe Puzzleplex is an entire stage dedicated to going through your character’s progression or the endgame storyline. clear pipes filled with enemies, all while moving non-stop.
12 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 13 with an unexpected fight for positional control, or a well-planned sneak attack. or out for a BBQ, or racing go-karts in a shopping mall. These type of public relations stunts really help to grow your audience and show you care about Sure, football and soccer have the occasional pauses with players talking to entertaining them as much as about car racing. FEATURE the camera about something, but most of the time the players on screen either have the ball, are about to receive the ball, or have just disposed of the ball–the While motorsport does very well in this area, it could still borrow something from action follows a single focal point. esports. What if motorsport were streamed on Twitch? Would it engage the audience in a unique way? Or bring new viewers in? There will always be new The changing focal points in motorsport and esports are what give them their platforms to explore, hopefully with new ways to involve existing fans. “spectacles.” Audiences want to see action, and it’s always exciting when you don’t know exactly where that action will take place. Companies are constantly innovating and shifting as people’s perceptions and expectations change. The fan engagement space is in real need of innovation. By “action,” I mean anything from crashes, to awesome overtakes, to great With more media out there than ever before, you need to understand everything sneak attacks, to good teamwork. Action is what makes something worthwhile. you can do to engage your audience. It’s what draws your audience in. If you don’t have action, then you don’t have an audience, because you have nothing to show them. I think there’s a One of the biggest links between esports and motorsport is that they both lot esports can learn from the motorsport world here. Motorsport has a fluid, require machines. Granted, traditional sports involve “equipment”–bats, balls, constant shifting of cameras, angles, styles–from the externals of the car, to gloves, rackets, etc.–but it’s very different when that piece of equipment can on board with the drivers, to team conversations, to coaches. I mean, how seemingly take on a mind of its own. cool would it be to listen in to team chat at key moments mid-match? Esports is still innovating in the broadcasting space, and we could take a leaf from The best parallel here is horse racing. It’s an Olympic sport and the riders are motorsport’s book here. considered athletes, but part of their equipment–while controlled by the rider– has its own mind. It’s not so different with esports and motorsport. The player or Watching sports is all about the people, in any area of the sporting world.. Your driver controls the car/computer/mouse which, unlike a glove or ball, is complex fans are your biggest asset. They dictate your worth in the industry. If you don’t enough to have unexpected problems come up at any time. Michelle Mannering DailyEsports.gg have fans or viewers, you don’t have anything, because what you sell, or what you bring to your corporate partners, is access to your audience. Yes, cars and computers can be unpredictable. They blow up, they break, they lag, they crash (in both senses). But horses can get spooked, they need to Keeping your audience excited and engaged is a must if you want to keep eat, and they can get hurt. If riders are athletes, shouldn’t we view drivers and those people happy and prevent them from taking their attention elsewhere. players the same way? The problem with the influx of media and events these days is, if you’re not engaging your audience in a fun and exciting way, they will immediately be It’s food for thought! drawn elsewhere. They will go to another sporting event, music festival, or some other place to stay entertained. As a growing global phenomenon, it’s important for esports to see how things have been done in other industries. Similarly, if you start a new business, Esports and motorsport tend to do well with engaging an audience in the offline you should compare yourself to corresponding companies. All the world’s space. They hold prestigious events that draw a crowd and provide something best entrepreneurs study their competition to understand how they can build everyone can do. But what about when it’s only in the online realm? What on different ideas. Likewise, esports is taking an innovative approach to its happens when esports and motorsport are all digital? Do they still do as well? broadcasting and events. Therefore, esports and motorsport can look at one Many people draw comparisons between esports and traditional sports such as over a longer period of time. These fans do need to be engaged, so motorsport another, learn from one another, and help build each other up. To reach the football. However, not so many look at the world of motorsport and how many events contain many activities; you almost don’t know where to start. There Arguably, yes! Overall, esports do an amazing job of engaging their audience pinnacle of any industry, we have to learn from one another. of its aspects are embedded into esports. When you’re starting something new are DJs, sim racing cars, experience zones, driver signings, acrobats, you can online. Viewers can jump on Twitch and instantly become part of the or in a rapidly growing industry, you often need to look outside for inspiration. learn free running, or drive the new Land Rover. There’s so much excitement. conversation. They can subscribe to their favourite channels, chat with other Similarly, at the Australian Open, there’s the Garnier tent giving away relaxation viewers and streamers, cheer, send bits, add emojis, and have a lot of fun Sure, soccer, football, and many other sports are useful to look at, but they lack hours, plenty of fun things for the kids, and you can chill out in a number of online. Outside Twitch, however, there isn’t much happening. Sure, there’s some things esports is geared towards. Sporting events like these are often different areas. Discord, but many of these platforms are very gamer-focused. If esports want to short, compared to the full- or multi-day events of esports and motorsport. All hit the mainstream market, they’ll need to leverage social media more than they the action in a stadium is centered on a single location, drawing the audience’s Then we look at esports – same thing! Whilst there are video games being already are, including Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube–just like motorsport. attention to one area of focus, typically the ball. Fan engagement around football played on the main stage, there are so many other things you can do in a variety or soccer is usually a huge part of the game. Elements such as halftime kicks of spaces. You can build a computer, play games, fly a drone, try out VR, get Motorsport does a very good job of engaging their audience in an online sense. and loudest crowd member contests are key aspects of sporting events. some freebies, grab your favourite player’s signature, still go sim racing, or even The majority of racing events, including the Supercars and Formula 1, use hang out in the VIP lounge if you’re lucky. We’re seeing some great crossovers Twitter extensively during races. You can find all the updates on who’s in front, Soccer, football, and many other sports are time-constrained. Aside from cricket, with motorsport (and even longer sports events like the Olympics), and there’s a what’s happening in the action space, and can easily join the conversation which may run over a couple days, most of the sports are a few hours long at lot that these spectacles and esports can learn from each other. yourself. Typically, Instagram also does a good job creating fun and engaging most. There’s a defined outcome after a set time. Short events don’t call for the content for fans. crowd to be entertained for long periods of time without action. Therefore, more Unlike football, soccer, or any of those stadium/ball events, the audience in of the engagement can be focused on the game itself rather than on keeping motorsport or esports doesn’t simply sit around and follow the action of the The team probably doing it the best right now is Red Bull Formula 1. Red Bull people entertained. ball. There’s the player who’s got the most points in a video game, or the driver has awesome reach and engagement due to the nature of its brand, but more who’s coming first in the race, but that’s not always where the action is. The real so, their videos and posts are just so much fun to watch. Not everything is about Contrary to this, motorsport–and even bigger events like the Australian Open–run spectacle–and what the audience wants to see–might be at the back of the pack, car racing, either. They could be hilarious clips of Danny and Max in a tractor,
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The World Electronic Sports Games represents a unique opportunity for Canada. Global Offensive in 2017, the latter when Cloud9 made runner-up in DotA2 An Olympic-style tournament in which gamers must be representatives of their in 2016). Those successes helped put Sweden and Denmark on the esports own country, WESG is a chance for Canada’s pro gamers to step up on the world map, and a win for Canada this time around could have a similar effect on the stage and showcase just how much talent this country has. Canadian esports scene.
WESG features many of the bigger competitive games of the year. Tournaments Win or lose, the World Electronic Sports Games represents one of the biggest are held for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Dota 2, Hearthstone, Pro tournaments ever for Canada and for those competing. Run in North America by Evolution Soccer 2019 (PES 2019), StarCraft II and Vainglory, with qualifiers World Gaming (owned and operated by Cineplex with over 6,700,000 matches being held both online and offline. played and over $60,000,000 in cash prizes paid to gamers), with national finals taking place at Canada’s Largest Gaming Expo, this is about as prestigious as The road to qualifying for the World Finals is a long one. PPlayers compete it gets. And should one of Canada’s players be successful come March 2019 in online qualifiers from September to November, with the Canadian Grand in Shanghai, not only will they win immediate fame, but the Canadian esports Finals happening live onstage at EGLX in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. scene could gain some serious momentum. Those who succeed at the Canadian Grand Finals will go on to represent their country at the World Finals in March 2019. There, they will have the opportunity Will Canada shine at the video game Olympics? We can’t wait to find out. to show Canada’s esports talent to the world, furthering Canada’s position as a destination for competitive gaming enthusiasts.
Historically, the countries with the strongest esports scenes have been the 430 ones with the best players. Countries where talent is rife, like Japan and the # USA, have long been the number one destination for esports enthusiasts. After all, fans go where the stars are. But should the Canadian representatives be successful at the Grand Finals of WESG in 2019, they would seriously promote the esports scene here in Canada.
It would be an upset. Canada’s best performance at the WESG Grand Finals so far came when TGS Luker made runner-up in Hearthstone in 2017. Asia has mostly dominated the event, although other countries like Sweden and Denmark have had their success stories (the former when Fnatic won Counter Strike:
20 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 21 FEATURE
GAMING ADDICTION IS NOT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HOURS HOLDING A CONTROLLER
Charlotte Cutts Destructoid Contributor
A few days ago, in the wake of discussion about how recent hits such as like other less maligned hobbies (reading, taking long walks, etc.). There It’s an issue I’ve had to face myself recently, as I realised I was using food, return to their normal patterns of behaviour. And bear in mind that it’s not Fortnite may be having an effect on children and young persons, talk turned are the obvious ones, such as gaming as a form of stress relief and as a unhealthily, as a way to “treat” a mixture of depression, anxiety and OCD-like always an option to cut out the crutch completely; for many, such as those to how the first gaming addiction treatment centres have sprung up in the distraction if you’re having a bad day. It’s no bad thing for people to be a behaviour. I would tell myself it was fine because it made me feel better, and I with a food addiction, that’s not even possible. UK. The World Health Organisation has also recognised “gaming addiction” little bit competitive and ambitious, and gaming actively encourages that, didn’t care about my appearance or my weight anyway, but I was still ignoring as a separate disorder for the first time, alongside other more well-known since most games’ reason to be is to set the player targets to complete. my underlying illness by shoving junk food down my throat until I wanted Addiction is ultimately an issue that’s more about a malfunction of the brain addictions, such as to alcohol or drugs. to be sick. I couldn’t open a packet of anything without finishing the whole than the way it expresses itself. By focusing too much on the question of Enough of my layman assumptions: clever scientists have also found thing. I would go into a sort of “trance” while eating and lose awareness of whether games addiction exists or does not exist, given that anything can The World Health Organisation has not classified “gaming disorder” in evidence that games can be a force for good (with the evidence collected my surroundings. It was not good. But I’m doing a bit better now. be a source of compulsive behaviour, we’re at risk of ignoring the underlying terms of time spent with games, but rather in terms of the effect it has on in this article). They can improve concentration and ability to multi-task, question of why people become addicts. And if we ignore that question, the individual’s ability to interact with society and keep up with their usual improve visual processing capabilities and have even been shown to reduce So, at least from my experience, addiction is often an abnormal but then it is not just a games disorder that young people might be at risk of lifestyle. Here are the criteria that they use: crime rates and acts of violence. Games themselves have even been used understandable reaction to outside stress. Research shows that addiction developing. to treat addictions, in a spectacular about-face for the discussion about the can also be down to genes, and people might therefore be at risk if a family - Impaired control over gaming link between video games and compulsive behaviour. So, clearly, there is member has engaged in addictive behaviour. But the panic and negativity Looking at the issue from the glib perspective of pure numbers is also not - Increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent no need to castigate games or to remove all consoles from your household. we feel when we hear the word “addiction” is perhaps not all that helpful. helpful at all – in the end, if you play for one hour a week but could not tear that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities Because addiction is disruptive and awful, but also painfully ordinary and yourself away in case of an emergency, there’s probably still addiction at - Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the The idea of games addiction has really struck a nerve with some of the common. play. Some people can play for 40 hours but just walk away if they feel like occurrence of negative consequences community, and it’s not hard to see why. Games do seem to bear the brunt it, so they aren’t addicted. We should instead think of the issue in terms of public criticism, when it comes to pastimes that don’t involve putting There are many reasons why it seems a little unfair to focus too heavily on of how people’s brains interact with the reward mechanics of games on a This seems so far, so good. These criteria do not seem far removed from chemicals into your body or setting out to harm other people. This criticism games as a source of addiction. The reason that stands out to me is that case-by-case basis, which is precisely what the World Health Organisation how we would describe one of the more “traditional” addictions – inability often comes from people who don’t play games very often, and so make addiction is often not a static thing; if there’s an underlying reason for the diagnosis criteria seem to support. The experts have it right. The media and to stop drinking after two glasses of wine, drinking to the point that you assumptions without facts or experience at hand. Games have a history addiction, then an individual may hop from addiction to addiction. discourse just need to catch up. can’t take your children to school in the morning, and continuing to get of being blamed for terrible crimes or for a perceived decrease in morality. intoxicated every single day until eventually, you lose your job. So, what is For me, my compulsive behaviour hasn’t just been restricted to food. I the issue? I feel like there are two major reasons why some are very sensitive to the remember drinking absolutely disgusting amounts of wine, sat on my idea of gaming addiction: 1) this history of games as the scapegoat; 2) own in my room during my final year of university, because the stress was The issue is the tendency of the non-games media and general discussion misinformed ideas about addiction. It’s all very well and good focusing on too much and I literally wanted to knock myself out. For others, quitting to talk about games addiction in terms of time played, in both directions. 1), but some time needs to be taken thinking about 2), too. smoking might lead to eating more junk food, or an obsessive need for Standard news outlets gawp at 20 hours a week sat behind a controller romantic relationships might turn into a sex addiction...the list goes on. or a keyboard, while people who play games may shrug off 30 hours at a “Addiction”, or its cousin “compulsive behaviour”, conjure up extreme computer as not a big deal. images of unkempt individuals who can’t take care of themselves and hurt What the recognition of a gaming addiction tells me is that it is not a everyone around them. That might be the case sometimes, but addictive condition in isolation. People who find themselves knee-deep in a game at Both perspectives are harmful because, as the WHO have emphasised, the behaviour is not just restricted to the guy whose life is falling apart because 3 a.m., losing sleep because they just have to keep going, might be setting issue of games addiction is not about the time spent with games. Of course, he needs one more hit of his drug of choice. More people display addictive themselves up for a whole host of new unhealthy behaviours. And, in fact, a sign of addiction is that games are taking over your life and you are saving behaviours than they probably care to admit. people who use games well into the night might use substances or junk no time for friends and family. But it has much more to do with how “your food to stay awake, which only increases the danger of addiction hopping. brain is on games,” rather than the concrete number of hours. Eat too much when you’re feeling blue? You might be using food compulsively. Have a ritual that you have to do before you leave the house, Instead of panicking about games addiction or making overwrought claims In the discussion of gaming disorder, we mustn’t forget that playing games or you have to go back? Check that it’s not compulsive behaviour. in either direction, the correct step is to look at the source of the behaviour as a hobby comes with a whole host of health and cognitive benefits, just and the thought patterns behind it, so that any affected person can healthily
22 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 23 HOW CANADA CUP IS PUTTING THE CANADIAN FIGHTING GAME COMMUNITY ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
Paul Harrison DailyEsports.gg
CANADA CUP GAMING 2018 Before 2009, the Canadian Fighting Game Community [FGC] was Canada’s Fighting Game Community has been starved for major divided into small pockets of gamers located in the country’s major tournaments (USA has ten Capcom Pro Tour events to Canada’s cities. Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and a number of other cities had three). Or perhaps it’s the passion of the Canadian fighting game their own niche communities, but there was no glue holding the players themselves, dozens of whom offer their time as volunteers TIME FOR THE CANADIAN FGC country’s fighting game scene together. to help run Canada Cup. Either, way, Canada Cup has become one of Canada’s most prominent esports tournaments, and one of the It was then that a group of fighting game fans in Calgary decided most popular FGC events in the world. TO RISE UP to create the “Calgary Cup”—a tournament covering the major fighting games of the time. Originally a local event for Albertans, Lap Attend Canada Cup and you’ll immediately realise why this event Chi took things a step further in 2010 when he rebranded Calgary matters so much. It’s a hotpot of hype, talent, and passion. The Paul Harrison DailyEsports.gg Cup as Canada Cup. In so doing, he brought the entire Canadian crowds cheering at the tournament finals. The hype and craziness Fighting Game Community together for the first time. of the “Salty Suite” where players run it back. The constant chants of “Can-a-da… Can-a-da…” It’s obvious how much this event Canada Cup 2010 represented a pivotal moment in the history of matters to Canadian fighting game fans. And it’s only getting bigger. From its origins in Calgary in 2010, Canada Cup has grown to become the down to a head-to-head face-off on the tournament floor. But equally real are the pinnacle event in the Canadian Fighting Game Community, attracting many of friendliness and camaraderie you see.” the Canadian Fighting Game Community. Finally, Canada had a “Canada Cup will continue to grow,” says Hui. “It will continue to be the FGC’s most famous esports stars like Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong. “It’s fighting game event worthy of the world’s stage. “It was one of the on the forefront of esports development both for the fighting game become known year over year as one of the single biggest gatherings of fighting Indeed, what separates Canada Cup from so many other tournaments of this first major Canadian tournaments to feature guest competitors from community and beyond.” game talent outside of the USA,” says Vince “RXS” Hui [Director, Canada Cup]. scale is the homegrown nature of the event. Since day one, Canada Cup has Japan and Asia,” notes Vince “RXS” Hui [Director, Canada Cup]. It’s the one annual event that truly puts the Canadian fighting game scene on been Canadian born and raised. It’s the brainchild of Calgary-based realtor Lap Major names like Mago and Daigo Umehara flew in to attend, and It’s hard to believe that Canada Cup has come so far so quickly from the global stage. “There is no better place to experience the FGC in all its glory,” Chi Duong [himself an avid fighting game player]. It’s run by Hui, a long-time Twitch viewing stats hit record numbers for the Canadian FGC. It’s its humble origins as Calgary Cup in 2009. This year’s event, hosted says Hui.” community leader who frequently organises local events in Hamilton, Ontario. only grown stronger since. in partnership with EGLX at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, It’s held together with the help of dozens of (mostly) Canadian volunteers. It’s features more than 23 tournaments, a 100,000 square foot venue, This year’s event, partnered with EGLX at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, permeated with that distinctively Canadian hospitality—something anyone who “Canada Cup has grown year over year since its inception in 2010,” and many of the biggest names in the world of fighting games. features more than 23 tournament events across the most popular fighting has attended one of Lap Chi’s after parties will attest. And despite the wealth says Hui. What has fuelled this growth? “We’re always breaking games, including Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, Soul Calibur VI, Dragon Ball of international talent at the event, those double-elimination brackets will still new ground for the Canadian fighting game community… It was Not only has Canada Cup achieved its own success, it has led the FighterZ and Super Smash Bros. The venue is a mix of tournament stations and register predominantly Canadian. one of the first events to help develop a PPV broadcast model evolution of the Canadian fighting game scene. No more is the “casual” ones, where players can just relax and play for fun. Those not wishing to with Twitch, [and is leading the way in] helping overseas eSports FGC a divided group of niche communities around the country. It’s play or compete can sit back and watch the action unfold on the big screens. And Even as we bask in this glorious age of global esports tournaments, million-dollar interests discover the North American market.” united. And it’s hitting the big time. then there’s the after party. “Canada Cup is known in fighting game community winners’ paychecks, and astronomical Twitch view-counts, there’s something circles to have one of the most exciting after party experiences of all the major very grassroots about Canada Cup. It’s the one event in the gaming calendar Now, in 2018, Canada Cup is one of Canada’s most prestigious tournaments around the world,” says Hui. when the Canadian Fighting Game Community steps up on the global stage. And gaming tournaments, with attendees from all around the world while gamers will turn-up and tune-in from all around the world, this is indelibly and Twitch total views sitting near 10 million. Perhaps that’s due Every tournament at Canada Cup is packed with steep competition. “Professional Canada’s tournament. to the guidance of Duong and Hui. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that players refer to Canada Cup as the single hardest competition of the year,” says Hui. The stakes are high, too. The Street Fighter V tournament, for instance, is one of the final stops on the Capcom Pro Tour, giving players an opportunity to qualify for the Capcom Cup in Las Vegas in December. Emotions run hot. “The tears and emotions are all real,” says Hui. “No punches are pulled when it comes
24 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 / 25 ENTHUSIAST GAMING UPCOMING GAMES ONLINE PROPERTIES THIS QUARTER 2018 Enthusiast Gaming is the premier Canadian media company, renowned for an authentic content that savvy gaming audiences demand. Attracting more than 75 million consumers across its digital publishing portfolio, the company’s Webby award-winning brands represent some of the most iconic titles in video games publications, including...
DESTRUCTOID | Twitter: @Destructoid Destructoid tells it like it is: A tough-but-fair alternative to mainstream video games news, with a vibrant blogging community like no other. We’ve also been called the uncle that tells dirty jokes to little kids. Who else would have a video show called Pregame Discharge?
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ESCAPIST MAGAZINE | Twitter: @EscapistMag Escapist Magazine is for the mature fan of games and genre entertainment. Our readers have grown up with geekism and are ready for an evolved place for reading, sharing, and contributing to everything fun, like our hit show Zero Punctuation.
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NINTENDO ENTHUSIAST | Twitter: @NINTENthusiast Nintendo Enthusiast has one of the best forums in the galaxy and is obsessively updated with original analysis on Nintendo’s latest products. Please don’t misunderstand us – we’re not a bunch of one-track, blindly devoted brand-devotee lunatics. Those are Apple fans.
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DAILY ESPORTS | Twitter: @DailyEsportsGG Daily Esports is the North American leader in esports for breaking news, game patches, analysis, opinion, tournament coverage and more. If it’s competitive, we cover it. Follow us for updates on League of Legends, Overwatch, Dota, Hearthstone, CS:GO, the FGC and more.
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GAMEUMENTARY | Twitter: @Gameumentary Gamumentary was launched with one goal in mind: to tell the stories behind the games we play. Come watch extensive documentaries about the people behind iconic games that others love like Darksiders and Divinity: Original Sin.
FEB 22 FEB 22 FEB 22 Enthusiast Gaming has many other properties under its umbrella. Check out our PC Invasion, Gamnesia and OnlySP. ANTHEM DAYS GONE METRO EXODUS
26 / ENTHUSIAST GAMING LIVE EXPO: ISSUE 2 SPRING 2018 Start with an advantage Get the absolute fastest total Internet speeds. 1.5 Gbps.
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*Deposit may be required. See sales associate for details. Game and system sold separately. * © 2018 Nintendo. Original Game: © Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc. Characters: PRE-ORDER © Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc. / Pokémon./Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / SHIGESATO ITOI / APE inc. / INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS / Konami Digital Entertainment / SEGA / CAPCOM CO., PLAY TOGETHER ANYTIME, ANYWHERE LTD. / BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. / MONOLITHSOFT / CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. / SQUARE THE GAME TODAY! ENIX CO., LTD. Super Smash Bros. and Nintendo Switch are trademarks of Nintendo.
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