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The Handheld Distributed Tournament System (HDTS): EXPLAINED!

Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
edited August 2007 in PAX Archive
Anyone at PAX 2006 could tell you that no matter where you looked, there was a handheld gaming device (okay okay. There were DS’) in every nook and cranny at the show. We tried our best to run a series of tournaments, much like we do in the PC and console areas, but there were a variety of factors that really hindered the format’s ability to translate to handheld gaming. (connectivity, no dedicated rooms, etc. etc.)

That said, we’re trying something new this year. It dawned upon us that there were (obviously) more handheld consoles being played than any other (albeit socially), meaning there was this untapped potential for this cool, competitive thing a ton of people could participate in… but the existing format just doesn’t scale very well. 16-32-64 person tourneys are great… but anything bigger and you’re looking a logistical nightmare and TONS of waiting around for 95% of the players. Blah.

So I’d like to introduce our new concept: The Handheld Distributed Tournament System. It’s essentially a convention-wide platform for competing 1v1 against anyone and everyone with a DS or a PSP with actual rankings/prizes at the end of the tournament/show. How is this going to work, you ask? Let me explain!

THE OFFICIAL HDTS RULES!
  1. When you arrive, go to the HDTS Booth in Handheld Lounge B on the 2nd floor. In exchange for a holepunch in your official PAX Badge, you will receive two HDTS buttons. That’s all that’s required to register.
  2. You may challenge any person wearing an HDTS button for one (1) button. (a good visual initiation would be to present your button between your thumb and index finger) They can decline the challenge, but hey, that means they can’t win your button. Their loss.
  3. Any handheld game and system may be used with any gametype – the only condition is that both players agree beforehand on the ruleset.
  4. Intentional dropping is not cool and will result in an automatic forfeiture of your button, but come on guys- this is PAX! (I honestly don’t see much of this happening)
  5. Any disputes should be directed toward the HDTS Booth Staff.

After 2 PM on Sunday, you can check in to the HDTS Booth to report your button count. (the buttons will be yours to keep, but they will be uniquely marked to avoid multiple use of the same button) Pooling buttons together is not allowed. We’ll list the Top 5 at 4 PM where winners can claim their prizes! (we’re working on the five prizes, but what we’ve got so far is pretty sweet)

If you’re looking for a SPECIFIC game to play, we’ve set up some “suggested times” in Handheld Lounge B for certain games. By no means are you required to use these, but hopefully people will find this helpful:

Friday
02:30 PM - 04:00 PM: Mario Kart: DS
04:30 PM - 06:00 PM: Pokemon Jump Super/Ultimate Stars
06:30 PM - 08:00 PM: Metroid Pinball / Metroid Prime: Hunters
08:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Meteos / Bleach DS

Saturday
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Puzzle League / Bomberman
12:30 PM - 02:00 PM: PSP Games
02:30 PM - 04:00 PM: Elite Beat Agents / Ouendan
04:30 PM - 06:00 PM: Lumines
06:30 PM - 08:00 PM: Tetris / Advance Wars
08:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Brain Games / Zendoku / Puzzle Games

Sunday
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Puzzle Quest
12:30 PM - 02:00 PM: Naruto / New Super Mario Bros.

Like I said, there’s a huge potential for this to turn out really really well (or spectacularly terrible!). If it’s a hit, we’ll make sure it’s a big part of the show for 2008 and beyond.

Questions? Comments?

Some guy.
Robert Khoo on
«134

Posts

  • KyoutekiKyouteki Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    That's such an amazing idea. Awesome.

    Kyouteki on
  • mentok1982mentok1982 I could never leave you PAX baby. BaltimoreRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    When you say "buttons" you mean a button with a picture on it and a pin on the other side that can be pinned to clothing right?

    The rules all sound great. Depending on the awesomeness of the prizes I can almost guarantee that friends will attempt to pool their buttons together. I am at a loss as to how to prevent that from happening.

    mentok1982 on
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  • jay427jay427 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    This will be awesome. So basically an open-ended tournament all weekend. Great idea!

    Question: Can buttons be exchanged outside of Handheld Lounge B or should all button-playing be done within that area?

    jay427 on
  • hamburger helperhamburger helper Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Well holy shit

    hamburger helper on
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  • HiroconHirocon Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I personally would have preferred more structured tournaments, but I think this idea definitely fits well with the social atmosphere of PAX.

    Hirocon on
  • Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
    edited August 2007
    Yes, when I say "Buttons", I mean little metal buttons with pins on the back that you can attach to your clothing, hats, etc. The idea is that people will wear these things like medals of honor. :)

    The pooling is difficult, although we're trying our best to solve that issue with the prizing - stuff that can't be split up will help.

    Gameplay can happen absolutely anywhere, whether that means in Handheld Lounge B, in the bathrooms, on the street or in the expo hall. it doesn't matter. Everywhere is fair game.

    Robert Khoo on
    Some guy.
  • Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
    edited August 2007
    Hirocon wrote: »
    I personally would have preferred more structured tournaments, but I think this idea definitely fits well with the social atmosphere of PAX.



    We tried man! We tried so hard! Hopefully the social experience will make this super cool.

    Robert Khoo on
    Some guy.
  • PhanmanPhanman Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    This is an excellent idea to include as many people as possible. There are 30,000 expected people at PAX and if the tournament only includes 32 people, then that's 29,968 people that don't get a chance to participate.

    I still think there should be some sort of Picto-chat competition. Or at the very least somehow get several good (aka draw well or just funny) people to play it on a big screen.

    Phanman on
    Wii Code: 6596 9931 4190 2980
  • mentok1982mentok1982 I could never leave you PAX baby. BaltimoreRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Phanman wrote: »
    I still think there should be some sort of Picto-chat competition. Or at the very least somehow get several good (aka draw well or just funny) people to play it on a big screen.

    It is too bad the new PSP with video out will not come out until after PAX. We could have watched some really good gamers play some hawt rounds of Lumines.

    mentok1982 on
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  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited August 2007
    Maybe some kind of Pictionary using Pictochat (Pictonary?)

    Moe Fwacky on
    E6LkoFK.png

  • person34person34 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    This sounds like a fantastic idea in all honesty. Plus it makes things a bit more interesting since you never know if you will be playing someone who has spent 13 million hours devoting his life to the game, or someone who picked up the game the day before so they would have it for PAX.

    So the tournament is not only about personal skill, but also about picking the right battles...

    Its like pokemon, only more awesome!

    person34 on
  • KyoutekiKyouteki Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    person34 wrote: »
    This sounds like a fantastic idea in all honesty. Plus it makes things a bit more interesting since you never know if you will be playing someone who has spent 13 million hours devoting his life to the game, or someone who picked up the game the day before so they would have it for PAX.

    So the tournament is not only about personal skill, but also about picking the right battles...

    Its like pokemon, only more awesome!

    Of course, in some instances, it is Pokémon!

    Kyouteki on
  • mentok1982mentok1982 I could never leave you PAX baby. BaltimoreRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    person34 wrote: »
    So the tournament is not only about personal skill, but also about picking the right battles...

    Its like pokemon, only more awesome!

    So it would be a good idea to challenge someone that has only one button. It would mean that they have been beaten at least once, or that they are hiding their 35 buttons in their backpack so that people think they only have one button left. Very sneaky sis!

    mentok1982 on
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  • Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
    edited August 2007
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    Maybe some kind of Pictionary using Pictochat (Pictonary?)

    It's up to you guys! In my opinion, you can have a group tournament for who can throw their DS the furthest. As long as it involves a handheld device, I'm completely cool with it.

    Robert Khoo on
    Some guy.
  • HiroconHirocon Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    What about matches for more than one button? Can players negotiate odds?

    Hirocon on
  • PhanmanPhanman Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    Maybe some kind of Pictionary using Pictochat (Pictonary?)

    I'd totally be down for something like that. May be best to just have it informally this year, at a party or something. Would definitely be a fun social event.

    Phanman on
    Wii Code: 6596 9931 4190 2980
  • Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
    edited August 2007
    Hirocon wrote: »
    What about matches for more than one button? Can players negotiate odds?


    There isn't a whole lot we can do to stop it - i would just hate to have someone's Tournament experience be cut short because of one match... let's say there's a little lag or someone bumps them on the elbow accidentally. It is my personal preference that they be kept 1 button matches.

    Robert Khoo on
    Some guy.
  • mentok1982mentok1982 I could never leave you PAX baby. BaltimoreRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Hirocon wrote: »
    What about matches for more than one button? Can players negotiate odds?

    Come on man! Double or nuthin'! My Chimchar is ready to roast your ass!

    mentok1982 on
    Penny Arcade TV makes my life complete!
    PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
    Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited August 2007
    Maybe multiple button matches are best saved for people who already have enough to spare.

    Moe Fwacky on
    E6LkoFK.png

  • TrainwreckXTrainwreckX Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    >>edited out Yu-Gi-Oh reference


    THIS SOUNDS AWESOME!

    TrainwreckX on
  • PhanmanPhanman Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I'm going to find someone to challenge in Rocket Slime, feel the wrath of my slime tank!

    Phanman on
    Wii Code: 6596 9931 4190 2980
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Yes, when I say "Buttons", I mean little metal buttons with pins on the back that you can attach to your clothing, hats, etc. The idea is that people will wear these things like medals of honor. :)

    The pooling is difficult, although we're trying our best to solve that issue with the prizing - stuff that can't be split up will help.

    Gameplay can happen absolutely anywhere, whether that means in Handheld Lounge B, in the bathrooms, on the street or in the expo hall. it doesn't matter. Everywhere is fair game.

    There is just one problem with this plan. Lets say your awesome at "such and such game" People can deny your request there by disallowing you to collect buttons even if you are better then them. If this is a tournament, tournament-- Challenges should not be so easily declined.

    And two buttons seems like not enough imho. People are going to hold onto their very last button and not challenge people/not accept challenges if it means they can't play anything more competitively. 3 buttons would be preferred especially since is over multiple games.

    Don't take my criticism wrong, I love the idea. I just think it needs to be adjusted a bit. I still wish nintendo made a DS hub that logged all the games and stats so you could deal with your pooling issue.

    Viscountalpha on
  • Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
    edited August 2007
    I completely understand your concern, but I believe there are enough participants where getting matches will not be an issue. There is definitely a critical mass component to making this work, but I'm pretty sure PAX has achieved it size wise.

    Robert Khoo on
    Some guy.
  • JaidenJaiden Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I'm not going to enter a tournament for a game that I'm horrible at.

    With this system, yes, it does limit you to only competing in games that you're good at, unless you actually want to try other games, because this isn't a ladder system, how do you know what games other people are good at.

    Yes, people can decline your request. It's in the rules. I'm not about to accept a challenge for my button at Lumines if I've never played Lumines. >_>

    Jaiden on
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  • LegacyLegacy Stuck Somewhere In Cyberspace The Grid(Seattle)Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    Phanman wrote: »
    I'm going to find someone to challenge in Rocket Slime, feel the wrath of my slime tank!

    I'll be up for that...
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    Maybe some kind of Pictionary using Pictochat (Pictonary?)

    It's up to you guys! In my opinion, you can have a group tournament for who can throw their DS the furthest. As long as it involves a handheld device, I'm completely cool with it.

    Rock-Paper-Scissors? :)

    Legacy on
    Can we get the chemicals in. 'Cause anything's better than this.
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I completely understand your concern, but I believe there are enough participants where getting matches will not be an issue. There is definitely a critical mass component to making this work, but I'm pretty sure PAX has achieved it size wise.

    Is there going to be a limit of people registering for the handheld tournaments? I'm sure theres going to be X number of buttons that you can give out. The problem is, I could see someone like no one wanting to challenge hirocon since he came in first last year. Me coming in 2nd place last year might also scare off people, Although there would be some people willing to challenge me to see if I'm really as good as I am.

    I guess I just have to get better at more games from now until then..

    Viscountalpha on
  • Robert KhooRobert Khoo Registered User, ClubPA staff
    edited August 2007
    Nope. Anyone with a badge can do it.

    Robert Khoo on
    Some guy.
  • person34person34 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    And two buttons seems like not enough imho. People are going to hold onto their very last button and not challenge people/not accept challenges if it means they can't play anything more competitively. 3 buttons would be preferred especially since is over multiple games.

    Don't take my criticism wrong, I love the idea. I just think it needs to be adjusted a bit. I still wish nintendo made a DS hub that logged all the games and stats so you could deal with your pooling issue.


    If people did this, they wouldn't win the tournament. So basically they would be about the same as not entering, thus anyone who doesnt accept challenges isnt really a competitor for the top prizes. I mean, I know Im not going to win this thing. But I am going to play just to see how long I can keep my buttons, and to see how many I can get.

    Honestly I am not that good at games (read as; not as good as the best) so for me, I have a 1:30,000 chance of winning a tournament. So I figure Ill just have fun with it.

    And to Mr. Khoo, it would be awesome if the buttons looked like pokemon badges. Or those star things from Yu-Gi-Oh in that episode on the island or whatever it was...

    person34 on
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Hopefully this works out better then I expect, Worst thing could happen? I could have alot of fun beating people at metroid pinball.

    Viscountalpha on
  • Raiden333Raiden333 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    While I recognize the material challenges of giving people 3 buttons instead of 2, I'm going to throw in my vote for 3 simply because it's video game tradition that you get 3 lives.

    Raiden333 on
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  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Raiden333 wrote: »
    While I recognize the material challenges of giving people 3 buttons instead of 2, I'm going to throw in my vote for 3 simply because it's video game tradition that you get 3 lives.

    Its more psychological in my view. If I lose my first round, I'm not that bad off with 2 out of 3 pins. If I lose my first round with 2/2 pins going to 1/2-- It makes me worried that the next round will be my very last.

    Viscountalpha on
  • goetzathomegoetzathome Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Phanman wrote: »
    I still think there should be some sort of Picto-chat competition.

    My drawing of a wang will p0wn your drawing of a wang! :D

    goetzathome on
  • BigRedBigRed Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Legacy wrote: »
    Phanman wrote: »
    I'm going to find someone to challenge in Rocket Slime, feel the wrath of my slime tank!

    I'll be up for that...
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    Maybe some kind of Pictionary using Pictochat (Pictonary?)

    It's up to you guys! In my opinion, you can have a group tournament for who can throw their DS the furthest. As long as it involves a handheld device, I'm completely cool with it.

    Rock-Paper-Scissors? :)

    DUDE! PICTOCHAT ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!

    BRILLIANT!

    BigRed on
    <MoeFwacky> besides, BigRed-Worky is right
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    BigRed wrote: »
    Legacy wrote: »
    Phanman wrote: »
    I'm going to find someone to challenge in Rocket Slime, feel the wrath of my slime tank!

    I'll be up for that...
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    Maybe some kind of Pictionary using Pictochat (Pictonary?)

    It's up to you guys! In my opinion, you can have a group tournament for who can throw their DS the furthest. As long as it involves a handheld device, I'm completely cool with it.

    Rock-Paper-Scissors? :)

    DUDE! PICTOCHAT ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!

    BRILLIANT!


    cock, vagina, boobs sounds more appropriate.

    Viscountalpha on
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    No Pokemon?

    My EV trained team is going to waste, Khoo.

    To waste.

    Munkus Beaver on
    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • KyoutekiKyouteki Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Pokémon is 4:30 to 6 on Friday. And hardcore EV-trained teams is why I will not be playing Pokémon for buttons. (badges?)

    Kyouteki on
  • DraknodredDraknodred Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Kyouteki wrote: »
    Pokémon is 4:30 to 6 on Friday. And hardcore EV-trained teams is why I will not be playing Pokémon for buttons. (badges?)

    The only time I'll play Pokemon purely for buttons will be if it's over WiFi somehow, I don't think you can level-match on local games although you definitely can over WiFi.



    I can't wait to play some people in Jump Ultimate Stars, I've only gotten to play against comps :(

    Draknodred on
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    No Pokemon?

    My EV trained team is going to waste, Khoo.

    To waste.


    But see here is the catch. If someone notices that you just finished crushing your opponent, how will you get more buttons from other people?

    Viscountalpha on
  • DraknodredDraknodred Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    No Pokemon?

    My EV trained team is going to waste, Khoo.

    To waste.


    But see here is the catch. If someone notices that you just finished crushing your opponent, how will you get more buttons from other people?

    I'm going to add his friend code right now so I don't fight him!

    Draknodred on
  • TNTrooperTNTrooper Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    If you ever see me in the PAX IRC channel feel free to ask me for a few games of JUS.

    TNTrooper on
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