Headquarters on Havana:

We held our own for the beginning of the first match but we were not prepared for their use of Grenade launchers and Tactical Inserts and they were able to get 2 very long HQ Captures while we were scrambling to adjust. Their control of the map forced us to run from our spawn at the fountain in the back of the map which also gave them a huge boost in HQ Points.

Capture the Flag on Array:

The second Match was brutal – 8BB’s CTF strategy was very solid and IceManFlick devastated us in kills – Holding us in the killbox – watching as they captured our flag.

Good games, Putin will be learning from this experience!

Round 1: HQ 150-30

Round 2: CTF 3-0, 1-0

Check IRON Watchtower’s fileshare for the recording (available for a limited time).

Greeting Fellow Comrades,

On October 5th 2011 9pm EST, The time will be upon us once again to fight in the glory of the Motherland in a Humpday Challenge. This will involve our old friend “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″.

The Challenge will be open to all of the following:

- Ironworks Gaming Crew Members
- Ironworks Gaming Crew Applicants
- Friends of Ironworks Gaming Crew
- Fellow Good Game Network Clan Members

The MW2 Challenge will work like this…

- We will take the first 30 players to sign up
- These players then will be randomly split into 3 different 10 man FFA matches
- The 1st place players of these games will then compete in a “Winner Take All” FFA match up

- Match Rules will be as follows -
- 20 minutes matches with a 3000 score limit (which ever comes first)
- No Killstreaks
- No Noob Tubes
- No Riot Shields
- No Launchers (keep it clean)
- No Radar, so adjust your tactics accordingly
- No Kill Cams
- Regular Health and Respawn Times
- Maps will be Small/Medium sized (maps will be chosen on the day of the match)
- There will be 3 match refs who will spectate these matches, and 1 to ref the final match between all the 1st place winners (if you would like to ref, please PM me)

Perks:
- No one man army/pro
- No danger close/pro
- No commando/pro
- No sitrep/pro
- No last stand/pro

Every other perk is fair game, so adjust your classes.

So now that the match rules mumbo jumbo is out of the way, what’s the damn prize already you ask???

- 1 FREE BRAND NEW XBOX 360 GAME (Not a crappy game you apes)

So man up, grab your ammo and let’s kick the tires and light the fires. Spots will be going fast so don’t let your chance pass you by.

See you on the battlefield brother comrades!!

]]> http://www.ironworks-gaming.com/2011/09/modern-warfare-2-humpday-challenge-signup-now/feed 1 http://www.ironworks-gaming.com/2011/09/ggn-match-4-loss-%e2%80%93-igcputin-on-your-cheerios-vs-faspirit-of-the-master-guard http://www.ironworks-gaming.com/2011/09/ggn-match-4-loss-%e2%80%93-igcputin-on-your-cheerios-vs-faspirit-of-the-master-guard#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:11:21 +0000 IRON WatchTower http://www.ironworks-gaming.com/?p=1387 Spirits of the Master Guard – 2
Putin on your Cheerios – 0

PoyC current score: 3 Wins 2 Losses

Match 1: HQ on Jungle
The first match was a shutout with Our guys playing like they owned the Place, Good Job Guys.

Match 2: CTF on Crisis:
Second Match was tight, we barely got one capture in time on the first round of the match. The second round of match 2 was a freaking chaotic mess…lol. We ended up in a draw which gave us the victory.

We played a mixer on the third round Domination on Radiation, It was very close and an enjoyable match, The SSG guys and lady were fun to game with, and we hope to game with them again soon.

CTF was on Firing Range and after a Hard fought battle We came away victorious 2-0

We played a mixer at the end of the match for a few rounds and had a lot of fun doing it. The TTL guys were were very good and it was a close Match.
Look forward to gaming against them again in the future!

Cheerios V. Fallen Unity (FU)  Aug 29th, 2011
Match 1: HQ on Array (scores unavailable) – loss
Match 2: Domination on Radiation (scores unavailable) – loss

We played a mixer at the end of the round and it was an even battle, those guys over at Fallen Unity are a really good bunch of guys and a very tough team. Looking forward to playing against them them again soon.

For the second time, the Ironworks Gaming Crew will be hosting a XBox Live Community Playdate. This time, it will be Friday March 11th 2011 from 8PM to 11PM Eastern Time. You’ll be able to meet and greet many of the Ironworks Gaming Crew members as well as take part in some great Black Ops action. We look forward to having a great time with the members of the XBox Live community.

Come and have fun! See our forum for full details and to take part in the playdate. If you haven’t registered for our forum, you will need to first. Hope to see you there!

TO RESERVE A SPOT IN THE PLAYDATE PLEASE CLICK HERE

The latest debate on video games is whether or not it could be art. That in itself is a rather grand statement as a new form of art is always contended at first. For example, take the Impressionist movement in late 19th century. At the time, paintings were to be made in a completely photo-realistic manner. However, artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir broke that mold and created paintings based on expression and feelings rather than just real life representations. It took a long period of time before their style was accepted as art. Just as right now, the critics of our generation fail to see the potentiality of interactive entertainment. Video games consist of three parts, all of which are their own art style by themselves. There is the creation of a storyline which parallels to theatre and literature. Musical scores also accompany many video games. The graphics are last, which is another method of visual art. Each part makes up a whole, which is the experience of the game. Although all three of these Medias are forms of art, the main argument is this: Where do you draw the line at game versus art? To understand this you need to first understand what constitutes both art and games.

What defines art is an extremely debated topic. Lacking a clear and concise definition, it is difficult to truly explain what art is with precision. Out of many of the different definitions derived from various sources all over the internet and dictionaries of our time, the only common theme is that art draws an undeniable emotion, or level of intellectual thought within the viewer. Think of the classes of art taken as a college student or in grade school. All that time spent analyzing different paintings and pictures of sculptures were in order to better understand something about that subject. Those objects were all created for that reason alone: for people to gaze upon them and wonder.

There are two ways in which to view art, that is in a realist or objectivist way. Realism is the manner in which all undeniable art is viewed. Objectivism is the process where a person views the art is completely up to opinion. So what one person sees as trash, another sees as treasure. This is where the age old saying of “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” comes to mind. Although some art is undeniable, other forms may be greatly contended as to whether or not they deserve merit or recognition as art at all. This is where the dilemma lies with video games becoming art.

A game is defined by a definitive end and an objective. When someone plays a game there is a goal in mind at the end. When you play a board game such as Life the end goal is to finish with as much money as possible. Another thing about Life is that it ends. When all players reach the finish line they count up their money and determine a winner. This is a defining moment that denotes Life, as a game. Games are a manner of entertainment. They are not meant to make a person better at something other than the end goal of the game itself. Games are designed for enjoyment and nothing more.

The line of game versus art becomes more and more obscure as time goes on. In more recent times, gamers many needs have increased to bigger and better forms of stimulation. Now it is up to game designers to make fully fleshed out worlds with grand visuals, expansive stories, and musical scores to go with it. Each one of these factors parallels to another form of expressive art. Animation or film comes in the form of cut scenes and in game visuals. Music is present with complete musical scores. Theater comes with voice acting, and literature in the form of story arcs. All of these traits are artistic yes, but that does not mean that a video game maybe art as a whole. There is still that final distinction to be made.

Playing through a multiplayer game of Halo is hardly art at all. It’s a competition at best. Yet, watching a story line unfold before your eyes may be the next great form of visual art. Still, the biggest thing standing between art and video games is just that, they are games. Since their inception, video games were always about the end and not the journey. A player could fail indefinitely and it became all about a person’s skill rather than what they were taking part in viewing. The levels were less about the story and more about how much more difficult each level became. Modern day gaming has taken strides in all of those areas. The task of playing through a game has become more about what the player experiences. Whether it be in the trenches of war, a far away land of fantasy, or becoming a flower pedal dancing in the wind, games have strayed away from the objective and more towards the way a person feels during each and every new event. Another step that game designers have taken is the complete elimination of failing within game. This was originally to make games more accessible but now, failure in a game means nothing while some games have all but done away with it. Now a days there are games such as Braid and Flower where the player can literally not lose the game. This all but eliminates the need for competition or improvement. There is also the aspect of what games draw out of the player.

Many story arcs of modern day games are filled with incredible plots, believable worlds, and fully developed characters. Players become much more involved in their character’s thoughts, actions, relationships and growth. Take for example the latest installment of the Fable series, Fable III. Now in Fable III there is a central path that moves the plot forward and there are also numerous side quests to give more depth. Throughout the whole course of the story you watch as your choices affect everything you do. Every reaction that comes from your actions unfolds before your eyes, meanwhile you watch as your character develops from a rebellious prince to the malevolent or benevolent king you decide him to be. It can be compared to a choose your own adventure book. There is also the elimination of failure within the game itself as your character cannot die but merely be knocked down just see he can get back up. But where does the emotion come in? Where are the thought provoking elements that are demanded of becoming art?

Throughout the game there are many instances of emotional conflict between the choices you must make. Yet, Fable III proves itself to be quite formidable within minutes. At the beginning of the game a gaggle of protesters gathers to protest your evil brother’s tyrannical ruling. As you and your love interest stand up for the plight of these common folk your brother gives you a choice that is all too difficult to make; who to execute, your love or the group of protesters. This gut wrenching decision near breaks your heart within the first twenty minutes of the game. Having to make such a heavy decision weighs down upon the psyche like being under the ocean itself. This goes to prove that video games have more to offer than just eye candy for hyperactive children.

Video games have come a long way from what they once were. Just imagine the possibilities presented by this form of art. Many avenues could open up with this new aspect of media. New ways to experience stories, see new worlds, an all-new way to stimulate the sense and bring us further towards a great form of emotional conveyance. Imagine what it would be like to enter into Van Gogh’s Starry Night and scale the spire to look at the view. Perhaps one could take a walk in one of Salvador Dali’s many warped landscapes. It would be an unimaginable experience in being able to get inside the depictions of these artists. Viewing these paintings is one thing but living them is another. That is what video games are all about not just seeing but experiencing it as well.