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

F1 2012 Review

Yearly sports titles tend to face an uphill battle. While the likes of EA’s FIFA and Madden could easily get by on roster changes alone, most other games really need to prove their mettle to get punters to pony up their hard earned cash again. Yet for its third outing with the Formula One license, that’s just what Codemasters have done with F1 2012, delivering numerous small-but-notable improvements over the last two years’ offerings.

Everything starts with the young drivers test in a meticulously recreated Yas Marina Stadium and racetrack in Abu Dhabi. Taking you through everything from vehicle handling, acceleration, and breaking to the more advanced elements of the sports such as KERS and DRS, a mixture of hands on time and short instructional videos prove invaluable to those either unfamiliar with the sport or new to its digital recreations. Depending on your inherent skill, the young drivers test will take about 40 minutes to 1 hour to complete but this solid foundation in gameplay mechanics will prove time well spent. Even returning F1 players should appreciate this refresher course in basic training, as there are plenty of nuanced differences to pick up on that reflect the changes the FIA has introduced to the motorsport since F1 2011 hit shelves.

It’s just one small aspect of the game’s commitment to authenticity. Obviously, a number of recognisable drivers were practically a given – Raikonnen, Button, Hamilton, et al – but appearances by real-world team members, such as Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner and race commentary from former F1 driver Anthony Davidson, helps craft a truly immersive experience. From the training mode onward, F1 2012 does a fantastic job of placing you in the mindset of an up-and-coming driver. Emails from agents and teammates advise you of race specifics or analyse your performance afterwards, helping put your head in the game. The tension, the weight of expectation of your colleagues, almost feels palpable, all creating a determination on your part to improve.

Improvement is something you’ll have to work hard for though, and rarely does a game make you fight so hard for a fraction of a second’s performance on a lap time. The overall difficulty could be placed somewhere between the brutal F1 2011 and the challenging F1 2010 – not easy then. With even minute deviations from the track resulting in time penalties or outright disqualification, learning to control the cars properly will be your number one priority. Given just how specific the game’s demands are though, there’s temptation to become over-reliant on Codemaster’s trademarked Flashback feature; zooming backwards to take one more pass at an awkward hairpin or avoid a collision. As such, it can become difficult to gauge any sense of genuinely improved performance.

Throughout the game, vehicle handling proves simultaneously precise and punishing. Veering onto the grass causes the green stuff to accumulate on your wheels, adding a perceptible slide and minimises traction, while deploying KERS (strip back the complexity of the rules and it’s a horsepower-boosting equivalent to a speed power-up in lesser titles) affects your braking times and accuracy as a side-effect of its eye-watering forward momentum.

Thankfully, with a range of braking assists, traction control and a racing guideline available, F1 2012 remains accessible for newcomers who want something perhaps closer to a typical racing game but still serving as an entry point to the sport. Ramp the difficulty up though, and every turn of the car, every gear change, and even aspects of pit time are your responsibility. That responsibility is even felt prior to races, with your car’s customisations – best tires, engine optimisations, fuel types – largely determining victory before you’ve even hit the tarmac. It’s more to learn and can feel frustrating if you just want to jump into a game, but the results really pay off once you know what you’re doing.

Moving into the main game content, the Proving Grounds area feels closest to an Arcade mode and is likely to be where more casual players spend a lot of their time. Champions Mode offers a selection of six challenges seeing you outwit and out-race some of the biggest names in the sport, and is immediately more accessible than the career or even the quick play modes. The difficulty curve on these is blistering though, and as you put yourself through races spotlighting Formula One’s finest, you'll find yourself having to put every speck of training you've gathered from elsewhere in the game to its utmost use. Proving Grounds is also where you will find the Time attack and Time Trial modes, the former seeing you attempting to set speed records on some of the world’s top racetracks, the latter testing your racing skills against the demands of international race teams.

While these more casual modes allow you free reign to select racing team and cars, the full Career Mode instead sees you racing up the league tables, beginning with a lower tier team before your successes earn you promotion after promotion. Impress the global press and industry observers and you’ll attract contract offers from more prestigious teams, your choices of which to accept affecting progression. It’s a lengthy outing, though the new Season Challenge mode allows a more relaxed approach, still putting you through the paces of a competitive chain of races but proving less of a time demand than your full career.

In addition to expected online multiplayer, split-screen and LAN options make welcome appearances. With no noticeable decline in frame rates or overall visual quality in split screen, the chance for some deliciously tense competition with your real-world mates is one to be relished.

Visually, the improvements in F1 2012 are harder to spot – 2011 already looked amazing. Most notable is a refined weather system, where rain can, and frequently will, sweep across a track during weekend-long events. Storm clouds are visible from a distance, and the look of the track as it gets soaked is perceptible. Best of all, this forces a gameplay change, as you’ll need to switch out tires to continue at optimum efficiency. Racetracks new and old – the main attraction being the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, hosting this year’s US Grand Prix – are authentically modelled, each delivering a unique atmosphere and, as with last year’s entry, there’s a brilliant soundtrack to accompany you.

Essentially, if you enjoyed F1 2011, there’s more than enough here to keep your attention: everything that was great last year returns, with enough tweaks and improvements to warrant a return. Newcomers will find F1 2012 a shock to the system compared to more conventional racing games, but the ample tools provided to get into the sport provide a gratifying experience with just a little bit of commitment on the player’s part.

Source : ign[dot]com

SEGA Announces Football Manager 2013

SEGA has revealed the latest game in its Football Manager series, Football Manager 2013, developed by Sports Interactive.

A range of improvements to the game's existing elements have been announced, including an improved 3D match engine, new staff roles such as specialist coaches, enhanced training and worldwide leaderboards.  Additionally, the game will make full use of the Steam system’s network functionality, increasing the ease with which games can be set up against other managers.

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In recent years it’s become clear that there’s a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can’t devote the time required to get the most out of the game.

Alongside all this is the introduction of the all-new 'Classic' or FMC mode, which promises to offer a streamlined managerial experience for those players who wouldn't otherwise have time for a full season. By only focusing on the nuts and bolts of taking a team to the top, players should be able to play out a full season in just eight to 10 hours.

Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson explained, "In recent years it’s become clear that there’s a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can’t devote the time required to get the most out of the game.

"We decided, therefore, to try to find a way to accommodate players with limited free time, without significantly diluting the experience. We believe that FMC achieves this beautifully.

“I would, however, like to stress to our many, many fans around the world that the introduction of FMC will not impact in any way on the game that they’ve come to know and love. For those who still want the full, ‘hands-on’ experience, FM13 offers exactly what they’re looking for – a bigger, better and even more immersive version of the world's greatest football management simulation.”

FMC mode can either be played as an open-ended career, or through the new Challenge mode that was first introduced in the handheld version of Football Manager 2012. Challenge mode tasks players with overcoming a particular scenario which is designed to test his or her management skills over a set period of time. These range from achieving success with a squad of kids to getting your team from the bottom of the table to the top within half a season.

FM13 will ship with five challenges with more made available over time. FMC mode will also offer ‘unlockable’ features which can be used to make the game a bit easier, such as removing the need for work permits.

Football Manager 2013 will be released on PC and Mac before Christmas 2012.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and regularly struggles to manage, as well as cope. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

EA Sports Partners Tottenham Hotspur

EA Sports has announced that it signed a deal to become the official videogame partner of Tottenham Hotspur football club.

The company has signed a 3-year contract with the English Premier League club, making Spurs the 8th club to enter into such an agreement.

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This is an opportunity for us to create a deeper connection with their passionate, global fan base, and use our game as a platform to engage Spurs supporters all season long.

EA Sports senior vice president Matt Bilbey said, "We are extremely excited to join a world class football club like Tottenham Hotspur as an Official Club Partner. This is an opportunity for us to create a deeper connection with their passionate, global fan base, and use our game as a platform to engage Spurs supporters all season long."

As a result of the deal, Spurs players will have 3D head scans performed to ensure accurate models in FIFA 13. A Tottenham Hotspur game packaging sleeve will also be produced for the title and made available as a free download, while EA's mobile game trailer is set to make appearances at White Hart Lane.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said, "Over the course of the past few years we've seen the international profile of the Club rise significantly, especially across key markets in Asia and North America. We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with EA Sports, one of the world's leading entertainment brands, and provide them with the opportunity to reach our global fan base."

Tottenham Hotspur joins seven other English Premier League teams that have become club partners with EA Sports. The other club partners are Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Newcastle, and Manchester City.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com