One of the things that we here at ASTRO Gaming love to support are quality charity events. Historically, we’ve been involved in gaming-centric charities such as Gamers for Giving and Child’s Play, but over the Super Bowl weekend, we were able to help expand our outreach by supporting the Old Spice SuperCamp II.

SuperCamp is a one-of-a-kind charity event that combines a youth football clinic hosted by Country Superstar Garth Brooks and Pro Football Star for the Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten. The football camp runs alongside a cheerleading camp hosted by Katina Taylor (wife of New York Jets defensive end, Jason Taylor and sister of Texas Tech and Miami Dolphin legend Zach Thomas). Benefits from the event go towards the Jason Witten SCORE Foundation, the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation and Kids 2 Camp, along with the Jason Taylor Foundation. The event also promotes active, balanced, and healthy lifestyles through the Play 60 Initiative. This is something that we like to support for the gaming lifestyle as well.

The SuperCamp team fought through the inclement weather in the Dallas area, that included snow, ice, and freezing cold to make this event a reality. Hundreds of kids were able to participate in the camps getting professional guidance from many of the top coaches in the Dallas area as well as a few of the NCAA and NFL Pro players. Each camper in the football clinic was able to participate in drills at stations designed to push their talents and abilities just like professional players during training camp. Campers in the cheerleading clinic worked on a routine that was displayed for the closing ceremony of the event. Some campers were able to compete in skill events at the end of the camp that gave them the opportunity to win special prizes that included autographed pictures and jerseys from the camp hosts. There were also awards given to those campers that showed the most improvement during the day.

Thanks to all of you who helped us help support this event by purchasing ASTRO Gaming gear. Be sure to check out all of the images from the event in our facebook gallery.

-Walter

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Oh the holidays: shopping, traffic, cold weather, awesome sweaters, and plenty of family time. One thing that is seriously lacking for the holidays is video game tournaments… or is it? If you’re aching to compete, check out some of the events ASTRO is involved in this holiday season.

If you’re in the New York area December 11th and 12th, be sure to check out the WCG Holiday Heroes event at the Samsung Experience in NYC. This event will feature the new Halo Reach Noble Map Pack, with both cash and product prizes provided by ASTRO Gaming and Samsung. Attendees will also get to get some hands time going head to head with the new Tron Evolution game as well. You can find more information about this event through the WCG website here.

If New York is a bit far from home, and you’re based in the upper midwest that same weekend(Dec 11th and 12th), there is a multi game tournament called Focus Fire you won’t want to miss happening in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Attendees will be able to compete in Super Street Fighter IV, Halo Reach, Call of Duty Black Ops, Tekken 6, Madden 2011, and more. This tournament is dishing out cash prizes along with some A40 Audio Systems as well as Scout Backpacks. For registration and more details about the event, be sure to check out the Focus Fire website here.

Now get back to those gingerbread houses!

-X

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The MLG National Championships always promise to be entertaining, and this year was no exception. For the teams and players that were invited to compete in the championships, this isn’t an event to hold back an ounce of passion and effort. One thing is for sure: when the prize pool grows, so does the excitement, action, and the heartbreak. For a glimpse at the event, be sure to check out our video recap of the event through our YouTube channel.

The major difference this year for the MLG Championships was the sheer size of the event. With the introduction of the Doritos combines into the circuit this year, paired with the launch of Halo Reach, a fresh opportunity to become one of the next pro players had the event attendance booming. Much like the DC event a few weeks prior, we had the opportunity to meet a plethora of first timers, some folks we hadn’t seen at events the entire year, and some others that we’ve recently met from other leagues making their play to be one of the next MLG stars. The Championships hosted a number of the usual games: Halo 3, Halo Reach, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Tekken 6, StarCraft II, and brought in the Call of Duty: MW2 crew as well. All of the extra players and fans meant an insane amount of spectator cheering and heckling as the tournament progressed. For many of the players, the benefit of the private voice network from the daisy-chained MixAmps at the stations made the difference when it came to team communication.

One group that never ceases to amaze me is the StarCraft II fans. It seems like the more space that they have to watch the games, the larger the audience gets. For the finals, StarCraft II had its own area with the entrance right next to the ASTRO Booth. For a good portion of the event, people were pouring out of the room trying to catch a glimpse of the battles. The crowd would be dead silent for the vast majority of the matches and then erupt with cheering and applause when the games would end. Despite the perceived oddity of the contrast of noise levels, the pure passion you could sense from the players and the fans was nothing less than inspiring. This will be a title that the MLG will likely continue to embrace and help grow. You know, not that the millions of people who played(and continue to play) the original StarCraft didn’t help at all.

For those CoD: MW2 fans, you probably saw some of the commentating from our friends Fwiz and Hastr0. If you didn’t, check out the post-event VoD. These guys have a bromance that breathes entertainment to the folks tuning in. It’s well worth the time listening in.

The finale for Halo 3 brought an extra value of appreciation as we saw one of the long-time fan favorites Tom “T2” Taylor coaching Status Quo for the event. Tom shared his expert abilities as a player with the SQ team to help bring them a second place finish for the finals, helping to break them past the placement barrier they had met all year. Final Boss once again showing that they truly have an appropriate team name, they brought home their third consecutive win. Let the off season and the full transition to Reach begin for the rest of these teams. Get the full list of event winners, keep an eye on the team changes, and watch the drama unfold over the next few months at mlgpro.com.

Congrats to all the champions for the event, and we’ll see you in 2011!

-X

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The National Championships for Major League Gaming are quickly approaching and with the onslaught of preparation and mental planning that comes with it. Many of the top competing teams are pouring in hour after of hour of practice and reviewing matches trying to anticipate what their opponents will be doing as they duke it out for the biggest prize pool of the year.

If you’re a MLG Halo 3 follower, you probably already are aware that many of the top teams head over to The LAN Network to engage in their preparation before the tournament. They have live coverage of the event via streaming video as well a fantasy league you can participate in. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to check them out, swing by their site to watch some of the feed. Before Dallas, they are hosting six of the eight teams competing: Believe the Hype(6), Carbon(8), Final Boss(1), Instinct(2), Status Quo(4), and Triggers Down(3). The two teams missing from the LAN are: Dynasty(5) and Warriors(7).

In addition to Halo 3 at the MLG Dallas Finals, you’ll be able to check out Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Tekken 6, StarCraft 2, and Halo Reach. All of these teams will be competing for over $700,000 in prizes. If you can’t make it to the event in person, be sure to check out the stream from home at mlgpro.com.

ASTRO will be there with our full booth experience and have the majority of our products available for purchase. We will also have display units of our newly announced Wireless MixAmp 5.8 and A*STAR IN-Ear Headset. We will likely not have these units available for demonstration purposes for this event, but check in with us at the event to see if we were able to secure a few demonstration units at the last minute.

-X

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Blizzcon has come and gone, and if you weren’t able to attend the event in Anaheim this year, hopefully you were able to check out the live broadcast either streaming or on Direct TV. The new stream that they implemented this year added an amazing experience of the event for those who couldn’t make it to the show in person. Blizzard gave the home enthusiast a way to get the best seat in the house without having to wait in lines, pay for hotels or flights, or sit in an overflow room watching the speakers/panels/tournaments from afar.

This year I wanted to get both experiences. Thankfully, being just an hour flight away from the event, this was totally possible. Friday night I sat at home flipping between the stream channels trying to determine how I would attack the show on Saturday after my early flight down to the event. Using the live stream, I was able to have an up close and personal experience with the panels and what I would consider the best seat in the house for the annual costume contest. The overarching broadcast really brought a new level to the experience without physically being at the show. However, let me jump in and say that there really isn’t a way to compare the two experiences…

Being at this energetic and unique convention really is something that every Blizzard fan should check out at some point. It’s always amazing to me to see folks embrace every level of their excitement for the games that this gaming titan provides. With all of the things erupting right now with their core titles, it’s no wonder this year’s event was electric. Diablo III: need I say more? I did have some time to play around with it, and the 3v3 PvP has a ton of potential, and the game itself is beautiful. It’s similar to the level of the recently released/revamped Starcraft II when compared to the original. It takes a lot of the core concepts of the original game and adds in some fun new dynamics with the fresh polished look and updated graphics/interface experience. Other quality hands on experiences were with the Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft which is right around the corner. Many folks who haven’t had an opportunity to play around with the beta yet got to dig into the changes that are happening to the entire face of the in-game world and the new races that will be introduced in a little over a month.

One of the new things I saw at the show that I wanted to share was a little booth by a company called Figure Prints. In a nutshell, they create a 3D custom model of your character. And if you don’t like the look of your current armor, or are still working on a set, you can choose between any of the Dungeon/Raid/PvP sets for your class, as well as a variety of other customization options. The prices are a little steep at first glance, but believe me, after seeing these in person, it’s well worth it if you’re a fan.

While we were there, we did a scavenger hunt type contest through Twitter giving away an A30 headset for the first person to find me after completing a small quest. Our lucky winner was Kenneth M. of Brooklyn, NY. Congrats!

One other thing that you may have enjoyed if you were watching the stream on either night from the comfort of your computer chair, was something familiar on the WoW tournament stage: our A40 Audio System being used as the player audio solution throughout the broadcast. Thanks for the nod Blizzard, we appreciate your quality work too.

-X

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It’s that time of the year again. A time when the leaves start turning colors, Starbucks starts serving pumpkin spice lattes, everyone starts to turn their attention on costumes, and some make an annual pilgrimage to California support some of the most played games in history. That’s right, it’s Blizzcon weekend.

ASTRO will be walking the show floor on Saturday and will have some prizes to give away. Be sure to follow us on on twitter(@astrogaming) for a chance to win. I’ll be giving hints on where and how to win throughout the day starting on Saturday morning.

See you there!

-X

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“How was DC?” was the first question that I got when walking back into the ASTRO Gaming office after the event. The first answer that came to mind that I could give is “Insane. There were all kinds of crazy upsets.”. As with any event, there are winners, which also sends some teams home packing. For some of the teams, this was a final shot at making it to the MLG Finals in just a few short weeks after three years of pouring their hearts and souls into Halo 3. Some of the teams and players we’ve been watching for years won’t be attending the finals, and with the transition to Reach, the lingering question is: who will move on, and who will be see reborn for the 2011 season?

Reach brought a flood of new faces, as well as some very familiar folks we haven’t seen in over a year. Many of the Gears and Rainbow teams have jumped onto the Halo bandwagon longing for another shot at the MLG main stage. One of the most familiar of these teams were the 2009 Gears champions the Nsanez. Another familiar face, Amish Acorns, dominated the Doritos Combine Reach FFA, pulling down yet another win. Personally, I’d love to see Amish Acorns and Pistola 1v1 on the main stage. That would be a tough one to put a friendly $5 on.

After checking out the WCG Grand Finals, and watching the Korean Tekken player Knee bring home the world championship, it was no surprise to see him competing for the top 2 in the Tekken tournament this past weekend. What was surprising was the fact that he was already humbled so soon after taking the title of world champion by Kor_Nin who bumped him down to a second place finish.

If you watched the Halo 3 stream at all, you saw the hard fought battles that defined this event. Many of the consistently top placing teams slipped down on the bracket this weekend. Both Instinct and Status Quo both had disappointing finishes, and members of both teams have sent out messages on their social networks telling their fans that these finishes have only fired up their teams for Dallas and to expect a strong show in the next few weeks. Carbon was able to sneak in the final 8th spot for the finals, knocking out Heaven and Earth, and long time champions Str8 Rippin’ by a matter of only a few points. Both Dynasty and Warriors had amazing events, securing their spots in the finals, as well as assuring that they are still in this competition to win it. In the end for DC, it was Triggers Down and Final Boss on the championship stage after FB fought their way through the losers bracket with some tight games against many of the teams. The momentum on Championship Sunday was definitely with FB as they slugged through some close games, but finally locked in back to back wins.

To get more information and throw in your 2 cents, check out the Dallas Teams, Seeds, and Predictions on the MLG forums here!

-X

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With the last of the regular season events of the Major League Gaming season starting tomorrow, there’s an overwhelming sense of uncertainty bubbling up around the league. With Halo 3 officially winding down on the circuit, there are some disheartened to see it go, and there are many that are eagerly anticipating the kickoff of the newly launched Halo: Reach.

D.C. will host the first Reach competition within the MLG circuit which will officially kick off next season as the headline game. With the recent launch of this new version of Halo, Bungie had implemented quite a variety of changes in the style of play. Yes, it’s still Halo, but with Jetpacks, Invisibility, and Holograms! All of which add an entirely new element to the style that these players have grown familiar with.

We’re looking forward to seeing how the MLG will incorporate(or eliminate) some of the new features for this game as they adapt this game for the next season. You can bet that the way it’s played this weekend will likely not be how it’s played in 2011.

Watch for our recap after the show!

-X

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Wow, another PAX goes by and I’m still barely getting my voice back. But hey, it was well worth it. Oh, I didn’t get sick either! *crosses fingers*

I don’t want to rub it in or anything, but in case you didn’t get to go… you missed a ton of amazing stuff. From our custom PAX 2010 A30s to kick-ass Frag Doll parties to most importantly, Duke Nukem Forever.

Not only were we the Official Headset of PAX, we also made a very special PAX 2010 edition of our A30 Headset. Gotta admit, it was pretty sweet to see tons of PAX attendees walking around wearing them.

Our booth was smack dab in the middle of EA, 2K Games, Alienware, NVIDIA and Telltale Games. Definitely a good spot to be in, especially when we were setting up Thursday night and I spotted Duke Nukem posters on 2K’s booth. I thought to myself “No… This can’t be. This is some kind of joke.” The next day, the announcement goes out on the wire and I’m freaking out like that Nintendo 64 Christmas kid. Ok, not exactly but that’s how I felt on the inside.

Before you ask, I did play the game and it is exactly what I expected it to be. Over the top, ridiculous, and awesome with the best one-liners that gamers will be quoting for the next 10 years.

If you didn’t get to stop by our booth, you had the chance to try our headsets over at Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, HAWX 2 and Outland), EA (especially the Dead Space 2 booth), Capcom, SEGA, HotHead, Machinima, Wizards of the Coast and Instant Action. And you missed your chances at winning bunches of custom Ubisoft and Machinima A30s. Gotta pay attention, especially at PAX East 2011!

Another PAX goes by and we can’t wait for the next one. Each year you see old friends, make new ones and all of the sudden, you miss everything and everyone. Gotta love it.

Till next time,

- ASTRO stanimal

B-B-B-B-B-Balls of steel.

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Attention all ASTRO enthusiasts,

PAX 2010 is opening tomorrow morning to thousands of the most passionate gamers in the world and ASTRO Gaming will be there in full force. Yes, you’ll see our sweet lookin’ booth staffed with the exhilarating ASTRO stanimal (me!), ASTRO Xariun, our awesome support team and of course the always lovely ASTRO girls.

In addition to being the official headset provider of PAX, we’re bringing along a PAX exclusive which we are SO happy to announce. ASTRO Gaming and the Penny Arcade team have brought their brilliant minds together to bring you something special that you will absolutely love.

Available only this weekend and at the Penny Arcade booth, we brought with us 400 Special Edition ASTRO A30 headsets with speaker tags featuring signature artwork of Penny Arcade’s Gabe and Tycho characters for $99. You can get a sneak peak as to how freakin’ cool they look right above.

“Each year we try to create one special item for the attendees, and we’re super happy that Astro agreed to do these with us.” says the enigmatic Robert Khoo, President of Operations and Business Development of Penny Arcade.

It doesn’t stop there. You’ll be able to try out ASTRO A30 and A40 headsets at the following booths and games:

Ubisoft: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, HAWX 2 and Outland
Electronic Arts: Dragon Age 2, Dead Space 2, Darkspore, and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
HotHead: DeathSpank 2
Wizards of the Coast: Magic the Gathering: Duals of the Planeswalkers
SEGA: Vanquish
Capcom: Okamiden, Ghost Trick
Machinima: Machinima’s Tournament Setup
Gunnar Optiks: 2v2 Gaming Setup
Instant Action: Instant Jam

Looking to maybe win some ASTRO Gaming A30 headsets/audio systems? Giveaways will be happening here:

Ubisoft:

- 3x Assassin’s Creed A30 Audio Systems in their ACB tournament
- 3x HAWX 2 A30 Audio Systems for their HAWX 2 tournament
- 3x Assassin’s Creed A30 Audio Systems for their ACB cosplay contest

Machinima:

- 3x Machinima Respawn A30 Audio Systems in their tournament

Dtoid Live Panel (Saturday, 10:30AM at the Unicorn Theater)

- 3x Dtoid A30 Audio Systems

OnLive

- 3x OnLive A30 Headsets

Wow, long-ass blog post. I’ll sum it up quickly. PAX Prime 2010 will be totally amazing and we’re gonna make it just a little bit more amazing. Who are we kidding? A lot more.

Oh, and be sure to stop by the booth and say hi to us! We like that stuff.

- ASTRO stanimal

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