Amp Your Game National Gaming Tour: Halifax, Nova Scotia

News

It’s an absurdly gorgeous day in Halifax - sunny, breezey, a balmy 25 degrees celsius.  It’s no wonder I feel odd heading to one of Halifax’s notable outdoor venues only to venture back indoors again for a videogame tournament. 

Said tournament is the Amped Your Game National Gaming Tour which kicked off its first event this weekend past in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Besides the obvious Amp drink tie-in, the tour is a showcase for some of Canada’s top gaming talent.

The amped tour pavilion on the Halifax Commons.

The premise is an intriguing one, especially so if your an aspiring professional gamer: Three of Canada’s top players ever to emerge from the pro gaming circuit are using the tour to scout and recruit their fourth member.   

Potential competitors register through the Amp Tour website before the event arrives in town, then scheduled tourney’s are carried out in elimination-style rounds.  By the end of the weekend event, only four finalists will remain.  The four finalists from each host city will be considered the pool of talent from which one lucky gamer will be chosen by the Amp pro team.  

AMP YOUR GAME!

The three pro team members looking for their fourth have impressive resumes. Bo Kovacevic (gamertag: The Bo), Leo Vitelli (gamertag: Alpha XFactor), and Team Captain Nelson Triana (gamertag: G-SpOT) have all competed internationally and within the Major League Gaming circuit, with sometimes impressive results.  Triana in particular, the eldest of the group, has placed as runner-up at the 2004 and 2005 World Cyber Games. 

Whomever is finally chosen for the team will certainly have much to live up to.  

Taking in one of many game kiosks.

Those who competed or dropped by were greeted by an impressive pavilion showcasing kiosks for casual play and a cordoned off area presumably reserved for the tournment competitors.  A live DJ provided tunes for the attendees, most of whom were children and teenagers.  A group of children crowded around a Rock Band station with accompanying couch.

Xbox 360s, PS3s, and Wiis were all plentiful with a good variety of games.  Motorstorm, Raving Rabbids, Call of Duty 4, Gears of War and more were playable.  There was certainly enough to please anyone dropping by.

Most impressive were the kiosks themselves, with very impressive displays showing off an extreme aptitude at producing brilliant pictures and colours.  Even more impressive considering the bright surroundings in the tent pavillion, given the open tent structure and genious weather. 

Despite the well attended event, it was mildly discouraging not to see more adult gamers on hand.

Thirsty?

But things got decidedly more mature come Sunday’s 4 v 4 match between the event finalists and members of the pro team. 

Bo, Leo, and Nelson took on four of the finalists, both teams sitting across from one another, their respective monitors placed back-to-back to their competitors.  The teams were a picture of intensity - Triana, sitting atop the back of his chair, hunched over with elbows placed firmly on his knees, gazed at the screen with laser intense focus.

The game of the moment was Halo 3, a King of the Hill multiplayer match played on The Pit.  Team members hollered their competitors positions to one another, spoke loudly of strategy, and cursed in defeat and frustration.  Bo, Leo, and Nelson were notably more subdued than the local talent, but nevertheless communicating strategy effectively and forcefully.  This kind of exciting dynamic you can’t find over Xbox LIVE. 

A different kind of playground.

By the end of the day, only four Haligonians would be considered for the pool of Canadian talent from which the fourth member would be culled. 

Even after the tour has wrapped up, all finalists from each venue will continue to be evaluated by the pro-team between August 10 and the end of the month, according to on-site event coordinator Kevin Durkee.  The evaluation period will be based on contact and playtime with the team members, presumably over Xbox LIVE.  The final member will be chosen based on skill, overall team dynamics, and sportsmanship. 

The lucky winnner can look forward to full sponsorship as a member of the Amp Energy gaming team North of 49, travel all over North America to compete at the highest profile gaming events, and, of course, the chance to win big money at these gaming events.  There was no mention of sex, drugs, or Rock n’ Roll.

You can check out the Amp Gaming Tour in your town on the following dates and sites:

• Montreal, June 19-22: St-Laurent Boulevard, St. Laurent Festival;
• Ottawa, June 26-29: Kanata Centrum Plaza;
• Toronto, July 3-6: Harbourfront Centre, Queens Quay East;
• Winnipeg, July 10-13: The Forks - One Forks Market Road;
• Edmonton, July 17-20: West Edmonton Mall;
• Calgary, July 24-27: Eau Claire Market;
• Vancouver, July 31-August 3: Richmond Centre;
• Saskatoon, August 7-10: Saskatoon Exhibition, Prarieland Park.

To find out more about the Amp Gaming Tour and register, check out their website at ampenergy.ca.  For up-to-date results at each event, you can also check out their facebook page by clicking here. 

peachey @ June 17, 2008