All posts by Marco Santana

I was a tech journalist for more than 10 years. Now, I'm writing about the things I have built a passion for in that time.
News

Mutineers’ Call of Duty roster features most-recent world champion

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The Florida Mutineers will have some decorated firepower for the upcoming season of the Call of Duty World League.

Preston “Prestinni” Sanderson, who has earned $1.4 million in Call of Duty World League prize money since July, will lead a squad that also includes a two-time Halo world champion and three Call of Duty veterans.

The team will be led by coach Ricky “Atura” Lugo and general manager Tom “OGRE2” Ryan, who himself has been called the best Halo player of all time.

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News

Magic Gaming delivers game kiosks to sick children at Arnold Palmer Hospital

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The Orlando Magic’s esports team delivered special gaming kiosks to sick children at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children this week.

Magic Gaming head coach Jonah Edwards and small forward Brandon “ ToXsiK” Raudenbush distributed four GO Karts, which are built by Michigan-based Gamers Outreach.

“It’s always fun to go spend time with them and put a smile on their face and take their mind off of everything they’re going through,” Raudenbush said. “I fell in love with playing games at a young age, so it’s cool to give back and make them happy.”

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Events

Mario, Mega Man and Zelda speed-runners coming to Orlando for charity

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On your marks, get set, play Super Mario Bros. 3!

For the first time, a speed-run event will come to Orlando in January, with highly skilled players looking to finish games like Mega Man 7, Battle Toads, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and, yes, Super Mario 3 as quickly as they can.

Awesome Games Done Quick is a weeklong video game marathon that raises money for various charities.

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Events

In Orlando, Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion says fatality flap a surprise because they didn’t expect a hit

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It was a pretty tight fit for Daniel Pesina.

He was playing the role of Scorpion in the legendary Mortal Kombat video game.

However, at this point, the game didn’t have the massive budget that it does today.

So Pesina had to squeeze into a child’s size costume that would become the iconic yellow garb of the undead ninja warrior.

“We bought the largest kids size because it was $10 to $15 less than the adult size,” Pesina told an audience at Free Play Florida on Saturday as part of a discussion about the game.

Continue reading In Orlando, Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion says fatality flap a surprise because they didn’t expect a hit →
Photo/Video

Photos: At Free Play Florida, nostalgia reigns as Donkey Kong, Mario and friends visit

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The arcade showcase Free Play Florida have gamers a chance to sample some classic titles.

Ms. Pac-Man, Elevator Action and dozens of pinball machines took over a ballroom at the Caribe Royale hotel in Kissimmee.

We were there early to check it out. Check out the proof below.

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Interviews

Pitfall! creator preferred building for Atari 2600

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It’s been more than 35 years since David Crane created the platformer Pitall! for the Atari 2600.

This weekend, he will be in Orlando sharing his love for classic games at the Free Play Florida retro game festival.

He talked to The OVG about his career.

The OVG: Why are events like Free Play Florida important and why do you think so many attend?

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Schools

Florida Poly students showcase video games at expo

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It’s not just UCF and Full Sail University training the next generation of video game developers in Central Florida.

While those two consistently rank at or near the top in national studies that rank schools’ game dev programs, the relatively new Florida Polytechnic University has launched its own program.

This week, the school had an expo to show off what the 30 students in Florida Poly’s game design classes have built during the past several months.

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Interviews

Video game pioneer, Pitfall! creator David Crane says esports roots planted 40 years ago

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Legendary video game designer David Crane said he probably should have seen the rise of esports way back in the 1980s.

While building games for Atari, a long hallway ended in a sort-of makeshift game room, where programmers would play the latest titles.

These often impromptu sessions would often draw six to eight people watching the gameplay.

“We, of course, looked at games differently than the average person – concentrating on design issues and technical implementation,” he told The OVG in an email interview. “But it could be entertaining nonetheless. It showed the value of watching an expertly played game.”

Crane would move on to Activision, where he would be the brains behind the legendary Atari 2600 game “Pitfall!,” and “Ghostbusters” for the Commodore 64.

This weekend, Crane will be in Orlando for Free Play Florida, an annual showcase of arcade games that serves as an homage to that classical video game period.

Continue reading Video game pioneer, Pitfall! creator David Crane says esports roots planted 40 years ago →