ShootMania: Match Of The Week 2

It's Friday and you know what that means? IT'S THE MATCH OF THE WEEK! Last week we saw a great best of 5 match between Epsilon vs ThirdCoast! Now we are going to see a match between Asphyxia vs Less is More and this weeks match was chosen purely for it's epic game 1 but game 2 proved to be equally as enjoyable to watch!

Enjoy!

IPL5 North American Qualifier Round of 8 - Asphyxia vs Less is More

Game 1 - CastleCrasher

Game 2 - Collided

Follow Alex "GoldenboyFTW" Mendez on twitter!

Source : ign[dot]com

League of Legends - CLG.Black once again prove themselves against Dignitas

Dignitas vs. CLG.Black

For this match up, CLG.Black brought in Wingsofdeath as they're top laner and keeping everyone else as they were against iG. It would soon be proven whether or not this change would benefit CLG.Black.

Game one

Dignitas

Bans: Orianna, Alistar, Jayce

Picks

• Ezreal - Imaqtpie (adc)
• Blitzcrank - Patoy (support)
• Shen - Crumbz (top)
• Shyvanna - IWDominate (jungle)
• Karthus - scarra (mid)

CLG.Black

Bans: Diana, Evelynn, Rengar

Picks

• Maokai - Sycho Sid (jungle)
• Sona - BloodWater (support)
• Kog'Maw - Zuna (adc)
• Singed - Wingsofdeath (top)
• Lux - LINk115 (mid)

In game one, both teams opted for a passive farming game. Being the mechanically superior team, Dignitas pulled out ahead and slowly gained control of the game. Funnily enough, both teams decided to attempt a split pushing strategy with Singed for CLG.Black, and Shen for Dignitas. However, in the face-off between Shen (Crumbz) and Singed (Wingsofdeath), Crumbz had the upper hand. With Dignitas as a whole having the farm lead, and a more threatening split pusher, the passive play had completely different meanings for both teams. CLG.Black seemed to continue trying to be careful, while Dignitas seemed to be patiently waiting for their chance to win. This chance presented itself when Dignitas was able to pick up baron after winning back to back team fights. This allowed Dignitas to be more aggressive which won them a 4-0 team fight in a final push for the win.

Game two

Dignitas

Bans: Rengar, Jayce, Shen

Picks

• Kha'zix - Crumbz (top)
• Corki - Imaqtpie (adc)
• Orianna - scarra (mid)
• Taric - Patoy (support)
• Malphite - IWDominate (jungle)

CLG.Black

Bans: Diana, Evelynn, Karthus

Picks

• Ezreal - LINk115 (mid)
• Sona - BloodWater (support)
• Lee Sin - Sycho Sid (jungle)
• Olaf - Wingsofdeath (top)
• Sivir - Zuna (adc)

In game two, CLG.Black drastically changed their strategy. CLG.Black realized they can't play too passively against Dignitas and picked a mobile team. Sycho Sid on Lee Sin, was able to make good use of his mobility to effectively gank and counter gank. With such a mobile team and having more aggression, CLG.Black was able to gain the lead. Finally, at around 27 minutes, CLG.Black was able to ace Dignitas which allowed them to take an inhibitor and baron. Straight off of baron, IWDominate (Malphite) was caught out of position and killed, forcing the surrender from Dignitas, knowing they can't hold off a push from a baron buffed team in a 4v5 situation.

This game was drastically different from game one. CLG.Black's mobility allowed them to dodge AoE ultimates, and split Dignitas for more favorable team fights which always gave them the upper hand and allowed them to win.

Game three

Dignitas

Bans: Jayce, Sona, Ereal

Picks

• Varus - Imaqtpie (adc)
• Shyvana - IWdominate (jungle)
• Orianna - scarra (mid)
• Lulu - Patoy (support)
• Shen - Crumbz (top)

CLG.Black

Bans: Evelynn, Diana, Rengar

Picks

• Cassiopeia - LINk115 (mid)
• Alistar - BloodWater (support)
• Corki - Zuna (adc)
• Nidalee - Wingsofdeath (top)
• Lee Sin - Sycho Sid (jungle)

After a lane switch from both teams, Dignitas continued their passive play while Sycho Sid (Lee Sin) focused his aggression towards top, which helped Corki (Zuna) gain an early advantage against Varus (Imaqtpie). Bot lane became a farming lane between bruisers like game one. The game progressed with neither team gaining a clear lead. Eventually, Wingsofdeath would emerge as the hero of this match. After a certain point, Wingsofdeath (Nidalee)  refused to leave bot lane, constantly placing pressure on turrets. Of course, Crumbz, with his global presence, was the ideal candidate to stop Nidalee. However, CLG.Black would not allow the first game to repeat itself. The remaining four players of CLG.Black baited baron which pulled Shen away from the bot lane and allowed Nidalee to take the inhibitor turret. Realizing their advantage, CLG.Black would continue to pull Dignitas into fights, allowing Nidalee to whittle away the enemy base. Finally, with an open enemy nexus, CLG.Black engaged in a 4v4 team fight at top lane. Dignitas, hoped that Shen could keep Nidalee at bay, however, their expectations fell short. Nidalee was able to kill Shen and move on to win the game for his team.

Key Plays

• Constant baits and pressure from CLG.Black in game 3 allowed Nidalee to split push.
• Game 2, IWDominate (Malphite) was caught out of position after CLG.Black took baron, forcing the surrender

MVP

The MVP is undoubtedly Wingsofdeath in game three. Despite being the sub, he single handedly won the game with his Nidalee split push. He created a situation in which Shen could not leave bot lane without suffering consequences, and gained a lead big enough to beat Shen 1v1 for the win.

Other Thoughts

I felt Dignitas had no real will to win this match. There was no aggression, no threats created, and no drive to win. Dignitas played solidly, but too passively. This passivity allowed CLG.Black to walk all over them in games two and three. Even with their defeat in game two, Dignitas failed to make any aggressive responses in game three (despite game three being the closest match). On the other hand, CLG.Black immediately realized what they needed to win, and executed very well despite another change to their roster. They played much more in sync than even the match against iG. As the underdogs of multiple matches, their drive to win and adaptability allowed them to win this match. While once again, they seem like the underdogs in their match-up against Mono.Ferus, they have already proven, by knocking out two world class teams, that they are not to be underestimated.

Source : ign[dot]com

Stallone and De Niro's Grudge Match Gets the Go Ahead

It's been awhile since we'd heard anything about Grudge Match, the boxing film set to star Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro. But now, Warner Bros. has officially greenlit the project, which is likely to begin shooting early next year.

Deadline reports that comedian Kevin Hart has also joined the cast as the fight promoter who gets the two retired brawlers back in the ring for one last showdown.

Tommy Boy's Peter Segal is set to direct the feature from a script written by Entourage creator Doug Ellin.

Billy Gerber and Ghost Rider's Mark Steven Johnson are producing.

Source : ign[dot]com

Can the Zerg-only Acer lineup upset FXOpen?

Both Team Acer and FXOpen e-Sports took wins in their first Contender Division matches, and now these two powerful teams will come to head in their second match.  Acer's lineup consists of only Zerg players, but two of them make a good case for being the best foreign Zerg at this point in time.  On the other hand, FXO is the reigning GSTL champion, reaching the title on the back of their ace GuMiHo and a couple of solid Zerg players.  Let's take a look at some of the keys to the match.

Lineups

Acer:

• Nerchio (Z)
• Scarlett (Z)
• Bly (Z)
• ParanOid (Z)
• DarkHydra (Z)

FXO:

• GuMiho (T)
• Leenock (Z)
• Lucky (Z)
• asd (T)
• Choya (P)
• JKS (Z)
• mOoNaN (T)
• Sirius (Z)
• TheBest (T)
• Tree (T)
• Weekend (P)

Potential Starters

Acer: ParanOid (Z), DarkHydra (Z)

Though he was one of the strongest European Brood War players, ParanOid has not been able to achieve that kind of success since switching over to Starcraft 2.  He and DarkHydra are certainly the weakest Zergs in the Acer lineup.  One or both of them will likely be used in a leadoff spot to try and steal a win before turning the reins over to the more skilled players on the team--Bly, Nerchio, and Scarlett--who will almost always be relied on to take all five of the map wins.  This could be a tough task against a Korean team like FXO.

FXO: Choya (P)

Choya has been one of the more successful player/managers to this point in Starcraft 2.  The FXO staff relies on Choya to essentially run the Korean division of the team, as far as regulating practice time, preparing lineups, and just handling general coaching duties.  Yet somehow, he has managed to  remain at a competitive level of play, showing this most recently by scoring four kills against Complexity in FXO's last IPTL match.  Using him early in a match makes a good deal of sense: if he enters early and then steps aside, he can dedicate himself entirely to his coaching duties instead of having to maybe play later on in the clan war.

Key Players

Acer: Nerchio (Z), Bly (Z)

It is very difficult to not call Nerchio the ace of any team, as he is just that good, but right now Scarlett seems just a little bit stronger.  Nerchio is more than capable of out-playing any opponent, Korean or not, as he proved during his championship run at Homestory Cup V, but other than that never seems to put up results that match the skill level he brings to the table.  Bly is more of an up-and-coming player whose results have been better and better since joining Acer in early 2012, with his most recent accomplishment being a first place finish at the WCS Ukrainian Nationals over a strong field of players like White-Ra, Strelok, and fraer.  Between the two of them, Nerchio and Bly cleaned up the aTn.Type roster, but the FXO lineup is much, much stronger, and they will need to bring their best play to have a chance at defeating such a potent Korean team.

FXO: Leenock (Z)

Though Leenock fell a bit off the pace he set towards the end of 2011, where he won an MLG championship and came second in Code S, he remains a staple of Code S, qualifying for every 2012 season.  Many people thought he would be the best Zerg in the world in no time after that early success, and while we have not quite seen the level of play that leads to GSL championships, Leenock is certainly good enough to give both Nerchio and Scarlett a run for their money.  However, both of these Acer Zergs are strong in the ZvZ matchup; Scarlett's mind-blowing run through many of North America's best Zerg players springs immediately to mind.  FXO's strongest Zerg has a tough task ahead of him, but he does have the liberty of training heavily in just that one matchup up until the match.

The Aces

Acer: Scarlett (Z)

Scarlett doesn't play in that many tournaments, but when she does make an appearance like she did at WCS North America, she takes down anyone who stands in her way.  She has quickly ascended from being an up-and-coming female player, and straight past best female player, to one of the strongest Zerg players in the foreign scene.  Between the WCS Canadian Nationals and North American Continental Finals, Scarlett dropped a total of two maps, an absolutely insane achievement.  However, she will likely need to defeat GuMiho to achieve an Acer victory, and her ZvT was rarely tested in the North American tournaments.  It will be very interesting to see how Scarlett matches up against the world-class players of FXO, as she grabbed three kills in her only other IPL team league appearance against TSL during TAC3.

FXO: GuMiho (T)

GuMiho cemented both his role as ace and a GSTL championship with his all-kill of SlayerS in the grand final, taking down phenomenal players like the team league hero Puzzle, and the great TvT player Ryung.  He proved himself yet again by coming in as the last man against Complexity, and grabbing the final kill against Killer to avoid an upset defeat.  But, much like Scarlett, GuMiho has not played a tremendous amount of TvZ recently, though he was able to beat both CoCa and Miya in the course of his GSTL all-kill.  After not making it out of his GSL round of thirty-two group, GuMiho could very well be looking to rebound here and show why he should be considered the best player on FXO at this moment.

Prediction

Acer: 5 > FXO: 4

This match should belong to FXO, but the result will come down to the performance of Scarlett when she is called upon.  She has not been tested as an ace player very often since joining Acer, but she will have to play at her very best level to clean up after the rest of her Zerg brethren fall.  Also, this result could be very different if one of the lower tier FXO players can defeat any of the big three Zergs for Acer, opening the door for the Korean team's superior depth to come into play.  However, I think Nerchio will play at a very high level and take up to three maps, making life very difficult for FXO, and possibly granting Acer an upset victory.

The match will take place on Thursday, September 27th.  Check in to see if the curious Zerg-only lineup for Acer can stand up against the well balanced FXO attack!

Source : ign[dot]com

Meat Playground takes down Orbit 2-1

League of Legends Match Review: Meat Playground vs. Orbit Gaming

This Best of Three series left nothing to be desired. These teams packed all 3 games with action from the moment they started. The meta was not challenged by the tactics of these players. Strategy and coordination are what won this match. The players are reaching new heights of personal skill. These teams will continue to improve their game and raise the level of competitive play in League of Legends.

Game 1: Meat Playground Victory

Meat Playground had first pick and wanted to make an aggressive statement immediately in the match. They banned the strong CC of Alistar, followed by the mid lane and team fight strength of Twisted Fate and Zyra. Meat Playground picked Morganna for a safe mid, and a Cho’gath top lane with a support Blitzcrank to secure the endgame. Orbit wanted to rely on a counter pick to allow their mid lane to dominate. They banned the top lane strength of Shen. Malphite, and Vladimir. Orbit then took the safe Jayce pick for top, Gragas in the middle, and Sivir to win the bottom lane.

The players of Meat Playground were out for blood, and secured first blood before minions spawned with a 2-for-2 trade. Both teams stuck to their guns using aggressive tactics to take down the first 2 towers before 5 minutes thanks to a lane swap from Orbit. Meat Playground soon took the lead with some strong team coordination. LightSludge secured several kills and had a large item advantage that he used to give his team a large lead. Meat Playground made some catches and team fights happen and closed out the first game with a major item advantage.

Game 2: Orbit Victory

Orbit took first pick in game 2 and looked to ban out what defeated them in the previous game. They banned the epic hooks of Blitzcrank, the fed terror of Ezreal, and the standard Malphite. Orbit then picked a double AP composition with Vladimir and Ahri, followed by the ganking potential of Skarner. Meat Playground was confident after their victory and decided to try some uncommon picks. They took out the potential first pick of Nunu, along with the standard Alistar and Shen. Meat Playground picked Rumble to win the top lane, Maokai to counter the fast ganks, and Mordekaiser to see what he is capable of.

Game 2 did not have the same ignition as the previous game. The teams did not warm up until first blood happened in bot lane, ending in a 1-for-2 for Meat Playground. Skarner made his presence known with constant appearances in all of the lanes. Orbit was still pressured in the lanes despite the efforts of their jungle player. Soon these efforts paid off and allowed Orbit get the positioning they needed to take an advantage in the game. Orbit quickly took control of the map with oracles and took a huge lead through forced fights and face checks. Meat Playground found themselves insurmountably behind and surrendered.

Game 3: Meat Playground Victory

Meat Playground had first pick and needed to get their valued picks to win the game and the match. They banned Alistar, Twisted Fate, and the Skarner that gave them trouble in the last game. Meat Playground picked the Nunu and Morganna that were key to their game 1 victory, along with Olaf to play it safe in the top lane. Orbit had taken the momentum in the match and wanted to close it out quickly. They banned the Ezreal that did so much in game 1 followed by the standard Shen and Vladimir. Orbit went with a Malphite top, the successful Ahri mid, and a blind Lee Sin in the jungle.

Meat Playground wasted no time in turning up the heat in game 3. They went right into the enemy jungle and slowed down the early game strength of Orbit’s team composition. Orbit went with another lane swap and successfully shut down Olaf early in the game. Morganna was a major threat to Orbit and they sent their support to the middle lane to assist Ahri. Pobelter would not be stopped and picked up a quadra kill with only a tower to aid him. Meat Playground started grouping up and used their strong team fight to take objectives and force poor position from Orbit. Orbit had no answer to the coordination of Meat Playground and lost out to a rushed baron followed by 1-for-4 team fight and victory in game 3.

Player of the Match: Eugene ‘Pobelter’ Park

The mid lane is the center of the rift and the action whenever Meat Playground takes the field. Eugene ‘Pobelter’ Park can play what his team needs and stun spectators with unusual tactics. What he does best is be there when his team needs him. Even his champions roster changes to what best benefits his team. Meat Playground has a bright future ahead of them with Pobelter backing up their plays.

Conclusion

These teams gave it their all in a chance at the IPL5. They tested their abilities and kept it close to the last second. Meat Playground showed that they have what it takes to challenge the best teams on the scene. Orbit has some solid victories over the best teams, but showed that they still have room to improve. The conventional meta was not challenged. The balance was not strained. These teams displayed a true competitive treat to the avid LoL follower.

That’s it for today’s review. We hope you will join us tomorrow for more exquisite League of Legends action.

Source : ign[dot]com

Jerry Lawler Collapses Live on WWE RAW

The first thing I'll say is that what happened live tonight on RAW was not a part of a WWE storyline...

During a match involving Daniel Bryan and Kane vs. The Prime Time Players, and shortly following his own match against CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler, 62 year-old commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler became short of breath and collapsed at the announce table, falling to the floor. During this time, the cameras did not show what was happening, but viewers at home could see the crowd watching off to the side as a medical team came down to attend to Lawler.

Michael Cole, Lawler's co-commentator, understandably shaken, continued to call the match on his own while Lawler was placed on a stretcher and taken backstage. Twitter erupted, with everyone wondering what had happened to Lawler. The rest of the night was a surreal experience as Cole came back on intermittently to give the viewers health updates throughout the night. After receiving CPR backstage, Lawler was taken to a local Montreal medical facility where he was placed in an isolated ER and given oxygen through a tube. The final update, before RAW went off the air, was that Lawler was now breathing on his own and responsive to light. He is to undergo a CT scan on his head and chest. The doctors have listed him in "stable" condition.

The final hour of RAW's three-hour broadcast from Montreal went commentary-free as a tribute to Lawler.

Get well, Jerry.

Source : ign[dot]com

PAX: Gears of War: Judgment -- Free-for-All Madness

Normally, playing a match of Gears of War’s multiplayer involves taking a lot of cover. But in the recently announced free-for-all mode for Gears of War: Judgment, it just doesn’t work for me. When nine other players barrel down on me from every angle I find I become paranoid, constantly spinning around and looking for the next chaotic gunfight.

The average life in free-for-all Judgment match is short. With no teammates around to chase off a would-be executioner, you’re dead when you get downed (and in the case of the PAX build, you died immediately). Free-for-all matches thus end up making you feel much more vulnerable than you do in other Gears gametypes. No one is there to pick you up when you fall, and the other nine people are out for blood as much as you, so they aren’t going to watch your back or protect your flanks.

Maps have specifically designed for Judgment’s free-for-all mode as well. Unlike past Gears games, where they basically adapted various maps to whatever game mode you were playing, these maps have been tailored for 10 player insanity. If the match at PAX was any indication, they're also a bit smaller than you’d expect. The result is that you never go more than a few seconds without running into someone to shoot, and more often it’s the third player who rushes in to clean up two wounded fighters than scores big.

If you want to play team-based matches Judgment has those too, but free-for-all looks like the most approachable option for someone looking to learn Judgment’s mechanics. Anyone who’s hopped into an older Gears multiplayer match knows how hard it can be to get into. What often happens is that you queue up, you finally join, you run to cover and then you’re summarily blasted into pieces by a super-skilled player with a shotgun and get to be a spectator for a few minutes before repeating. In free-for-all, though, you can respawn a few seconds after being killed. Thus you can play a bit more reckless and experiment more, learning to use weapons you might normally try, or even going for melee kills just for the heck of it. Sure, you might not be the one who comes out on top in the end, but you’re not going to have to wait for long respawn timers or let down a team.

Even if you're a super seasoned Gears player you'll have a few new control changes to get used to in Judgment. While Epic hasn't messed with the now-iconic Active Reload, they have basically eliminated the need for you to use the D-pad. Switching between your two weapons has been moved to the Y button, and throwing grenades is now as simple as tapping the left bumper. As obvious as these changes sound to anyone who plays other competitive shooters on the Xbox, it's a bit odd to never reach awkwardly with your left thumb to switch beween your gear. It makes Gears combat feel a lot more flexible and makes reacting to different situations much easier, and fits perfectly with the amped-up pacing of free-for-all mode.

With many more modes yet to be announced, Gears of War: Judgment already looks like it has something for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Judgment releases March 19th, 2013.

Source : ign[dot]com

CM Punk: "I’m Not Out There Pandering Anymore"

A lot has transpired for CM Punk in the past year, as the pro wrestler has skyrocketed to the top of the WWE. As he goes into a big match against both John Cena and The Big Show this Sunday at SummerSlam, I had the chance to briefly speak with Punk at the recent WWE Be a STAR / SummerSlam party about what to expect at the Pay-Per-View and his recent shift into a more ambiguous persona, straddling the line between heel and face.

IGN TV: I was at SummerSlam a year ago and since then, it’s been a very eventful year for you. You’ve had that championship belt for most of it. What’s it been like for you to experience so much in the past 12 months?

CM Punk: You know what, it’s cool. And doing an event like this kind of settles it in for me. Because I walked this same red carpet, the same Be A STAR promotion, same pay-per-view, SummerSlam, last year. And I was WWE Champion, and I’m WWE Champion still. So it’s exciting for me. It’s been one hell of a ride.

IGN: On RAW, you haven’t been completely excited for this match. But going into Sunday, are you looking at it at this point as an opportunity to show up these two other guys?

CM Punk: Well, you now, the funny thing about me is that no matter how many times I show people, there’s still going to be the detractors. The world isn’t black and white. The world is shades of gray. A lot of people see John Cena as being some big boy scout, but the guy wouldn’t shake my hand. So am I going to beat him again on Sunday? Absolutely. Is that going to change anybody’s perception of him or me? I don’t necessarily think so, but it will be interesting come Monday to see what happens.

AJ Lee Talks SummerSlam, Becoming RAW’s GM and Scooby-Doo

IGN: You’ve had a bit of a shift lately as far as your persona and how some of the fans are taking to you. What’s it like to feel that ebb and flow of the crowd?

CM Punk: As a fan of what we do, I think it’s way more interesting than going out there and being, like, cheesy, smiley guy - like, “Oh, I’m smiling, so you have to cheer me.” Or tongue-out, mean-face guy that makes people want to boo. I like where I’m at right now because where I’m at is me, 100 percent. I like some decisions AJ makes, and sometimes I don’t like a decision AJ makes. And I’m going to be vocal about it. And if somebody doesn’t like that I yell and scream at AJ and they want to boo me, well, you know what? More power to them. If some people like the fact that I tell off Miz on live TV and they want to cheer me, then more power to them. But I’m not out there pandering anymore. I don’t want to try to influence anybody in one way or another. I want people to come to our shows, boo and cheer for who you want -- and in regards to me, if you don’t like me, awesome. If you do like me, hey, even better. Have a good time.

IGN: You have this distinctive approach when you have something serious to say, where you sit down cross-legged. Where did that come from?

CM Punk: It came from -- everybody’s standing in the ring and delivering interviews and they all look the same to me. When I get down to business, I like to be comfortable. Sitting down, to me, is being comfortable. And getting a load off, I think it just helps me focus more.

IGN: I was a big advocate of the “We Want Ice Cream” campaign. Will it ever succeed? You’ve got the t-shirt, at least!

CM Punk: You know, I don’t know. We got a t-shirt, and you can actually get the t-shirt if you pre-order WWE ’13 at GameStop. Are there ever going to be ice cream bars? Maybe. Do a lot of people in the WWE Universe need to be eating ice cream? Probably not, myself included. I’m a fatty! So you’ll just have to cross your fingers, and wait and see.

Check out our other pre-SummerSlam interviews with RAW General Manager AJ Lee and Smackdown General Manager Booker T.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com