Gamestaq

E-sports have reached a new level of legitimacy, a place from which there is no turning back.  They’ve invaded the bars!

A group people gathered in Denton, TX  to watch Major League Gaming’s event in Raleigh, NC from August.



The first generation of Nintendo lovers is well past legal drinking age and it was only a matter of time before they gathered en masse, plugged a laptop in to a giant flatscreen TV and started watching video game competitions in a watering hole for all to enjoy.

The rising popularity of games like Call of Duty, Halo, Super Smash Bros. and Starcraft 2 have given way to competitive leagues with hundreds of thousands of viewers.  And Starcraft 2’s massive popularity in South Korea is spreading to the US and Europe.  Over the past six months Korean players even graced our soil to compete in Major League Gaming competitions (where they inevitably took all of the top spots on the podium).

The latest phenomenon in competitive gaming is cutely labeled ‘Barcraft’, after Starcraft 2, the game that started the trend.  Fans of this competitive, real-time strategy game are meeting up in bars all over the United States to watch live-streamed competitive events.  Most of these gatherings are scheduled around Major League Gaming (the largest competitive league in the US) or GSL (the largest competitive gaming league in South Korea) tournaments.  These mini-events are gathering so much steam that the Wall Street Journal even wrote a piece on them last month!

Fans gathered to watch the competition at MLG Anaheim in August.


For those who are hesitant to watch a gaming tournament, the competitions run just like any other sporting event, with top players competing and advancing in a bracket system, eventually crowning a champion at tournament’s conclusion.  And play-by-play commentators make it easy to follow the action.

And it’s not just Starcraft!  If the games you enjoy have a competitive mode, there’s probably a tournament out there somewhere!  SO if you’re interested in starting up a Bacraft event, head on over to the official Barcrafting page at Reddit.com.    There you can find out if there’s an event in your area and get advice for setting up your own.  Game on!

Every game you play has some strange little quirk that you know shouldn’t be there.  While most of these are harmless, sometimes they are fatal, or hilarious, or even beneficial.  Here’s a list of 10 of the best gaming glitches ever found.  We start out with one of the funniest ever found…

Grand Theft Auto IV – Swing O’Doom

Who would have thought the most dangerous area of Liberty City was the park?

World of Warcraft – Mount Hyjal

The World of Warcraft is a giant place.  In it, Blizzard put certain zones not intended for the playing public, but many were discovered through innovative tricks.  This video shows you how to get to Mount Hyjal (since patched).  These ‘out of world’ glitches pop up all the time, like this GM Island glitch.  GM Island, Karazhan Crypts and Old Ironforge are some of the areas discovered by overly-adventurous players.  Be ware, though, accessing these restricted areas usually results in a ban!

Also check out, the Corrupted Blood Incident!

Donkey Kong Kill Screen

Steve Wiebe-currently in second place in the Donkey Kong world record race-getting a kill screen after breaking the world record in 2010.  A kill screen results when the games code dysfunctions, typically after playing well beyond what the original programmers of these old games thought humanly possible or attaining a level beyond the memory limit of the hardware.

Diablo – Item Duping

This glitch eventually equipped everyone who played the game with a duped version of some hacked item that was completely unbalanced.  For any one going back to play this game before Diablo 3 comes out that wants to try this, “you pick an item in your inventory, and drop it on the ground. Walk away from it. Click on the item on the ground, and before your character picks it up -- left-click any item in your belt.”

Halo Backpack Reload

Backpack Reload was one of the first Halo glitches ever discovered, and one of the most useful.  All you did was hit reload twice then switched to your secondary weapon.  That weapon reloads in your “backpack” while you use the other one.  Other great Halo glitches that Bungie did not embrace in subsequent titles were the double melee, bxr, and double shot.

Quake – Strafe Jumping

This video explains very simply how to achieve the strafe jump, a glitch first discovered in Quake 1 and purposefully left in subsequent titles.  Mastering this maneuver results in significantly increased movement speeds and is mandatory to compete at higher levels.  Undoubtedly one of the most famous and useful glitches in gaming history!  (The lesser known FPS tribes had a similar, perhaps even cooler, glitch called skiing.  Read about it or watch it in action at 3:50.)

Quake – Rocket Jumping

iD Software really embraces community discoveries.  Rocket jumping led to all sorts of incredible trick jumping feats, reaching its heights in Quake 3.  Here’s a basic video from Quake Live’s rocket jump training area, but definitely go check out Team Event Horizon in action to see just how creative people get with this awesome glitch.

Big Rig  -- Faster Than the Speed of Light

This may be the worst reviewed games ever, but the fact that this glitch allowed you to break all currently known laws of physics, I think they deserve some sort of award.

Pokemon – MissingNo.

One of the most famous glitches in history, and a rather complicated one, too.  Go here (and read the video’s description) to read about MissingNo. and all of the other quirks that result from it.

Super Smash Bros. Melee – Master Hand

We end the list with a glitch so complex to perform it’s unimaginable how anyone figured it out.  And it added a playable character to the game years after its release.  Amazing!


If you’ve ever loved a game, there’s probably some glitch in it you never discovered.  A quick youtube search almost always yields some fascinating results, so if you’re not satisfied with these ten there’s an infinity of videos out there to keep your busy.

Apparently today is National Video Games day. A random internet site claims it to be on Sept 12th every year, and that’s good enough for us to eat cake. 50 cakes that is. No lie, here are our 50 favorite video game inspired cakes.

Link/Zelda Cake Topper

Link and Zelda might be action figures in this one, but it’s far from a half-baked attempt.

Mii Chocolates

These party favors are clever, and surely got a rise out of the guests.

Pac-Man Cake Topper

I don’t remember them having legs, but I guess I’ll gateauver it.

Ultimate Mario Wedding Cake

This cake is raisin the standard for video game cakes. Look here for more close-ups and to see what all is going on.

Mii Cake Toppers

These toppers should rise to the occasion.

Link/Zelda Cupcake Pixels

Cupcakes make excellent pixels, I don’t give a daim what you think.

Metal Gear Cretaceous

Wheat a minute, I didn’t know Metal Gear had dinosaurs…

Pac-Man Cabinet

This one is so epic, I doughnut want to eat it!

Rock Band Drumset

I d’éclair a rock band duel.

PS3 etc

There are tons of cakes in the shapes of all sorts of consoles, but we chose this one because of the extra crêpe on the table.

Read More »

Gears of War 3 is less than two weeks away (Sept 20th), but you can already start unlocking weapons by playing GoW 1 and 2 and completing certain tasks and achievements in those games.  We’ve broken out the ones you can unlock from each game, so get to fragging and you’ll have a spiffy unique-ish gun to tote on launch day.

Gears of War

• Chrome Lancer – Earn the highest point score and complete a ranked match.
• Chrome Retro Lancer - Complete at least ten co-op chapters as Dom. Works on any difficulty.
• Chrome Sawed-Off Shotgun PC VERSION ONLY: Have earned any one of the Achievements in the PC version of the original Gears of War.
• Gold Sawed-Off Shotgun Beat the game on Insane difficulty. (Also, if you earn the Gears of War 2 Achievement “Veteran Gear” you will unlock all gold skins.)

Gears of War 2

• Chrome Hammerburst – Complete at least ten waves of Horde Mode. Works on any difficulty.
• Gold Lancer – Own the “Epic Edition” of Gears of War 2, (if you had it in Gears of War 2, you’ll have it in Gears of War 3.) OR get the “Veteran Gear” Achievement in Gears of War 2. (Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only))
• Gold Hammerburst – “Veteran Gear” Achievement in Gears of War 2. (Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only)
• Gold Gnasher – “Veteran Gear” Achievement in Gears of War 2. (Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only) – Also, you can get the Gold Gnasher by playing an online match during the first week after Gears of War 3′s launch.

Misc

• Chrome Gnasher – Complete the single-player campaigns for all three Gears of War games. Works on any difficulty.

(make sure you have the campaigns from 1 and 2 completed, then finish 3 when it comes out)

• Liquid Metal Lancer – Purchase the GoW 3 DLC Season Pass.

You can pick up Gears of War 1 and 2 for super cheap at Gamestaq, just in time to unlock the goodies for the Sept 20th Gears of War 3 launch.

Remember when you beat that game after months of toil and felt on top of the world?  Well there’s nothing to squash such elation than to see someone else make it look easy.  Really, really, really easy.  Here is a list of ten mind-blowing speed runs.  Almost all of these were found using the SpeedDemosArchive.com.  Many thanks to them for their amazing database containing over 650 games!  Here are ten of our favorite runs, each one as slick as the next.

Portal

DemonStrate is now tackling Portal 2.  Go to his YouTube channel to keep up with his progress.
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Do you love gaming, perhaps so much that you have a hard time finding the time to read more? Try combining the two! Here are 5 very different books, all about video games in one way or another.

This Gaming Life

by Jim Rossignol

An uplifting true story about one man’s bold decision to go learn about the games that he loves, in the countries where they are most popular, after being fired from his job as a finance reporter for his obsession with a game. That fateful day of his firing was, to him, “… the best thing that ever happened to me.” A delightful, short read that teaches one how a passionate hobby can change life for the better.

Game Boys

by Michael Kane

Michael Kane followed two of the top US Counter-Strike teams in their quest to win the Cyberathlete Professional League, a now defunct professional video game circuit. It’s an insightful sports biography and definitely a worthwhile read, especially for anyone who wants to know more about the often-misunderstood world of professional video gaming.

Replay: The History of Video Games

by Tristan Donovan

The most comprehensive history of video games out there right now. It starts at the beginning and ends in 2010. There aren’t many authoritative histories of our beloved medium available yet, and authors like Donovan add legitimacy and legacy to the paradigm. Anyone who has played games will find something to enjoy in this book. If history is your thing, also check out Steven Kent’s The Ultimate History of Video Games. For a comprehensive look in to the personalities behind the games, check out Harold Goldberg’s All Your Place Are Belong to Us.

Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

This recently released sci-fi novel mixes gamer-friendly pop culture references with a compelling story juxtaposing protagonist Wade Watts’ bleak everyday existence with his quest to unlock the fortune of the inventor of Oasis, a vast virtual world where earthlings pass most of their time. Think of it as a cross between Willy Wonka, The Matrix, and World of Warcraft. It’s a classic sci-fi romp that received praise from many reputable outlets. If you’re a fan of this genre, also check out Neuromancer, Snowcrash and Number9Dream.

Reality is Broken

by Jane McGonigal

Reality is Broken is a thoroughly researched piece of non-fiction that argues why games are healthy and good for us. She gives you many “rules to live by,” practical maxims for maintaining a healthy relationship with video games. A great book to video game wary parents.

Video game literature grows by the day. If you love to play games, reading about them is a great way to gain a new perspective on the activity.

There’s nothing better than getting to play a game you are excited about early! There are a ton of betas going on all the time that give you the opportunity to test out upcoming games. Here’s a list of some of the most highly anticipated Betas over the next few months. Keep in mind, as with most betas, you aren’t guaranteed access, but putting your name down is the only way to get in for most gamers.

Battlefield 3

When: September
How to Get In: Medal of Honor Limited Edition, Pre-Order

The BF3 Open Beta reportedly begins early September. It will be multiplayer only and feature one, maybe a few more, multiplayer maps. The game comes out in October 25, 2010 so this beta won’t last too long.

If you bought Medal of Honor Limited Edition last year, you already have early access to the BF3 beta. If you didn’t do this, simply pre-order the game on Origin (EA’s online store) and you’ll get a free early access beta code. For a little more info, go here.

Battlefield 3 Alpha Multiplayer Gameplay

Read More »

Starting next Tuesday, August 23rd, the wonderful world of video games will be unleashing a non-stop holiday barrage of gaming goodness that will not let up until November 15th. Every single week there are AAA titles releasing, and many upcoming Tuesdays have more than one. Below you’ll find a list of all the most important games that will be coming out each week in either handy list form or easy to digest calendar form. So take a peek and plot out your holiday season wisely. Keep in mind you can sell these off for top trade-in value at Gamestaq, and nab yourself $38 just in time to pick up the next.
Calendar available at bottom

August

23rd
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – PS3/PC/360
Street Fighter 3: Third Strike – XBLA/PSN

30th
Madden 12 – PS3/360/PSP/PS2/Wii/DS
Bodycount – PS3/360

September

6th
Dead Island – PS3/360/PC
Resistance 3 – PS3
Driver San Francisco – PS3/PC/360/Wii
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – PS3/360/PC
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten – PS3

9th
Star Fox 64 3D – 3DS

13th
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad – PC
NHL 12 – PS3/360

20th
Gears of War 3 – 360
Resident Evil 4 HD – XBLA/PSN

27th
FIFA Soccer 12 – 360/PS3/PC/Wii/PSP/PS2/3DS
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection – PS3
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 – 360/PS3/PC/Wii/PSP/PS2/3DS
X-Men Destiny – 360/PS3/Wii/DS

October

4th
Rage – 360/PS3/PC
Dark Souls – PS3/360
NBA 2K12 – 360/PS3/PC/PS2/WII/PSP

11th
Forza Motorsport 4 – 360
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record – 360/PS3/PC
Rocksmith – 360/PS3/PC
Just Dance 3 – Wii/PS3/360

18th
Batman: Arkham City – 360/PS3/PC
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One – PS3

25th
Battlefield 3 – 360/PS3/PC
Silent Hill: Downpour – PS3/360

November

1st
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – 360/PS3/PC
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – PS3

8th
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 360/PS3/PC
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection – 360/PS3

11th
Elder Scrolls V – 360/PS3/PC

15th
Need For Speed: The Run – 360/PS3/PC
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – 360/PS3/PC
Saints Row: The Third – 360/PS3/PC
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary – 360
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – 360/PS3

2011 is more than halfway over, but the biggest games of the year are just now starting to line up and are getting ready to make our heads spin and our wallets empty.  We’ve picked the biggest 10 games rounding out the rest of the year and listed them in order of release date.  Use the below list to figure out what you need to pick up and when, and make sure to grab them for $40 or less at Gamestaq to avoid breaking the bank.

DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION (AUGUST 23^rd)

2027.  Humans merging with technology.  You are Adam Jenson, you are augmented with technology without consent and pissed off about it. Using your new powers you must find out who did this to you and make them pay.

Adam’s newfound abilities are the beauty of the new Deus Ex: they empower him to engage the world in an aggressive manner (i.e. kill everything in your path) or an intelligent one (i.e. go stealth mode).  With options at every turn, the choices you make in this Human Revolution dramatically change its outcome.  Jenson’s abilities change over time and experience points allow for weapon and equipment upgrades.  This game looks to be the perfect mixture of non-stop action with rewarding RPG elements, and it comes out soon.

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Gamestaq member SteinlageT called in to the most recent OXM Podcast to let listeners know how awesome Gamestaq is for buying and selling your games! While the hosts might have had some trouble pronouncing the q at the end of our name, it sounds like they were into the idea of gamers not giving all their money away to the retail giants marking everything up! SteinlageT calls in at the 49:00 mark, feel free to listen to the whole cast or jump to that spot below.

or listen here…


We’d like to give a shoutout to OXM for taking the call, and if you guys have any questions about potential “scams”, remember that the Gamestaq Guarantee ensures that you will get your game with the original box, manual, and fully playable disc, or your money back.