I was really excited to see Rocket League make it onto television screens this weekend during the Universal Open - a 2v2 tournament on NBC Sports. As a huge fan of the game who has watched an increasing amount of pro play since the first season of the Rocket League Championship Series, I was curious how it would be received by a more mainstream audience. The results aren't in yet, but I did see something that marked a shift for me as an esports viewer. Player personalities are finally starting to show through and fans seem to be taking to it.

One player that stood out to me the first time I ever saw him play Rocket League is Jacob. Jacob "Jacob" McDowell is an American Rocket League player currently on the NRG team that recently won the X Games Rocket League Invitational. However, I know Jacob as the dude that played in a giant foam cowboy hat during the RLCS Season 3. Not only did he have the giant foam cowboy hat on during the match, but his car had the hat as a topper in-game. It helped that he made some ridiculous goals and demoed everyone in sight to the delight of the crowd, but whether I liked him or not he was instantly identifiable both in the game and outside of it.

Jacob instantly became a player I looked for in any Rocket League tournament going forward. I knew his games would be entertaining. I was excited to watch his double matches at the Universal Open and apparently I'm not his only fan as seen here after one of his more tame goals:

Most of the players I've watched are young kids that are incredibly focused on competition and could care less about standing out inbetween matches. Without a mind-blowing performance, most viewers won't remember 90% of the players after their first couple of games. The funny thing that the hat proves is that it isn't that hard to stand out in esports.

One of my major issues as a viewer is that when you are watching new game for the first time there's a lot to take in. Learning how to watch the specific game itself is intimidating enough, but trying to mentally link player handles with their names with their faces with their esports team that changes all the time is confusing. It's not like players are represented by their in-game avatars so viewers have to rely on camera cuts showing the players staring at the screen midmatch to start to try to have an idea of who is who. Players switch teams a lot inbetween tournaments as the teams themselves rise and fall. This industry is in its infancy. Anything a player can do to stand out is good for everyone involved and will help esports grow its fanbases. Having fun while wearing dumb hats or promoting stories like Dad scoring a backwards goal doesn't hurt either.

I keep getting sucked back into Diablo 3's seasons because 1) getting loot is fun and more importantly 2) absolutely crushing demons is even more fun. Physically destroying demons faster than they can spawn is cathartic and satisfying no matter what version of Diablo you are playing, so why would you want to let them live? Setting a pacifist fun record in Diablo 2 sounds like a decent reason.

Check out DrCliche's full 7hr41min record breaking run if you dare:

My first thought was how do you beat a game with boss fights without attacking? Apparently, DrCliche's rules centered around never intentionally killing an enemy and never taking any aggressive actions. His thorn armor did most of the dirty work as it attacks any enemy that attacks it first. Sounds easy on paper, but at least one boss fight made things quite difficult.

Regardless, even with a sound strategy there's no way I'd be patient enough to try this so I find this incredibly impressive. I also never would have considered that it was possible to complete a pacifist run in a Diablo game. Now, I want to see what other action heavy games can be conquered without ever attacking at all.

Sources:

• Nickolas YouTube
• Polygon

It has been a while since I revisited the wonderfully creative community that surrounds Planet Coaster. I remember seeing a few intricate coaster videos last fall, but none of them were Tron. This Tron ride is more than a coaster. It feels like a theme park attraction like you'd see at Disney. It's not about loops, speed, and death defying gravity stunts since it actually focuses on an aspect not commonly associated with roller coaster: storytelling.

I'm a sucker for Tron nostalgia as the original movie is responsible for my interest in computer graphics, special effects, and even my curiosity around the possibility of video games. In some ways, this video game roller coaster about Tron brings all of that full circle.

Outside of my own personal ties to Tron, I'm in awe of how this can even be made in Planet Coaster. Granted, I haven't followed the mod scene of the game and I'm not sure how the custom made items come together, but it's still incredibly impressive. The custom 3D models, the brilliantly synced audio complete with quotes from the movie, and the stunning audio visual transitions full of lasers and lighting effects make it really feel like an authentic Tron experience. I guess there is more to this Planet Coaster than seeing how fast I can make roller coaster go before sending the car literally off the rails. Now, I just need to play Tron in VR.

Sources:

• TommyT067 on YouTube
• Polygon


If it takes 20 lbs of Legos to build a BFG, you have to wonder what the real thing would weigh. Probably nothing to a space marine, but it's a fair question.

ZaziNombies have quite a few Lego projects that you can check out on its YouTube page, but its BFG got our attention. Having a lifesized version of the original penultimate video game weapon would put a dumb grin on my face for weeks. It's not just the Lego construction itself, but the extra steps of decals, lighting, and tubing that take this to another level.

Watch this Big Lego Gun in action:

Source

Game Informer