Updating .plans at the Top like Everyone Else
Ok, I’m finally updating my .plans at the top like everyone else…
E3 was interesting, and the tournement went extremely well.
You would think that the top deathmatchers would be an evenly matched group, seperated by mere milliseconds of response time, and the matches would be close.
Its not like that at all. There are master players. And there is Thresh.
We were watching him play with our jaws hanging open. I don’t think he was killed a single time in the finals. He did things we had never seen before. It was amazing to watch.
I feel a lot better about the contest now, because even if the sixteen finalists weren’t necessarily the sixteen best players due to internet issues, I do think that the grand prize winner IS the best single player.
The level of sportsmanship was gratifying, especially given the stakes. No sore losers, no tantrums. Everyone was cool.
After the finals, a japanese champion (highroller) asked for a match with Thresh. I expected him to pass, considering the pressure of the tournement, but he happily accepted, and delivered an eighty-something to negative-three beating (which was accepted with good grace).
I don’t see much point to any more big tournements until a few more of these mutant superpowered deathmatchers show up…
As far as everything else at E3 goes, I saw a bunch of good looking games, but I am fairly confidant of two things:
Nobody is going to eclipse Quake 2 this christmas. Different tradeoffs are being made that will appeal to different people, and there are going to be other products that are at least playing in the same league, but Q2 should be at the top of the pile, at least by the standards we judge games. Several licensees will be picking up all the Q2 features for their early ‘98 products, so games should get even better then. (ok, I guess that is just my cautious, long-winded way of saying Q2 will rule…)
Some notable companies are going to ship longer after us than they are expecting to, or make severe compromises. I wouldn’t advise holding your breath waiting for the quoted release dates. Relax, and let the developers get things out in due time.
Ugh. I haven’t coded in three days. Withdrawal.