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.

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We’ve made it clear that we weren’t going to release a wireless product until we could make it sound as good as our wired solution. Today is that day.

ASTRO Gaming is beyond excited to announce for the Holiday season, the ASTRO MixAmp™ 5.8, a wireless 5.8 Ghz version of ASTRO’s award-winning MixAmp™.

The ASTRO MixAmp™ 5.8 is a wireless version of our original award-winning ASTRO MixAmp™, capable of turning any headset into a wireless Dolby® 7.1 Surround Sound experience. Featuring 5.8GHz wireless technology, game/voice balancing and a new Bass Expander mode – the wireless MixAmp™ 5.8 is a must have for any serious gamer or home theater enthusiast.

Features of the ASTRO MixAmp™ 5.8 include:

- 7.1 channel Dolby® Surround Sound via Dolby® Pro Logic IIX decoding and Dolby® Headphone Surround Sound output

- 5.8GHz Wireless – This high-powered and secure connection operates on a spectrum relatively free from interference from other wireless devices

- Point-to-Multipoint Pairing (PtMP): Pair up to 4 receivers (Rx) with 1 transmitter (Tx), providing support for up four simultaneous users with four independent voice streams on XBox 360, and two independent voice streams on PlayStation 3

- Bass Expander Mode – Injects a subwoofer effect into the soundstage

- Tuned with ASTRO Audio™ technology to get the most out of games and other forms of media.

- Compatibility – Plug in any headset to use the ASTRO MixAmp 5.8™ with both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Consoles

The ASTRO MixAmp™ 5.8 will be available this November on www.astrogaming.com. You can pre-order now at the awesome introductory price of $99.95, or bundled with ASTRO A30 and ASTRO A40 headsets for $199.95 and $249.95.

A wireless MixAmp™ for under $100? Seriously. What are you waiting for? GO GO GO.

- ASTRO stanimal

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On top of releasing revolutionary wireless gaming gear, ASTRO Gaming’s new A*STAR In-Ear Headset is the latest weapon in ASTRO’s arsenal of premium audio solutions.

It’s bold mobile design and expertly tuned audio will bring a crystal clear sound to all your favorite games, music, videos and voice. Featuring an in-line medallion with mobile controls, flat tangle-resistant cables, and a sweet carrying case, the A*STARs are the perfect solution to cut through the noise.

Features of the ASTRO A*STAR Series of In-Ear Headsets include:

- ASTRO Audio™ – Featuring 9mm drivers and 20-20,000 Hz frequency response range, the A*STAR In-Ear Headset have been engineered to deliver clean, clear sound at every frequency, optimized for handheld gaming devices, mobile phones and media players

- Control Medallion – The A*STAR control center includes a highly sensitive, wind-shielded mic and easily accessible controls for call answer/hang up, play/pause, mic mute and volume controls

- Flat Cables – Durable and highly-conductive, with the added benefit of resisting tangles

- Carry Case – Multi-function pocketsize soft case to comfortably hold your A*STAR along with a portable audio or mobile phone device

Sign-up and reserve your ASTRO A*STAR In-Ear Headset in black, white or silver units now for only $79.95! We’ll start pre-sales in mid-November and will start shipping in early December.

It’s totally worth it.

- ASTRO stanimal

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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