National Gaming Day keeps getting bigger and better on gtsystem!
The Rock Band High Score contest included 14 events on or around National Gaming Day and 70 performances were scored. This year, most libraries included the song that each band played, allowing for per-song leaderboards! The top ten included bands from Skokie Public Library (IL), Hunterdon County Library (NJ), Pittsfield Public Library (MA), Aurora Public Library (CO), and gtsystem’s home team in Ann Arbor, MI.
The online Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament featured 42 libraries from across the US attempting to connect and play each other online. While gtsystem held up like a champ this year, many libraries were knocked out by firewall problems or had to quit as their libraries closed. However, Giles County Public Library (Pulaski, TN), Turtle Lake Public Library (Turtle Lake, WI), Detroit Public Library (Detroit, MI), Bondurant Community Library (Bondurant, IA), Madrid Public Library (Madrid, IA), Sanger Public Library (Sanger, TX), Garland County Library (Hot Springs, AR), Ann Arbor District Library (Ann Arbor, MI) and Bondurant Community Library (Bondurant, IA) all advanced to the quarterfinals before the momentum was stymied by connection trouble and short time. However, players across the country still had fun being a part of something big.
Next year, the Brawl bracket will be back for another iteration with a simpler structure, more connection testing, and a different approach to making it happen in 4 time zones at once. You can see some of the event recorded on gtsystem’s ustream page at http://www.ustream.tv/gtsystem [inactive], although be forewarned there is quite a bit of downtime in the video as we were trying to get matches together. Regardless, this idea is still an exciting one to players and staff alike, and the challenges of coordination and connectivity just make it that much more important to do it more often!
See you all in the bracket on November 13, 2010!