So, I woke up with aches and a sore throat. I haven't taken a sick day from work in probably two years. Rarely do I get the opportunity to just kick it on the couch with nobody else except for the doggo. Today, that's just what I'm doing.
In addition to playing around on the Series of Tubes, I decided to play some Fortnite and, lo and behold!, I set some new personal records. Here's a grab of me at 16 kills:
I'm telling you, the advent of skill-based matchmaking has really benefited my game! That, or I'm actually getting kind of good? Maybe I should become a streamer...
So, I got the chance to play for a bit last night and, while I hate the fact that I don't know where I'm going on the new island, the gameplay is MUCH improved. The screenshot above is a couple of minutes before I took a 3rd place with 8 eliminations (for reference, I average two or three per game). After that game I took a silver medal in a match where I had seven kills.
This morning I played a "quick" game (is there such a thing?) while I was on the stationary bike at the gym. Six eliminations and a 2nd place - while maintaining 90-100 RPMs!
Check out the Chapter 2 trailer:
The screenshot that I posted above doesn't really do the new version much justice. The look and feel - while familiar - are quite different. The graphics appear to be more "clean" than in the prior seasons/chapter. The weapons in your cache look different than before, and some even act differently. And, perhaps most noticeable, the map is completely different. More locations, and a lot more space to explore.
And all of this feedback is based on my mobile experience. PC and console versions are bound to be even better.
So, what do you think? Was it worth the wait of the Black Hole?
I'll confess: I didn't know this was a thing. Apparently it is.
I'll also confess: I'm addicted to Fortnite. Apparently I am a 14-year-old.
About two years ago my son scrimped and saved his cash, bought a gaming computer and started playing Fortnite. I was intrigued by the 'battle royale' aspect of the game (where nearly 100 players loaded into the game and fought to the last one standing). So, I gave it a try. And another. Even thought I was terrible, I really enjoyed it.
But I didn't have a computer to use on the regular. So I downloaded the new (at the time) iOS mobile version of the game. I know, I know... mobile players are real players (at least, that's what my son says). But, I enjoy it - so BACK OFF.
I've racked up a few wins, and I've been able to get better. But I'm still terrible.
That picture in the sidebar (me with headphones on) is an early attempt at playing. -->
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the group that has seemingly emerged as the premiere governing body for “varsity”-level esports, has swelled to 128 members. It began in 2016 with six colleges and universities. The current slew of member colleges gave out just under $15 million in scholarships this academic year for students to strap on a headset, grab a mouse and keyboard, and enter the digital fray.
The esports allure for university executives is multifold but summed up succinctly for many institutions: enrollment boosts (although larger colleges and universities that are certainly not wanting for students also sponsor programs).
Granting scholarships to play video games, once perhaps just a Red Bull-fueled fantasy, attracts students -- especially men, who are in the minority in many undergraduate student bodies. And so officials have invested in pricey “arenas” for esports, spaces decked out with gigantic flat screens, slick computers and the best gaming accessories. One small private institution, New England College, with an enrollment of around 1,800 undergraduate students, and a prospective esports team of between 20 and 40 students, poured about $60,000 into its arena.
[...]
While industry representatives agree that a regulatory body will inevitably materialize, no one is clear how it will actually come about. NACE seems to dominate the market among colleges, with 94 percent of programs in the country signing on.
But Ohio State University, a major player in NCAA athletics, announced in October it would compete in a league commissioned by the Electronic Gaming Federation, which is separate from NACE. Ohio State also introduced undergraduate and graduate degrees in esports. Its team is not housed under athletics.
And so despite NACE, a subsidiary of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, no universally recognized entity exists to enforce rules or make sure programs are consistent across the country. For all the criticism heaped on the NCAA, it tries to ensure fairness in the collegiate athletics system with certain policies -- limits on numbers of practices, for example. There is no equivalent watchdog for esports.
Whether the NCAA will step in to remedy these inconsistencies remains unknown. Contorting the NCAA model and its stringent amateurism rules to fit esports makes it an unlikely, if not unachievable possibility. For instance: the NCAA maintains a hard line that athletes can’t be paid for their sports skills, but college esports players often participate in tournaments where they can rake in thousands of dollars in prize money. They are often paid for broadcasts on Twitch, an Amazon-owned service for live-streaming.
Here's a NACE promo, to give you a flavor of what they're doing:
So, if the NCAA steps into the Esports mix, how will that change the game (see what I did there)?
Seriously though, I'm shocked that the NCAA hasn't already entered this realm. The gaming industry is H U G E and collegiate Esports would surely be a big money-maker. And let's be honest: the NCAA is also a big money-maker. I would think that they would recognize the financial possibilities therein and get into the gaming mix.
The coooooolest emote in Fornite y'all. One of the things that I really like about Fortnite is the emote. Granted they aren't all winners, but the fact that one can dance around the corpse of a fallen enemy is pretty cool.
I need to learn this dance for the next wedding that I attend...
I missed this yesterday, but luckily the fine folks at IGN were there to record it.
Very cool. Now the entire island is covered in ice and snow. Downside: you have to contend with all of the new "ice monsters" (a callback from the "cube monsters" earlier this year).
Where was 