Monthly Archives: November 2019

Esports

Call of Duty league to come to Orlando for Mutineers home game

Leave a comment

One of two events hosted by Florida’s Call of Duty League franchise, The Mutineers, will take place in Orlando, the league announced on Monday.

On April 11 and 12, the league’s Week 10 will bring the Seattle Surge, Atlanta Faze, Paris Legion, Toronto Ultra and New York Subliners to Orlando for in-season clashes.

Each team will play 22 matches during the regular season, which will conclude in a postseason tournament sometime after the final July 25 and 26 weekend, which will be hosted in Miami.

Continue reading Call of Duty league to come to Orlando for Mutineers home game →
YouTube

Watch: Final Fantasy VI medley by The Returners at Ongaku Overdrive

2 Comments

Want to hear a rock band perform a medley of Final Fantasy VI songs?

Of course you do.

The Returners are a rock band from Austin, Texas, that specializes in covers of video game songs.

They have done their treatment on game music from titles including Legend of Zelda and Ico.

On Saturday, they were one of four bands to perform at The Abbey in Orlando during Ongaku Overdrive, a salute to Final Fantasy music.

Continue reading Watch: Final Fantasy VI medley by The Returners at Ongaku Overdrive →
News

‘Nerdcore’ concert in Orlando a Final Fantasy homage

3 Comments

Lauren Liebowitz was perhaps destined to be in a band, since her mother was a piano teacher.

But the lead singer of The Returners likely couldn’t imagine as a young girl that her dad’s video game obsession would also play into her music career.

The Austin, Texas, based band specializes in “nerdcore,” playing cover songs of the music in popular video games like Majora’s Mask, Ico and the Final Fantasy series.

“Everything we play is because one of us loves it,” Liebowitz told The OVG on Saturday. “We are doing this because we love it.”

Watch: Final Fantasy VI medley by The Returners at Ongaku Overdrive

The Returners were one of four bands to perform at The Abbey on Saturday for Ongaku Overdrive, a celebration of performers who specialize in video game music covers.

Continue reading ‘Nerdcore’ concert in Orlando a Final Fantasy homage →
YouTube

Watch: the Orlando guy who builds video games into wine caskets

1 Comment

Darrin Yesbeck’s idea for a video game machine embedded into wine casks was popular on Saturday, when the Orlando entrepreneur showed off Barrel of Kong at Maker Faire Orlando.

His exhibit saw a steady stream of visitors and passersby couldn’t seem to pass by without at least commenting about how cool they thought it was.

Continue reading Watch: the Orlando guy who builds video games into wine caskets →
News

REPORT: Orlando man makes video game machines out of wine, whiskey barrels

Leave a comment

Donkey Kong would be proud.

An Orlando man will be part of the annual Orlando Maker Faire this weekend showing off video game machines he has made out of wine and whiskey barrels, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Darrin Yesbeck, 45, got the idea after staying up late with his daughter while on vacation playing Pac-Man.

He enjoyed the bonding so much, he built his first cabinet when he returned home.

Continue reading REPORT: Orlando man makes video game machines out of wine, whiskey barrels →
YouTube

Orlando video game devs: You need thick skin … and a lot of assets

Leave a comment

Orlando video game developers Caris Frazier-Baker and Brian Stabile have been working two years to bring their jai alai game to life.

That has meant an aggressive and tireless promotional effort, which has put them on the floor of video game conferences across the U.S.

What have they learned by going through this process with Jai Alai Heroes? The OVG asked them.

Continue reading Orlando video game devs: You need thick skin … and a lot of assets →
Interviews

From Atari 2600 to rapping about Final Fantasy VII. A chat with Mega Ran.

1 Comment

It started with the Atari 2600.

A young Raheem Jarbo sat in his living room in Philadelphia, gobbling up pellets in Pac Man and jumping pits and running the jungles of Pitfall.

That became an obsession with the Super Nintendo and then PlayStation, which ultimately led to Final Fantasy VII, as it often did.

Now, Raheem Jarbo, AKA Mega Ran, travels the country performing his rap songs based on the giant video game franchise.

In a far-reaching interview, we talked about his obsession with the game and some of his rap influences.

Continue reading From Atari 2600 to rapping about Final Fantasy VII. A chat with Mega Ran. →
Events

Pac Man maze coming to Orlando next year

Leave a comment

If you have ever wanted to be chased through a maze by Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde – and who among us hasn’t? – the folks at Orlando Weekly shared some news that should get you excited.

A real-life Pac Man maze will come to Orlando next October as part of a newly created attraction.

It will put players in a layout similar to the popular video game, with the goal being to navigate the maze and collect fruit along the way.

Continue reading Pac Man maze coming to Orlando next year →
News

3 industry pros receive Full Sail hall of fame nods

1 Comment

Three video game professionals were among the six Full Sail University alumni named to the Winter Park school’s Hall of Fame class of 2019.

Erin Eberhardt of Blizzard Entertainment, sound designer Mark Kilborn and Insomniac Games’ head of technology Shaun McCabe will be inducted in a March ceremony.

Continue reading 3 industry pros receive Full Sail hall of fame nods →
News

Game-a-thon at Full Sail sails past $10K goal for Arnold Palmer Hospital

Leave a comment
Extra Life’s Full Sail University event raised more than $10,000.

WINTER PARK – A charity video gaming event at Full Sail University sailed past its $10,000 goal on Saturday evening and exceeded $12,000 raised for Arnold Palmer Hospital.

More than 500 gamers spent a portion of a 25-hour period that ended at about 8 a.m. on Sunday playing video games after soliciting donations from fans and friends.

“We are grateful for any support we can get but this taps into a group of individuals that sometimes get overlooked,” Stephen Dinon, Arnold Palmer Hospital’s manager of corporate partnerships, told The OVG. “We are excited that they have engaged and are just going with it.”

Continue reading Game-a-thon at Full Sail sails past $10K goal for Arnold Palmer Hospital →