The Texas LAN Circle has brought another LAN for Texas players!

Texas players this weekend are going to play in a Halo 4 LAN this weekend at Defaulty’s place! The LAN will be a tournament with many high placing players from MLG Dallas and other events

And to add in the competition of the players in this LAN many top 32 players from MLG Dallas will be attending. A few of them being Swift Kill, Defaulty, Tweak, Zildjian, Solid Bob, Wilky and many other players from MLG Dallas will be at the LAN.

The stream will start Friday and end Sunday. With the LAN being a tournament for Texas players, TLC will have a few select captains that are the best in Texas pick players at the LAN to form teams.

Games will be on all weekend long with intense games so make sure not to miss the action at Texas LAN Circles Stream here! http://www.twitch.tv/texaslancircle

The Black Ops 2 Championships started yesterday and have been pumping out games all day with the 32 teams that qualified to enter the Championships from either; League Play, MLG, ESL and other qualifying possibilities.  Now the 32 top teams in the world are competing for the $1 million prize pool, with 1st place taking $400,000 home.  The top 8 teams for the Championships will all receive money from the prize pool ranging from $200,000 for 2nd place to $25,000 for 8th place

The CoD Championships this year the teams were put into Round Robin tournament play with the top 2 teams in each group being placed into a 16 man Double Elimination Format.  The finals will start Sunday, April 7 at 3.00pm PDT.

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing stated: “We’re bringing Call of Duty’s massive player community together with the increasingly popular eSports movement. This is a great moment for the franchise, but also for eSports as a whole, which is only going to get bigger and better moving forward.”

You can watch the stream from a multitude of ways.  Xbox Dashboard, CoD Elite, Twitch are all streaming the full event for anyone wanting to view the tournament.  And not only do you have one stream for the Championships, but you have five  to view every single match in the whole tournament

To view the bracket and stream from Call of Duty Elite, the link is here

To tweet out the Championship use the hashtag #CODeSports

And Texas Showdown is back with the original founders Javier and Chou taking it back to Houston!

With no PZ for this event it will be a blast as Chou and Javier will be taking the reigns and having no one stop them this time to give us the best Texas Showdown we have witnessed.

With the courtesy of Levelup we will have the courtesy to watch the tournament in the comfort of our monitors to stare at for hours on end.

Featured Game Lineup:

Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition 2012(Xbox 360)
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3(Xbox 360)

What does the word “Gamer” mean? Literally, we can describe a Gamer as one who play games. But in regards to competition and the professionalism that revolves around the Gamer, we can describe it as something so much more. Have you ever sat down and thought about what it truley meant to be a Professional Gamer in regards to competition and what one must acquire to have this title? I am here to layout what I believe the Professional Gamer should possess, but not in a casual way. Competition in the video game industry continues to grow each day and we see more and more of it presented in today’s market. That is why I am going to go beyond the casual Gamer and leap into the the subject of a Competitive Gamer. The professionalism that the Competitive Gamer must have to achieve The Essence of a Gamer.

Professionalism:

Competitive Gamers are held to a standard to be active in the community they may represent. Whether it is Call of Duty, Gears of War, Halo or any other game title one is competing in, being active within that particular community is a must. When I say be active, I do not mean play the game anytime you have the chance. Obviously to be a Competitive Gamer one must practice often to play at a high level, but this is beside the point. When I say active I mean a Competitive Gamer needs to be a leader. A leader is one who sets the example for players around him/her to learn from. A leader helps in areas that need improvement and constantly works to make those improvements perfect. A leader never settles for imperfection because as we all know, as long as one is striving for perfection, he/she can never stop working at it. A leader helps build the players of his/her community up to gain a confidence in themselves to be just as good as anyone else. A leader never degrades his/her supporters and always stays focused on the main goal of competition; getting better everyday.

Now of course winning is a huge part of competition, but it seems to me that winning is too shallow of an approach when revealing your goals. To be a winner is a very narrow road, one leading to a narrow mind. There has to be much more that comes with competing at the highest level than just winning. One aspect that can pertain to this is failure. A professional will always accept and embrace failure. By saying this I do not mean he will accept losing, but what I am trying to say is that he/she will see all the positive things that will come out of failure. Failure zooms in on what a team or player is doing wrong, making it that much easier to fix your mistakes and modify them to a point that will allow them to be successful. I think that a Competitive Gamer will agree that one can never gain the success he/she is looking for without making mistakes.

The Competitive Gamer will never stop looking to build off mistakes as well as successes. A professional simply never stops working to be better. Even if he/she looks like the best that there can be, a professional will seek out someone better than that and strive above it.

Success is another narrow road that the Competitive Gamer can take. Why build a career towards success when once you get there, you are looking down? Once you get that success you always wanted, what else is there to achieve? Is it not more professional to have the mind set of never succeeding? You may be confused when I say this so let me give you insight of where I am coming from. When a Competitive Gamer decides that they want to take on the competitive edge of gaming, what are the main goals he or she has? Most if not all will say to be successful and be “known”. Can’t this be the path to destruction? Why work day in and day out to be known? That may be an even narrower mid set than playing to win. There are multiple forms of success rather than just being known, making money and winning.

And now you see, that is the biggest problem with the professionals you see today, especially in the Call of Duty community. They all stand for success in the aspect of winnings, being known throughout the community and money. Now I am sure that there are professionals out there that stand for something more, but for the majority, you’ll find exactly what I am saying to be true. When they tweet their stream out on twitter, what is their main goal to become of that? I would have to say more viewers and subscribers to get more money, wouldn’t you? And the community of course feeds into it and goes and watches. And then they will send out a tweet later thanking everyone for tuning in and for a second, the viewer gets his/her moment of glory. But what other way are these players really showing their thankfulness to their supporters? I know it’s not through foundations or fundraisers or giveaways. I just can’t help but think that all this industry is is a blanket of selfishness. So this leads me into my next point.

A professional won’t feed into all the success. He/She won’t act as though they are above the community because they have thousands of followers and get hundreds of messages a day from their biggest fans. A professional will take all of that publicity and filter it out into the community in a positive way. I can think of a few examples right off the top of my head:

• Dedicate days of the week to responding to EVERY person that sends you a message whether it be through mail, skype, e-mail, or on your console. And no, this is not extreme because if they have enough time to play all day on stream, they have enough time to interact more in depth with their fans.
• Hold a charity stream with fans. For every double kill a fan gets, for every bomb defused, for every flag capture, for anything you can think of, donate a small chunk of change to a foundation who will use the money in a positive light. Right now, I can’t imagine how much growth and impact that would have on the competitive community of gaming.
• Invite fans to sit in on the live lobby and spectate matches and listen in to what you talk about. Sure, players from all around the world can do this by tuning into Twitch or YouTube, but there is something exhilierating about being in the action. It’s like watching a movie and then watching a movie in 3D.

Now notice those simple ideas all included fans. As a professional, you don’t see enough interaction towards the fans. Simply streaming and allowing players to get better by watching you is not enough. There is so much more to be done than just that. Professionals in multiple communities do this, not just in the Call of Duty communities. Now do not get me wrong, I know there are some people out there doing these kinds of things I mentioned and just aren’t getting the publicity, but how about for one moment we turn to these beneficial organizations and give them the publicity they deserve. Of course it is difficult because all the focus is on a point I made earlier; winnings, being known, and making money.

The base for the community is not concrete. There are too many holes. One reason there are so many holes is because of the players who are getting the publicity. The media makes it out as though you have to be like these ”professionals” to gain that “success” you have always wanted. I am here to tell you that you do not. Do not give into the lies these players will extract and give in to thinking you have to be like them. You can be your own Competitive Gamer, one who puts an evolutionary swing on the way things work. You have thoughts and ideas for a reason and for the Competitive Gamer, they should be implemented as often as possible. This leads to so many doors you never thought to be open.

The professional players in these communities today will use their mouths to shout opinions and hope the community will stand behind them. Don’t stand behind them. Think for yourself and be a true professional, one who embraces every idea that is out there and does not just see the community as a pool of fans. Just because a Competitive Gamer hasn’t won a National Championship or beat one of the best teams in the world on Main Stage, does not make them any less of a professional than ”Pros” we see today. Our communities in gaming have put a false advertising on the word PROFESSIONAL.

• Winning a National Championship does not make you PROFESSIONAL.
• Winning an online PCL does not make you PROFESSIONAL.
• Having thousands of viewers on your stream on a daily basis does not make you PROFESSIONAL.
• Making money because you are a YouTube sensation does not make you PROFESSIONAL.
• Getting all the publicity from Major League Gaming because you are a Pro Gamer does not make you PROFESSIONAL.

I could go on and on with that list. My point from this all is that a Professional/Competitive Gamer is not a Professional because of his/her winnings, how known they may be or how many championships they have one. A true Professional is considered a Professional because his character reflects something that is rare. His/Her character reflects something that people can be inspired by and strive towards. His/Her character reflects one of a leader. His/Her character reflects one who truly gives back to his/her community and implements all those skills and talents into it. His/Her character constantly reflects one who is trying to be better than what society tells us is ”the best”. His/Her character reflects one who takes no part in ignorance and disobedience because he/she is aware of its negative affects. This list I can also go on for days with.

So be a Professional. No one is stopping you from making that dream a reality, but do not go about it in the way some people do. Go about it in a way that will benefit people in a positive light and help secure a concrete foundation to an amazing community that every Gamer in the world wants to be a part of. Once you take on the role of a Competitive Gamer, you have a job to be a leader and to implement your skills and talents not only into the game you may play, but the people who play it.

You can follow me on Twitter @RicochetMeRC or also contact me on Skype at RMHreczkosiej. I would love to hear your feedback on this article and what you thought about it. Your feedback helps me to imporve my articles in a way that will have more of a positive outcome on those who read them. Thank you.

Today’s interview is with a new AM team named “Below Zero”. They talk about their feelings for their first event and the story behind how they have come so far.

Matt: Can we get a brief biography of Below Zero?
BZ: We are a newly formed team that competes in the Call of Duty series, whose members come from several different competitive backgrounds. We have a few players with backgrounds in S&D and others who are more versatile players; however, we have found that personalities and play styles compliment one another. The diversity of our team allows us to learn a lot from each other, therefore making us a much better team. We are primarily a PS3 team, so one of our biggest challenges was switching over to the XBOX 360 for the upcoming Pro Circuit event in Dallas. We are here to prove that no matter what consol we are paying on, we can adjust and overcome any challenge.

Matt: As a new team heading into such a big event, what are you goals for MLG Dallas?
BZ: Obviously, our main goal is to do the best we can. This is our first major event as well as our first LAN event playing together. We’re not going into it with any expectations. I know we have the ability and knowledge of the game to do well and place within the top 16, but was not putting that kind of pressure on ourselves. We simply want to go into it and have a good time. We’re going to take in the experience and enjoy it. If we do well, then that’s a bonus!

Matt: What teams do you look forward to playing, and which teams do you feel like will be the biggest challenge?
BZ: Honestly, I look forward to playing any team that will give us a challenge. I don’t follow too many pro teams, but it would be interesting to see how we stack up against them. The teams that we look forward to playing the most are Optic and Unite. Both of these teams are well known pro teams, and we would really like to see how we stack up against them. A match-up against either one of these teams would be a challenge and if we were able to hold our own against either one of them, it would prove our ability as an up and coming AM team.

Matt: What is the best part about being able to go to an MLG event?

BZ: The best part about being able to attend an MLG event is having the ability to meet and play with/against the top ranked pro teams and players in the world plus being able to finally meet all of your teammates in person.

Matt: How have you prepared for this event?
BZ: In order to prepare for this event we have been putting in several hours individually and as a team to improve our game play, concentrating primarily on callouts and coordination. We have practiced against several good teams and will continue to do so until the day of the event.

Matt: If you could pick your best map and game mode, what would it be?
BZ: In my opinion, our best map and game mode is Search and Destroy on Express. Most of our players have strong backgrounds in S&D and I think this will show when we play in the event.

Matt: What map and game mode do you need the most work on before the big event?
BZ: I think we have the most trouble with hard point. There is no particular map that we have more trouble with than others in this game mode. It is more an issue with coordinated pushes. In hard point, proper rotation is vital. Although it is an area we need to work on, it is a big advantage that we know and understand our weaknesses.

Matt: What words do you have for all the Below Zero supporters out there?
BZ: We would like to say thank you for everyone who has helped us get to where we are now. Mainly our sponsor, VLGaming.net and their community also, we would like to say thanks to all of our friends who have encouraged us to move to the next level. We appreciate everyone who has supported us and welcome future fans of Below Zero.

Matt: Lastly, any shout outs?
BZ: Yes. We would like to thank our Sponsors: www.VLGaming.net, PandaBeast Industries, Numeral Films, and SchoolyyD.com. Without them, we would not be where we are not. And again, we cannot thank our friends and the VLGaming net community enough for their support.

For more information please check these twitters @ https://twitter.com/VLG_zRo

Today, we have a great interview with the one and only Skyler “Foreplayy” Johnson. The founder of Pro COD team Envyus and current member of the new Pro COD team, Caliber.NA.

Matt: So, Skyler can you please give us a short biography about yourself?

Skyler: Well first my name is Skyler “Foreplayy” Johnson and i have been playing competitive gaming Since the beginning of 2008. I am the founder of Team Envyus & now the Captain of Caliber.NA. In my 5 year career i have won over 105 tournaments. Won 4 Pro Circuit Ladder Events, Voted into an MLG/GB AllStar Game and winning a National Championship for Modern Warfare 2.

Matt: What are your views on being one of the community’s biggest members?

Skyler: I Never really stop to think about it from that standpoint. I’m at a point in my career where I’m trying to focus more on the giving back aspect through my youtube videos and any motivation i can provide to help people pursue their dreams.

However i will say its an honor to have you & anyone else say that. haha

Matt: What are all the roles you play as founder of nV and member of Caliber?

Skyler: For Team Envyus i am just on the managerial side of things, such as helping handle coordination of travel to events and any social media projects that needs to be done, as for Caliber i am just a player, the XFactor for my team, lol.

Matt: What are your views on the ever expanding COD community?

Skyler: Its about time. In all seriousness its good to see this community finally taking off and getting the publication it deserves. I feel that we have so many hard working talents in this community and I’m glad the spotlight will soon be on them.

Matt: This is a little bit off topic, but what are you favorite games to play besides COD?

Skyler: I never really have time to play much of anything outside of Call of Duty however if i do get some free time i love playing sports games.

Matt: What is the most challenging part of being in these 2 positions?

Skyler: By 2 positions I’m assuming you mean being a Founder/Owner of one team and then being a player for another. It can be overwhelming at times because there is so much to do however i still love competing at a high level and am excited to attempt to bring Caliber to the top like i did with Envyus.

Matt: Are you excited for any upcoming events this year?

Skyler: All of them. I don’t really have any that stand above the rest, I’m just really looking forward to playing with my team and representing Caliber Gaming.

Matt: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Skyler: Hopefully retired by then! I want to stay involved in the eSports scene and continue to grow relationships with the people around me and the companies i am fortunate enough to work with.

Matt: How do you feel about this new Caliber team?

Skyler: Whenever I’m asked this question i can’t help be excited to answer! I love this team because it is new & fresh! I love my teammates because we are so dysfunctional and far from perfect, we actually have to work to improve as a team and focus on getting better! Something i had missed while on Envyus.

Matt: What dreams do you have for the future of Caliber and COD itself?

Skyler: For Caliber its simple i want to establish the name into a winning organization right along side team Envyus. I would like to see the people who help/support me on the daily excel right along with me. Now for Call of Duty this year is make or break in my opinion. We as a community have a lot to prove and i truly feel we have the right people to do that if we can come together as one cohesive unit. Overall i would like to see Call of Duty become a major eSports title and finally break the console stigma that surrounds it today.

Matt:  Finally, is there any shout outs you wish to do?

Skyler: Always. First i would like to shout out all the other “Pros” & amateur players out there that are grinding day in and day out, chasing the same dream that i started chasing 5 years ago. Also anyone working with the behind the scenes things that may not get the notoriety that they deserve such as Joe (Fearless), your work is few far and in between in terms of much needed in the community. Lastly anyone apart of this “FoRePLayyGANG” thing that

is rapidly turning into a group of individuals driven to get better and become the best version of themselves thats possible.  Sj

For more information please check these twitters @ https://twitter.com/iFoRePLayy

@ https://twitter.com/CaliberGamingUK

Today we have a great interview with Goat Customs™. Here to talk about their products, views on the MLG community and the future of the company!

Matt: So, may we get a brief biography of Goat Customs™?

GC: Goat Customs™ is the #1 source for fully custom controllers, jerseys and other gaming accessories. We provide some of the greatest quality of gaming gear, while keeping your pockets healthy. That’s why we’re known as the greatest of all time!

Matt: What are some of the biggest projects Goat Custom’s is doing right now?

GC: As of right now, we’re working on a few different tournaments, affiliates and partnerships, with some amazing companies and websites. We are in the midst of testing out some 3rd party company products, to incorporate into our online store (www.goatcustomsshop.com). Details cannot be expressed at this time, as we have not made a definitive decision, on these matters.

Matt: What is it like to be one of the biggest companies in the MLG community?

GC: It’s a great opportunity really. Since we established our company and brand, mid December of 2012, things have really escalated business wise. We are pretty thankful for our supporters, our Street Team (@TheUprisingDJ, @SweetGehenna, @GameGirlxo, @PHG_Savage, @CastJustin, @_DarylM, @SammieFowler), affiliates and partners (@BattlePerks, @R5Squad, @1017SnipingTeam) and most of all our customers!

Matt: What events are you most looking forward to this season?

GC: We are looking forward to attending some of the MLG events, mainly in Florida and/or in the Arizona areas. Some of our Street Team members will be attending PAX soon with some swaggin’ gear. Be on the lookout for some goats!

Matt: What is the hardest part of running such a company as Goat Customs?

GC: The hardest part with running such a hectic business, such as customizations is probably keeping up with the inventory of all your essential items and finding the time to full fill all the orders and design sessions, in a timely manner. All while our staff has families, other jobs and college classes.

Matt: If you could get one company to partner with, who would it be?

GC: Umm, this is a tough question. There is quite a few companies out there that we would love to partner with and build a takeover empire. Such companies may include: Monster Energy, NOS Energy, Skull Candy, Astro Gaming, MLG, EGL and others, but I can go on all day.

Matt: Any words for the Goat Customs supporters out there?

GC: Yes. Stay true to yourself, your game, your supports and fans. Don’t get caught up in all the drama.

We would also like to say thank you to all, who have been there for us, since the beginning and forward!

We look forward to your helping you make dream products a true reality, while allowing you to keep food on the table. Who said you couldn’t have the candy and eat it too?

Best regards,

Sean O’Keefe

Co-owner

Goat Customs™

www.goatcustomsshop.com

‘The greatest of all time’

Matt: Lastly, any shout outs?

GC:  @TheUprisingDJ, @SweetGehenna, @GameGirlxo, @PHG_Savage, @CastJustin, @_DarylM, @SammieFowler, affiliates and partners @BattlePerks, @R5Squad, @1017SnipingTeam and most of all our customers!

For more information please check their website and twitters @ http://www.goatcustomsshop.com

@GoatCustomsShop

@GoatCustomsDzn

@GoatCustoms

Matt borin: can we just get a biography on you?

Jessica Birchmier: Well to begin with the basics I am 20 years old and living in Wisconsin at the moment. I’ve been playing video games my whole life. When I was growing up in high school I was always around many different groups. I was on the varsity soccer, track, softball, and volleyball team. I nerded out on the weekends with nerdy friends, and was also on my school’s homecoming queen court. For junior and senior year I worked at a local video game store and learned about every video game and system ever invented. The only thing that I have been sure about in my life is video games, and now that I’m in the Call of Duty community I’ve never felt so at home.

Matt borin: speaking of call of duty, how are you enjoying blackops 2? and how does it compare to the other call of duty’s in the series?

Jessica Birchmier: Well since I am new to the community fairly speaking, I have only played Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops 2 Competitively. Of course I think Black Ops 2 is better than MW3, let’s be honest that game was trash and full of bugs! I did play Black Ops 1 when it was first released and I would say I see a lot of similarities that I like between the two. I like how though that Black Ops 2 actually has a huge variety of guns for competitive play unlike the other Cods!

matthew borin: the variety of guns definatally adds a certain appeal to the game. which would you say is your go-to weapon as of right now?

Jessica Birchmier: Right now I would say it would be the M8A1 with Stock, Quickdraw, and Reflex Sight. Some people might not agree with my gun pick but this gun holds it’s own on LAN. Most consistent AR on a LAN connection. I’ve had the privledge to play in two LANs for Black Ops 2 and let’s just say you see a lot of one bursting with the M8!

matthew borin: which lans have you attended?

Jessica Birchmier: This past December my old team Rapture which was an all girl team participated at UMG Chicago and it was so much fun to my first big LAN and actually compete and not be a spectator for once! The second LAN I attended was a local one in Wisconsin that I played with some friends. The local ones are fun because everyone knows each other and there’s a lot of friendly competition

matthew borin: tell us about your new team, dressed to kill i think its called?

Jessica Birchmier: Yes it’s my new but old team if you will lol. I was actually on this team for half of MW3 and it was my first competitive team to be on. If you don’t know whos on my team it is Serenity iCn, oGeeDork, and SidneySidney. I would say actually that without a doubt we are the best all girls team in the CoD scene. We practice 6-7 days a week just to make sure all of our chemistry is down and also to fix things we still need practice with. I can see my team going really far and succeeding in many areas this year

matthew borin: can we expect to see this roster at any mlg events?

Jessica Birchmier: Our first MLG event we are planning on attending is going to be Anaheim. We have all discussed it and said we want a vacation to Cali! Also my team is going to try and make it up to UMG St. Louis and The Iowa Pro Gaming Challenge.

matthew borin: best of luck to you girls at those events! now, this next question is a little off topic. you said youve been playing games for a really long time, so other then call of duty, what games do you enjoy?

Jessica Birchmier: I can’t forget my true love of League of Legends. I have only been playing LoL for about 5 months but I swear sometimes I am more addicted to LoL than Cod! But for other Xbox games I nerd it out with Final Fantasy, Fallout, Mass Effect, and so many other RPG’s.

matthew borin: do you think having a variety is a good thing? or should people focus on one thing at a time?

Jessica Birchmier: For me it’s all about variety! One moment you’ll see me smacking noobs in CoD, to spamming my keyboard in LoL. During the fall when all the new great games come out I splurge and split my gaming time so each game can get the loving it deserves. As long as I always practice CoD on the daily I never lose my touch

matthew borin: are you a big believer in practise makes perfect?

Jessica Birchmier: Yup of course I am. Even when my team isn’t having a great or lose a tough match I know it’s a good learning experience for us and it make’s me want to push even harded and prove people wrong.

matthew borin: as a competitive gamer, what advice can you give to people who are just starting out?

Jessica Birchmier: My advice is to keep the right attitude and don’t get cocky, just be humble. Also I believe that meeting a lot of people and socializing with the whole scene would benefilt a new CoD player. The more people you know the more people who have access to eventually that will pay out.

matthew borin: how do you see the call of duty community looking in 5 years? will it have grown?

Jessica Birchmier: I hope for everyone’s sake that it does. The Call of Duty community is finally getting the respect is deserves and big name company’s are getting the picture. Take an example such as Optic Nadeshot landing that awesome Red Bull Sponorship or even today Curse Gaming branched out and picked up DARE which is a huge deal for the community! I believe CoD is finally taking the right steps it needs to so it will even be very popular 5 years down the line.

matthew borin: okay last question, do you think call of duty will ever be killed by a new fps that comes out?

Jessica Birchmier: In my opinion no. For years now I have tried all the different FPS’s out there from Battlefield to Counterstrike and for some reason I can’t stand playing.  Especially since I am now playing the Call of Duty series competitive there is no way I will be able to tear myself from this awesome FPS series.

matthew borin: alright well before you go, is there anyone you would like to give a shoutout to?

Jessica Birchmier: Shoutout to all my recent subscribers to my Youtube and I really appreciate them supporting me with my new videos and helping me along the way!

matthew borin: thank you Jessica for sitting down and doing this interview! and best of luck to you and everyone on d2k in the future from all of us at onespawn!

Jessica Birchmier: Thank you so much for taking interest in me! Have a good day!

We sat down with Team Oversight, a new and upcoming, competitive Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 team panning to travel as much as they can for this season of competitive gaming. Their plans are not limited to MLG events only, but all over the country and they plan to travel often throughout the year. We take an inside look on what they have to say about the competitive scene of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and how they have adapted to it. This interview features comments from all of the players of Team Oversight including lx Eulogy xl, That1GamerChick, Z for Zed, and last but certainly not least o NAT0 o. Please enjoy and follow @RicochetMeRC for more updates dealing with OneSpawn and competitive Call of Duty!

Ryan: Can you give me a short biography of your team?

Zed: The team formed from me (Zed) and Nato. We have been playing for three years together and then we eventually picked up Eulogy. He has won many LANs in the state of Colorado and then eventually found That1GamerChick through a twitter occurance.  She is a very dedicated player and knowledegable at the same time, Nato is a very trustworthy player and me and him would be what you call “The Duo”.  Eulogy is a very quick learner and adapts very well to multiple situations. That1GamerChick was a great pick up for us just because of all of her experience and smart attitude towards the game. We are hoping to go to Dallas but need to grind and practice. We have had a lot of ups and downs but it all comes down to whether or not we feel good about going, however we do forsee playing on LAN.

Ryan: How has the experience been so far, transitioning into Call of Duty: Black Ops 2?

Zed: For me I have played all of the Call of Duty titles, but Black Ops 2 is the first I am playing competitively. It seems a lot slower and less aggressive. It is very different due to the new guns and the adjustments it takes to get used to them. I think for us as a team, going into LAN events is going to be easy for us. It all comes down to adjusting to the weapons in my opinion. I have also realized that the scene over here is a little different due to scuf controllers and things that up the play style, so you really have to get on the bandwagon with that technology if you want to play at the level of the pros. It’s just one of those games that feels fast but isn’t. The transition isn’t terrible but it all comes down to getting adjusted to your enemies playstyle.

Eulogy: I think this game can go very far competitively and has all the right tools to do it, however it just isn’t fast enough due to the camping involved. You have to adapt if you want to achieve the status of being a pro gamer. It seems that there isn’t a lot of variety in this game and that is another negative aspect, such as many players sticking to a particular group of assault rifles and sub-machine guns.

Nato: I think they could do better with the playstyle and the weapons that are available to the players to use. The guns are way more limited in this Call of Duty compared to previous ones.

Ryan: What were your first reactions when MLG decided to put Black Ops 2 on the circuit and have 50,000 worth of prizes?

Zed: I was happy but also asked myself if MLG could be any cheaper. Fifty thousand dollars isn’t that much money when you think about it. I believe for the amount of time we put into play, the prizes wont give us the chance to survive.

Eulogy: At the time I was playing Halo 4 and Black Ops 2 and I was shocked to hear that Halo 4 never made it on the circuit. I think Halo 4 was a way better game than Black Ops 2 because of the variety and the way the maps were set up. It was definitely a shock to hear that Black Ops 2 really made it.

Ryan: As a team how has the preparation for the Dallas been so far?

That1GamerChick: Terrible, we need to grind and practice a lot more, but there is some positive progress coming out of what we have been doing. I think it comes down to what teams grind more and have those improvising capabilities to adapt to new strategies and what not. That’s what we need to gain as a team.

Zed: We started out originally with just Nato and I and we decided to give the competitive scene a try again. We were going out to look for people who knew the game, and not just the popularity from youtube and online warriors. Our preparations have been hectic but when it comes down to it, we are going to be ready and we are all going to have that experience from our past in competitive gaming. We are looking into every single gaming league we can find and not just Dallas or MLG events. We are going to be traveling a lot and we hope to take over everything, although we can’t win em’ all. There are a lot of good teams but it’s unfair to a lot of teams because of the fact you only hear four or five big names and not the other talent that is out there. These teams that are youtube famous and big names, if you look right now, they are all in the losers bracket. MLG and LAN events are a whole different story and I think a lot of these teams and players are going to find that out. LAN is a whole different ball game. We are doing whatever we have to do to prepare for that.

Ryan: MLG has some controversial rule sets. What are your thoughts on the rules for MLG Dallas and what is your position on Scorestreaks?

That1GamerChick: I am relatively new to the competitive scene and I like the scorestreaks. I don’t like the flak jacket and tactical mask, however. I would much rather have it back to the way it was before because that was more of where the skill was at. Instead of having a clutch “nade” or stunning the flag you see more scorestreaks getting the big clutch kills. But I believe these new rules brought in a lot of new players and more variety to the competitive scene.

Zed: I think what it comes down to is the community and listening to the opinions of the community. Some people aren’t able to get 20 kills for a scorestreak but in turn the new score system allows those people to get scorestreaks at a more understandable and fairer way with the new system to achieve them through points and not kills. Sometimes we don’t play with scorestreaks on just so we don’t have to worry about them and we can focus more on our kills. We rely on the scorestreaks way too much and it takes focus off the more important parts of the game. Scorestreaks can make a team get very hectic and lose that patient and proper morale.

Nato: I think it makes it very cheap for the players who do know how to use the scorestreaks. It gives them a huge upperhand.

Eulogy: I like the scorestreaks and I like knowing that when I am getting them, it is making me look good. Running game in the middle of a competition builds my self esteem when playing against good players. They can get cheap at times but they definitely make the game better.

Ryan: What has your team done to adapt to the new rules and have a playstyle directed more towards earning scorestreaks?

That1GamerChick:  I personally, always run two, third perks. If the other team doesn’t use tactical mask or flak jacket I will use them to gain an upper hand. If I am coming up upon scorestreaks I will camp. Simple things like this have helped my game progress tremendously and have also made me a much smarter player.

Zed: Jess (That1GamerChick) is an important part of the team. She’s like the eagle over the nest. She notices the finer things about the other team and calls them out to us for us to try to get the upper hand on players. I am the one who sits back on the trigger and contantly watches the kills that are occurring and so on. Nato is like our “hitman” and if someone is about to get a streak, he will go out and take out that guy. Eulogy plays the objective position such as anchor or flag runner. He can adjust to any style when he needs to. I think our strategies are a lot different than other teams and we consider them to be completely opposite of what these other teams are doing. This is another thing that will help our team be successful in the long run.

Eulogy: I think our communication is very on point and we are constantly looking out for each other.

Ryan: How strong do you feel the chemistry is on this team, and can you give us an idea on how important it really is?

That1GamerChick: I think we have great chemistry. We just need to grind more and get better at certain things. Our chemistry is really clicking and you have to have it when it comes to events. You don’t want to be on a team with player you won’t get along with. You want to be on team you can have fun with. All these all-star players, even if they are really good, if they don’t click with the team, you have to find someone who will. Skill comes after after chemistry everytime. You can’t expect to win all the time right off the bat, you have to put in that work to become a better team.

Zed: Your team is the most important part of the game. It’s like if you were a paint stripper and you are facing a lot of dangerous chemicals in a helmet. You better like who’s in that helmet. If you don’t like your team, then nothing will work. We do sometimes get aggressive but that will happen, and we all know at the end of the day we will always be friends. No matter what happens in this years events we are always going to be friends.

Nato: We are like one big family.

Ryan: What has been your favorite moment so far, in the competitive Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 community?

Zed: Probably competitive play. There are so many different encounters, like me and Nato going into league play and playing top players and then doing good two on four while our other players have no idea what they are doing. I think the best moment was meeting this team and inspiring me to get back to where I used to be. They brought back my competitive edge again and to have them pushing me back into it makes me feel really good about doing this again.

Eulogy: There is a livestreaming option now. I like that people can go into these tournaments and show it to the world for free. I think that is a huge achievement with having players livestream and show their talent without having to pay crazy amounts of money. Also codcasting is something huge and something Call of Duty absolutely needed. One of the best games I have ever played with this team was on Capture the Flag beating a team 21-0. That was definitely one of the most powerful moments for this team.

That1Gamechick: I think my greatest moment is the feeling of having a 1v3 or 1v4 clutch in Search and Destroy or in Capture the Flag when you are down a flag and you make a big clutch to win or tie the game.

Nato: Playing Capture the Flag and the other team is up by two or three flags and you come back and win at the end and make the enemy quit.

Ryan: Do you have anyone you would like to shout out before the end of this interview?

Zed: I would like to shout out to the important people at this moment in time which would be my team and Gaming for Autism. I am trying to get this trend by stop playing for ourselves and play for a good cause. Also I would like to shout out Gaming Gloves as well, and every other company that has supported this team. Thank you to the community for the support and the hate as well!

That1Gamerchick: Shoutout to all the people who think that I can’t succeed and those people that are sticking by my side and pushing me to make it to where I want to go.

Nato: I want to give a shoutout to those people who have confidence in us and our team as well.

Eulogy: I want to give a shoutout to Monster Machine and Chaos Controllers, my sponsors from MW2. They gave me the confidence to make a name for myself in the competitive Call of Duty scene.

Ryan: And would you like to say anything else that you may feel will be important for the audience to hear?

Zed: I have gotten a lot of messages on ask.fm and on Xbox LIVE and most people are asking how to get involved into competitive gaming. My answer is to just play a lot. You don’t have to be a youtube sensation or be on the top of the leaderboard. You have to believe in yourself and have the confidence to achieve what you want to achieve. If you have the opportunity to go to an event, go and try your best. It is not hard to get into competitive gaming, anyone can make a name for themselves.

Eulogy: It takes a lot to be a competitive gamer and it definitely acts as a job.

You can interact with the members of Team Oversight via Twitter at:

Zed: @Oversight_Zed

That1GamerChick: @ThatGamerrChick

Eulogy: @ShawnEulogy

Nato: @GabrielRuiz2006

During the Sony conference, Blizzard announced they were creating their be-loved game Diablo III to the console world.

However, Blizzard’s community manager Vaeflare just announced to gamers that you will not be allowed to transfer your PC characters to the PS4 and you will not be able to play with PC players. He shared his news over the Blizzard forums.
Previously Vaeflare shared that the game will not be able to support a USB mouse and keyboard as well as the PC will not support an analog controller. The announcement also stated that Blizzard has no intentions of allowing cross-platform connectivity between the two systems and in turn, your characters from Battle.net and your PlayStation account will also remain separate.

If you click the image above you can see the full explanation from Vaeflare