Ten teams started the journey to be crowned the Gears Guardian Champions of SA (trademark is pending, but unlikely) and the two left standing and needing to compete in a “final” are The Shotgun Clowns and Capital Punishment.  However, due to some of the players needing to attend to a rather fantastic Modern Warfare 2 Tournament and rather less fantastic exams, the final will be happening at a later date, yet to be decided.

One of the great things about the SA Gears of War community is the attitude of the players.  Everyone appears to be enjoying themselves, except when Holden has the sniper or Vandal remembers where the ‘B’(ash) button is (of course, laughter is what pulls one through) and I would like to congratulate and thank everyone for carrying this spirit into what many might perceive as ‘competitive’ gaming.  In the end, it was an absolute pleasure to organise the League and I will (some say stupidly) organise another one.  Or at the very least one when Gears of War 3 lands.

Final standings after all round robin games:

Just as I started writing this and thinking of what to add for the opening paragraph to this interview I realized something… We have a very active, yet very small Gears community in SA! Everyone knows everyone and to some certain extents (after this tourney, you can add more. Personally I’ve added about 10 new guys to my friends list just because of Gears) some of us know each other personally even though we have never seen each other!

One of the few that we all know is Ninjascreed (my Gatsby eating bruvva…). A fun loving young man that plays Gears for Gears and because it’s just plain fun…

• Right, onto the Gears tourney. Do you play Gears often?

I had a look the other day on raptor and it shows Ive played more than 2 full weeks of Gears of War. That’s a lot of time for one game, I’m on my third disc of Gears already!

• What is your favorite mode in Gears: Execution, Annex etc ?

MEATFLAG!!!! YEAH!!! Tis an unsung heroes mode, nobody wants to play though! It’s also a brilliant mode to get lots and lots and lots of XP over our Northern rivals in Public!!HEHEHE!

• Weapon of choice?

Ever faithful hammerburst, gotten me out of many a situation. I don’t smack……..alot.

• What do you think about the whole Guardian tourney that has been organized? Would you play again if one got organized?

The Gears Tournaments organized in the past always left an unsavory taste in many mouths and put everybody off participating in another tournement. OAP handled everything extremely well (scores, game schedules). You guys really raised the bar here!!! Well done to Mr O’Shea and co!

GZ  really enjoyed playing and being a part of this tourney and I can vouch for all the guys in the clan by saying we would relish another one!!

• Do you guys follow a strategy or just play for the sake of it? Does each team member have a specific job?

Ground Zero is all about the K/D son!! Nah kidding, we went out there and had some fun. Black Axe was an awesome de facto leader. We took a more in you facial area approach and that suited Vegeta and Google extremely well. They thoroughly clicked the very first time they played together!!!! Got to say thank you to the guys – Axe, Omega, Vegeta, Bulla, The One and Google…YEAH!!! Bullet we miss you man!

And by the way Chainsaw’s for the win! RRRRATATATA!!

• Who is your nemesis in Gears, that one dude that sits like a thorn in your side…?

Oh my word, I’m a friend to all my man! Or I would like to think so?

• Do you use the term “wooosaaaa” a lot when playing Gears?

Not really but I use a couple other words especially a lotta French when I’m at the wrong end of the shotgun!

• How long have you been on the Gears scene?

Been playing since Gears 1 – non stop! Since I found the SA XBOX360 community I’ve met some really neat lads and ladies who make Gears a most excellent mp video game to play every single night.

• How often do you and your team mate’s play together as team?

Every single night!!! Ground Zero has a great bunch of guys. It’s like having a family without having to feed them. We have been around for almost 2 years now and it feels like I’ve known the guys my entire life. Would definitely die a little for them…..in Gears that is!

• Your most memorable moment in Gears?

This is a no brainer –Google Space’s epic grenade!!! It was total chaos, dogs and cats living together, riots in the streets, mass hysteria!!!! The frag in question took out all but 1 player on Waystation. Noman Kaapie would have been so proud!!! [I was witness to this and also killed in the blast, it was nothing short of EPIC!!! – Wild Zombie]

• Your favourite map?  Why?

Aar man, everybody loves to hate it but “Day One” is the gem amongst the rocks. Awesome vantage points both sides, lovely fast paced actioney map!!!! It’s the map I practice horde on daily and nightly when I’m not in the MP! Plus it’s the only map where you get a 6^th player on your side!

• What really peeves you of in a MP game of Gears?

Being left to die when I’m DBNO in Guardian. Shouting into a pillow till my next round actually helps.

• When I grow up I wanna play like…?

Like Vandal and Co, they are after all the leetest of them all!!

• When did you start gaming?

Always had an uncle or older cousin who gamed. Golden China’s were strewn through my house from a young age. My first experience though was Street Fighter 2 at the game shop on the corner that would make a gamer for almost 20 years.

• What was your first game?

Mario bros will always have a place in my heart. Everybody who is a gamer has played Mario on their 11 in 1 [for the younger readers. This was a gem to have. It was a game cartridge that had, you guessed it 11 games on! – Wild Zombie] and enjoyed it.

• Which games do you normally dominate in?

Games where nobody fights back, I don’t like confrontations really. I prefer ring toss on a Sunday afternoon.

• Favourite game of 2010 thus far?

Really enjoyed Red Dead Redemption, oh man what an awesome masterpiece!! The map (OMG) was a real eye opener of how far video games have come in the last 20 or so years!

• Gatsby – that is the question. The ultimate baguette with chips, tomatoes, lettuce, hot sauce and…. What is your flavor?!

HAHAHAHA!!!!! WOOOOO………A good ol grilled Masala Steak Gatsby with 4 pieces of mozzarella cheese, 5 eggs sunnyside up. A little Tabasco sauce, Cheese and Chives powder and hint of BBQ and Perinaise (Peri-peri powder and mayonnaise sauce strewn together). Some places add too much and then it gets a bit messy. Neatly cut into 3 pieces served with a refreshing Coke with crushed ice and a dash of lemon. [Dear Readers, this is the epiphany of Gatsby’s. I have never heard of such a masterpiece, ever! – Wild Zombie]

• Number 1 Cape Town Gatsby take away (this question is for my personal use too…)

My man I would love to say Wembley’s in Belgravia road, Athlone – but it’s this little gem in my hometown of Kensington called Fish Den!!! Nearly died from the overwhelming spices and tastes. The Steak melted like it was Flora butter!!!!! [that is where you’ll find me this weekend then… - Wild Zombie]

• Describe yourself in 5 words.

The greatest person I know

It is very clear that Ninja, the Gatsby Muncher has respect (and is an addict – 2 weeks is a long time to be playing MP) for his fellow clannies/friends in and out of Ground Zero and this portrays throughout the whole Clan and on to the rest of the Gears Clan community. If you have a Clan that plays together as much as they do, they will eventually know each other’s strong points and weak points and assist where necessary (TEC-9 comes to mind here as well). I must say, it is always a pleasure to play Ground Zero – fun, laid back and with a hint of smacktalk.

By Chris ‘spiros za’ Hartley

If ever you have found yourself playing Gears at 01:00 – 02:00 in the morning, chances are there is just one lobby going, that lobby, 90% of the time, consist of Holden, Vandal and Doc [For our international readers, we are specifically talking about a South African lobby…these three clowns are not as internationally renowned as they think they are – (Undead) Ed].  The conversation that takes place in that lobby is nothing short of “WTF are we talking about?”.

From Yo’ mama jokes right down to Holden’s undying love for TT (yes TT, he does love you and we can only imagine the children that could be spawned if you two should meet someday, somewhere…). It adds to huge entertainment and lots of fun. Holden’s quick and witty sense of humour (and killer sniper skills) makes him a firm favourite amongst the late night players…

• What is your favourite mode in Gears – Execution, Annex etc?

By far it has to be Execution, the fast pace and need to secure power weapons before the other team is what makes it the most difficult yet rewarding game type. Especially clan matches, all the way since Gears 1 it has been the most competitive mode.

• Weapon of choice?

Sniiiiiper, or the Praat Boog (aka the torque bow), no game comes close to the feeling of popping heads with either of these weapons.

• What do you think about the whole Guardian tourney that has been organized? Would you play again if one got organized?

Sure would, I’m usually keen for Gears especially when I have such sexy team mates. Must admit I’m not a big fan of Guardian. The constant re-spawning and the protection of the leader’s really frustrating.

• Who is your nemesis in Gears, that one dude that sits like a thorn in your side…?

Ooooh tough question, well there has been a few since the Gears 1 days. If could name but a few they would be Poddle, Vanilla (aka Iceprince), Evolvee irritates me (corner snipeeee) and how could we all forget about Venom and Cheeeetor!! The original sniper and torque bow specialist respectively (miss u guys *tear*)

• Complete the phrase: “ the chainsaw is….”

a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine. …

• Your most memorable moment in Gears?

There have been a few, to name two it would be. 1 – playing Gears one clan match against WYH (undefeated Gears champs). Here High 5 (My team) was 2 v 1 against MrCrammer and the next round would win the match for us. We were playing Canals and my team mate (Jut King) is in mid chainsaw by MrCrammer’s hand. So I slowly walk up right next to Crammer and stand with my shotgun in his face and wait for the chainsaw animation to end. So it finally finishes and I shoot him directly square in the chest …… he looks at me then chainsaws me a second later (we lost that match 5-4 ). Then second would be winning the Gammerlobby wingman tournament with Friedboy (Gears lover) by beating Poddle and Ognipode in the final.

• Your favourite map?  Why?

Gotta say Fuel Depot (Gears 1).  Intense Gears 1 map both for individual and clan matches. Followed closely by Canals for the same reasons.

• What really peeves you of in a MP game of Gears?

I made a video, a while back. Gears 2 headshots. You can shoot a person square in the head, then to add insult to injury blood spurts out their head?

• When I grow up I wanna play like…?

TT grrrrrrrr <3

• When did you start gaming?

I didn’t realise it but actually from a young age. I was raised on a resort and the only cool things to do was to fish and play at the arcade. My dad was the manager back in the day so I could play for free. I was kicking 16 and 18 year old asses in street fighter and Mortal combat when I was six.

• What was your first game?

Ever? Hmmm , the one that I owned first was sonic. Was actually on the Ktv show. Had to shout forward, forward, grab. Too bad the guy controlling Sonic was an idiot couldn’t jump over the piranha pool. Ever notice how unnecessary it was to yell grab on that show ??

• What is your favourite game?

Farmville.

If u haven’t left this page after I just said that you are a sad man.

But its Gears Head and (favorite shampoo) above the rest.

• What was the worst game you have ever played?
  Why the heck did you play it?

Worst game ever is one of these new Indie games, something about shooting a baby out of pregnant womens ‘you know what’ then trying to hit as many objects as possible. You can understand why I have it, but just not as fun as it sounds .

• Why the name ….?

Well its actually very complicated. Seeing as I don’t have any imagination and I’m very dull I decided my clan name should be my Surname, ‘Holden’. It actually wasn’t my first choice. I was going to go with Professor Poo, but it was taken.

• Complete the following: First Person Shooters….

usually have guns in them…

• Gaming food of choice (what keeps you going at 00:00 in the night?)

Drinking Milo, and prob being in a party with one if not all of the following:  Doc, Vandal, Friedboy and Dastrix most of the time we get some interesting conversations going. Oh how could I forget cake, lots and lots of cake (Only if vandal is not in the lobby).

• Favourite game of 2010 thus far?

Trials has been really cool, only bought arcade games this year (you guys reading this are more than welcome to donate =D ) But thats all thanks to Dastrix, guy felt bad that all I played was COD and Gears and gave me some points. Respect to you buddy.

• Your proudest gaming moment?

Winning the wingman tournie with Friedboy – such a difficult tournament against difficult opposition. But there is this little bit of magic that happens when we play together.

• Describe yourself in 5 words.

I would describe myself as

• What would you like to see in Gears of War 3?

All the people in the SA community playing the game. Bring back the oldies, we seem to play the same people and same game mode every night and it gets a bit boring. Then can Epic games actually test the game before they release it or is that too much to ask?

I doubt anyone from Epic will be reading this, but if you guys happen to, listen to what the man has to say.  Also, if you are reading this, remove the Sniper rifle and Torque Bow, so the playing field may be leveled and my head doesn’t go pop quite so constantly when playing Holden.  I sometimes think University students have way too much time on their hands to practice.

Gears of War, you continue to bring out the freaks.  And we all love freaks.  They make the game a joy to play.

By Chris ‘spiros za’ Hartley

Ever wondered what it would be like if your better half was just as much of a gaming freak as you are? We seemed to have found the perfect combination of understanding one another, knowing each other and enjoying games together (not that type guys, contain yourselves, pa-lease).

We scratched the surface on these two a bit to delve deeper into the minds of what makes a gaming couple tick and to find out what they thought about the ongoing Gears Tourney. As one can expect LittleG’s answers were short and to the point, like a man should do (we even do this when shopping…) and Shorty, well, let’s just say was a bit more “coloured in” (just the same as a woman’s way of shopping).  [Sexist male pig – Totally disgusted (Undead) Ed ]

I sent them the exact same questions, BUT, I asked them to answer in secret and not let the other one see his/her answers…Shorty in red and LittleG in blue…

• Do you guys play Gears often?

S – You could say that, lol, we play Gears almost every day!

G – I have received messages from people asking ‘do you have any other games?’ I think that should tell you, yes we play often.  Couple of nights a week at least.

• What is your favourite mode in Gears, Execution, Annex etc ?

S –  Guardian cause I can die and respawn but I hate being the leader…

G – Execution and Guardian for me.

• Weapon of choice?

S – Mah shotgun

G – Standard – Shotty (use the Hammerburst as the alternate).

Power – Usually Torque Bow is my first choice, pretty handy with a boom shot (who isn’t LOL).  Really been trying to get the hang of the Long Shot but I get more kills using it as a bat rather than a sniper so I don’t think that counts

• What do you think about the whole Guardian tourney that has been organized? Would you play again if one got organized?

S – It’s been awesome so far, lotsa fun, well done and thanks to Dredd for organizing it!! Yes I would definitely play again.

G – Organization from Dredd has been good, where stuff falls apart is between the teams themselves but that’s the norm. Would I play again? Yeah I will.

• How did it come that the BOTH of you enjoy Gears sooo much?

S – I came home from work one day just after 4pm after G had gotten Gears 2 and he asked me to help them on Horde.  So being the good (future) wife that I am, I helped him.  We only stopped playing about 6 hours later cause we were starving and had completely missed dinner!  After split screening for a while we decided that it would be best for our relationship if we got another Xbox and put another TV in the lounge

G – Gears is fun, but it’s the lobbies that make the game for me, all the banter and jokes amongst the regulars is what keeps us coming back

• Who is your nemesis in Gears, that one dude that sits like a thorn in your side…?

Shorty – Vandal!  I love having shotgun battles with him even though he owns me 9 out of 10 times!!  It’s all in good fun though, nothing serious…

G – There are lots of guys I have good battles with, none which I think are my nemesis, I would rather say there are certain connections that just don’t seem to adhere to the same rules as others…  I do like owning Doc though.

• Do you have to sleep on the couch if you’ve pawned your partner when not in the same team?

S – Lol no, G does sometimes gets dagger looks and the occasional smack when he deliberately comes after me and keeps killing me… maybe some choice words and threats too if he double smacks deliberately and lays down some serious law

G – I would have to have a comfy couch if that was the case haha!

• Complete the phrase: “the chainsaw is….”

S – awesome every now and again and good for a laugh

G – Good for a laugh every once in a while, but it gets old quick.

• Do you think you two work good as a team on and off the battlefield?

S – In Gears (specifically Wingman) I would say not so much because we have different styles of playing but it’s getting better Off the field, definitely, especially in a game like 30 seconds cause were on the same wave length and understand each other.

G – Not actually, we have very different playing styles and they do not complement each other so we tend to actually get each other killed more often than not.  This tends to raise the tension and compound the problem.  Off the field it’s not much different with us having different views on how to get stuff done, but we know how to work around our differences.

• Any pointers for other guys wanting to get their better half to join them?

S –  I think that it would be more difficult to get your other half to join you if they are not really a gamer to begin with, so I would suggest doing something with them that they like or enjoy first and then asking them to join you in playing.  If they are a gamer you could try that as well by first playing a game they like or just rope them in unsuspectingly like G did to me!!

G – Don’t do it!

Just kidding, fun times can be had but be warned it can get frustrating and cause tension…

• When did you start gaming?

S – When I was 4 or 5 – my sisters let me play on their Atari and then I got my own console which was some Japanese family game station thingy with tiny little controllers and no way to save!!  I still have it packed away Lol

G – Atari at friends, very easy basic PC games in late 80’s, Generic SNES was my first console back in the early 90’s.

• Why the name Shorty?

S – Because I’m short…… 1.51m tall – been called Shorty all my life, even some teachers and coaches knew me by that name

• Why the name Little GSA?

G – LittleG has been my forum nick for many years, G is the first letter of my surname. Before wising up on the forum about getting past region restrictions I created a tag L1TTL36 under South Africa but it has never been used as a result.  So I then settled on just going with LittleGSA, not thinking that it should have been ZA rather than SA.

• Gaming food of choice (what keeps you going at 00:00 in the night)?

S –  Coffee or Coke and Pizza!!

G – Pizza rocks, but I hate greasy controllers so I try not eat and play at the same time, Shorty has on occasion fed me mid race (FM3) which has resulted in some interesting times.

• Describe yourself in 5 words.

S –  Short, loud, friendly, honest, perfectionist

G – Easy go lucky that’s me

• OK, how good do you know each other, what is Shorty/Little G’s  fave colour?

S – (Mine is) Blue, G’s (is) Grey

G – Shorty’s (is) Blue, (mine is) Grey/Silver

• Favourite food?

S – I have lots but probably tuna-chips, steak, egg and chips and pasta! All lekker and fattening!! G –  Jardinera – probably spelt wrong but it’s a Porra Stew and Lasagna

G – Shorty Steak egg and Chips.  Mine – Jardineira Portuguese dish, stew type meal.

• Favourite holiday spot?

S – Anywhere hot by the sea , Mozambique and I loved Paris!!  G – Mozambique or London  - Planning to go to Thailand on Honeymoon so this might change soon!!

G – S – Anywhere with a Beach and a Pool.  Mine – Much the same, Mozambique rocks.

• How did you two meet? Was it love at first sight or “ugh, what a nerd”?

S – We met on a street corner, lol – I kid you not!!  I was walking home from a friend’s house one Sunday afternoon and G and another guy came riding past on their BMXs with a mutual friend, (we were 15 so no cars yet!) so obviously we stopped to chat for a bit and there was an instant attraction.  Yes it was like love at first sight even though we only managed to get together a couple of months later.  And we have been together ever since which is over 11 years now

G – On a street corner, seriously.  She stayed across the road from one of my best mates house, we were riding our bikes while she was walking home and the rest is as they say history.

As I went through these answers and edited them for Zombiegamer (my boss is a perfectionist, hey Clint?! – [I am…(Undead) Ed]) I could not help but notice how alike Shorty and G are. You can see why they get along so well and enjoy each other’s company so much, they just click and know each other personally! I’m sure there are a fair few amount of guys jealous of G for having such a cool soon-to-be wife that likes to game just as much as he does. It is a sad fact that gaming is dominated by guys…but the girls are starting to pull through. Who knows, your future dream girlfriend could be PWNing you in your favourite game….

On an ending note, Rui and Cheri, a huge congratulations again on your future wedding and we all hope you two will grow old and happy together!

By Chris ‘spiros za’ Hartley

The Gears tourney is well underway and so far, a great success. There was a little bump to get over last week due to the SEACOM cable being down, but that did not deter or dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.

This being said, no matches took place last week and some teams are doing some double time this week to make up for lost time, plus, it’s FUN! A quick wrap up for the first two rounds and this is what happened.  In the first round OAP [PP] was put down by those crazy, lovable guys from SOC. OAP [NN] had a good clash against GZ, but GZ got the better of them in the end.  Then, in a bit of an upset match, the underdogs CP beat SC! Watch out for them guys, it seems they have a couple of moves up their lancers and shotties! SC bounced back against OAP [NN] and put them in place and in need of their Nurses… In a bit of a controversial match, WAS vs. VbD, WAS came out tops. There was a bit of hoo-ha about lag and some guys were not happy about it. VbD graciously stepped back and gave WAS the win – good on you guys. Then, in a match two teams were looking forward to OAP [NN] and OAP [PP] took to the cyber world for some Gears fun. [NN] beat [PP] convincingly, but it was an OAP lobby, and everyone is a winner in an OAP lobby (I’m still licking wounds and need to stay positive…).

I tracked down Vandal and he was none the happier to answer some questions for Zombiegamer. Let it also be said that T3CH-9 has been crowned COD champs, again… Congrats guys, no easy feat, or was it?! Let’s see what Vandal had to say about the COD tourney and how is finding the Gears tourney so far…

• Firstly, congrats on winning the DOgaming league! How does it feel to be champs twice in a row now?

Feels great. Anti-climatic, though, because it’s an online achievement and doesn’t really translate into the real world well, and we didn’t get any prizes. L

• Was the competition tougher than last year? Who do you reckon was the toughest team you guys played?

The competition was tougher last year owing to the fact that it was Hardcore rules and people were taken out very easily by someone in a corner, so I guess it made games tougher. I guess for this tournament BoW(Special forces) was the toughest on one map because of the map (said this quite a few times), otherwise it was a pretty straight forward tourney for us. After all, in all the games we only dropped 4 rounds total (3 SND and 1 Demolition), which is nothing really.

• What makes T3CH-9 so good?

Well, obviously highly skilled players but that only gets you so far. We like playing with each other and we communicate well. I guess over the past year we have really bonded as a clan so we feed off each other well in games.

• Most importantly, did you guys have fun?

Oh yes, always fun pwning newbs lol

• Obviously you guys will play next year when COD 27 is out?

Personally CoD is kinda boring at the moment, I haven’t played in a week. Some haven’t played any CoD since the tournament, others have gone as far as to break their disc. We’ll be playing in any tournaments with PRIZES though.

• Right, onto the Gears tourney – do you play Gears often?

I play gears a reasonable amount, the only other guy that really plays gears in tech9 is my baby DoC 1471. Other than him the guys don’t really bother with it. I’m sure I’ve made you rage a few times in Gears 2.

• I unfortunately need to ask this, what happened against CP the other night? (I’m gonna take some notes and use it later on…)

Well, I’m not playing with mah niggahs, Tech-9, in the Gears tournament so the side still has to work on communication. DoC and I have it down. CP played to win at all costs – sitting back with lansers etc – they had a gameplan, we on the other hand did not L I’m playing this Gears tournament for fun, not try-harding or anything like that. We have a beast in our team, though, in the form of Holden.

• What is your favourite mode in Gears, Execution, Annex etc?

I like Execution , Gaurdian and Wingman the others I don’t really care for.

• Weapon of choice?

B Button

• What do you think about the whole Guardian tourney that has been organized? Would you play again if one got organized?

It’s fine. We have a spaza leader named Dastrix that wants to organize 1 match every 2 weeks, so it’s kinda boring atm. But I’d play any Gears tournament because the people in general tend to just have fun playing.

• Who do you think is the team to beat in the Tourney?

Honestly, I don’t even know who makes up the other teams playing, so ignorance/arrogance I’d say THE SHOTGUN CLOWNS, baby!

• How did Shotgun Clowns come to be?

When a mommy clown and a daddy clown get together for a night of sexy time a clown is born a few days later. We beast like that.

• Do you guys follow a strategy or just play for the sake of it? Does each team member have a specific job?

At the moment we really don’t have any strats, but I’m sure papa Holden will make sure we do for the next match, he was none too pleased when we got beaten by CP

• Who is your nemesis in Gears, that one dude that sits like a thorn in your side…?

I hate everyone equally, but I guess any player who is really garbage but thinks he’s good because of a dodgy connection.

• Do you use the term “wooosaaaa” a lot when playing Gears?

Nah, I just straight up rage, I don’t care who’s listening. Mute me if you like, the rage must come out!

• Why the name Vandal?

Honestly, it’s not something I thought up. When I first decided to get on Live I was playing the racing game GRID, and in that game you can choose call signs, and I saw the name Vandal and it caught my eye. The rest is history.

• Megan Fox or the title “Best gamer in SA”?

Megan Fox looks like a Thai hooker.

• Describe yourself in 5 words.

I, Am, Better, Than, You.

• Any pearls of wisdom?

Get on my Level, lol nah. Play on Live for fun, not to be the best, or it will only make your experience frustrating. If everyone just played for fun, and some seemed to be better, then c’est la vie but everyone is having fun. Playing to be the best is lame, after all, it has no affect on your real life.

• Complete the phrase: “the chainsaw is….”

“the chainsaw is….AWESOME YAY YAY YAY AWESOME YAY”

There you have it then, from the prize loving COD champ. Let’s hope T3CH-9 stays in the COD scene, not playing for a week is worrying!!! The COD scene without T3CH-9 is, well, it’s just not COD! Holden (aka the El Capitan of SC) seems to have a grip on the clowns, how he does it, I do not know, but it worked against OAP [NN]. It looks like they (SC) just needed to settle in with one another, get to know each other’s play style, some tactics and Holden’s iron fist to whip them into shape. Shotgun Clowns are definite contenders in this tourney, they just needed to fill those huge, funny shoes they wear…

By Chris ‘spiros za’ Hartley

Come one, come all.  This is where it is going down for the next 9 weeks! Seeing as DOgaming/AGASA failed to think of the “other” shooter game aka Gears of War (yes, there is another shooter besides COD), one of our community members and boss man of OAP, Clint O’Shea aka dreddsix6six, has taken it upon himself to organise a local Gears Of War 2 tournament for the diehard fans.  There was a huge response, some well known names came to the game and some new names popped up and a total of 10 teams will battle it out in a point-a-game ladder for the next 9 weeks with the top two teams to play in a final to determine a winning team.

This week, we have the big cheese, Clint under the spotlight and asked him a few questions about his thoughts/feelings regarding the Gears Guardian League taking place.  This is what he had to say…

How long have you been playing Gears 2?  Do you still enjoy it?

I’ve been playing it since it was released in, erm, when was it released again?  Seems like forever… In fact, it is the first game I ever played online on my 360.  Got introduced to its wonders and promptly got destroyed by players much better than me.  I still hate the bloody game…

What made you decide to organise a tourney?

Too many drugs (that’s a joke, conservative readers)…and the lack of a Gears Tournament from DoGaming.  The Gears community seemed to want one and last year, I (mostly) enjoyed AGASA.  Myself and Sinisterhealer (from SoC) each organised a Wingman tourney last year, and the support was great, so my (alter) ego got the better of me and I thought I could do something bigger and better this year…

Was working out and organising schedules harder than you thought?

It is a little more work than I thought it would be, but I am a little bit of a control freak, so want everything neat and organised.  I am just waiting for someone to burst that bubble – then I’ll cry in the corner.

Were you glad at the initial response of willing players/teams?  Did you expect it?

I am pleasantly surprised with the response.  Originally, I was expecting around 5 teams to enter, but the number is now 10, and it’s been awesome to see a lot of new faces (and some old ones too) taking part.  The Gears regulars seemed to generally get behind it from the start and the support came flooding in…except from the sponsors.

Would you organise something like this again in the near future?

Absolutely.  I have a greater vision for the release of Gears 3 that will be based on this format, but run for a longer period.  Essentially, imagine a Premier League of Gears.  Home and Away games(each team plays each other twice, each one hosts).  3 points for a win.  1 point for a draw (even number of maps rather than an odd number).  Four to six months.  And hopefully a decent sponsorship.

I’m clearly taking too many drugs…

Who do you think are the main contenders to take number one spot in this tourney?  Why do you reckon so?

Any team I play for…

Originally I thought SoC and Shotgun Clowns would be the top two sides, and I still think that might be the case.  Both were great performers in last year’s AGASA and have some very skillful players.  However, I think a dark horse in the tourney is Capital Punishment – they beat the Clowns in their game, so who knows?  Of course, there are OAP’s two sides, but their performance is dependent on a lot of factors.  Have they taken their Salusa 45?  Have they had enough sleep before the match?  Have they had enough to drink?

Obviously, the newer guys might come along and surprise us all (it happened in the soccer this year), so I think it’s actually a tough one to call.

Seeing as you will be playing a lot of Gears for the next err, month or 2, do you reckon you will still have some love left for Gears?

See my answer to the first question…I hate the game…I like the chainsaw tho’.  Makes me feel like a man.  A homicidal man, but a man none the less.  Although, I have now overplayed ‘Barbie Fashion Show’ on the PC, so, I think I’ll still find time for the COGs.

I will admit after AGASA last year, I really (seriously) hated the game for a while.  Then I got grenade tagged by a team mate one fun night, and I found my passion again.

Based on your thoughts and the response you got from the community do you think another successful tourney could be held?

Yes.  And yes again.  It’s the community support that makes this sort of thing successful.  Yeah, some mug organises a few games, pretends he has a handle on everything, but if people don’t want to play, then there’s nothing to organise – and the people clearly want to play.  So a mug is needed.  I’m your mug.  Cheers.

So there you have it, straight from the man himself.  He seems a bit of a control freak, but in a good way.  Keeping tabs on 10 teams, scores, games to be played and who vs who, I think a control freak is needed for such events.  It makes the Gears community proud to know there are still guys out there that want to make the game fun for other people.  Big ideas such as the Gears Premier League is what keeps a community driving for more.  If you are a regular, such as myself, to the Gears lobbies, you may have noticed that running up to the actual Guardian Tourney how many people have started to play again.  A month ago you where lucky to fill up a lobby, 2 weeks ago you where lucky to get into one of the 5 lobbies already going!!!  So social events like these do pull the players together to want more and have fun while doing so…

All I can say is….Clint, we salute you!

Zombiegamer is very proud be associated with the upcoming Gears of War 2 Guardian League which is starting July the 1st.

The League will run over eight weeks and will feature some of the clans and players from the AGASA Gears of War 2 Tournament last year, as well as some of the champs from the X360 MW2 DoGaming Tournament this year.  All are quite capable of using a chainsaw and having a laugh while doing so.

Zombiegamer will be covering the games, players and teams as the matches progress, and you will be able to keep up to date right here.

Good luck to all the participants…and I will be seeing most of you at the end of my Lancer…