Killing spree: ‘Halo 3′ and Pinnacle Security unite gamers.

Nothing brings folks together like a friendly tournament of “Halo 3.” Pinnacle Security, a company that specializes in selling door-to-door home security systems, hosted a small gathering comprised of approximately 30 people united by one common interest – “Halo.” With so many like-minded people together in one place, a person is sure to make friends fast among all the trash-talking and competitive personalities.

This tournament, which awarded the victor a pair of tickets to see Dane Cook’s live show, is the first of many similar gaming tournaments that Pinnacle Security hopes to host and “Halo 3″ isn’t the only game on the list. The sponsors are gearing up for tournaments that include NCAA and Madden titles as well as “Gears of War.” The tournaments typically start around 6 p.m. and usually last well into the night, depending on the number of contestants.

I had the opportunity to join in the tournament despite my serious lack of expertise and “Halo” skills. The tournament was a double-elimination competition of four-player, split-screen action. The game was played in a very accommodating area with large comfortable couches, a video projector and an impressive custom screen.

My first round was essentially a 15-minute slaughter against me. Within 30 seconds I found myself brought down at least twice by each of my opponents. I knew I was dealing with some hardcore “Halo-ists,” so I did my best to set up a proper offensive. By scrambling around for a decent weapon I managed to accumulate a meager three kills, while my fellow gamers were sitting pretty with more than 20 notches under their belts.

By the time I got to my second and final round, I decided that I was going to put up a much more impressive fight than I had before. But it was all for naught, as I found myself hopelessly lost amidst the firestorm that awaited my novice “Halo” skills. I did increase my kill count from three to five, which I decided was an improvement considering I was in the company of true “Spartans.”

Even though I didn’t fare too well during the tournament, I was still impressed with the general atmosphere of the event.

The guys at Pinnacle Security were very hospitable and provided free pizza and soda. Between rounds, contestants mingled with other gamers and shot pool in another room.

The reasoning behind the tournament was simply for the hosts to create a friendly atmosphere for competitive gamers to meet others and have a good time. The “Halo 3″ tournament was held at the Pinnacle Security office, which is located behind Chile’s on Broadway, a mere stone’s throw away from campus. So, if you’re interested in meeting some new people, playing video games and possibly winning some nice prizes, you should stop by or keep your eyes open for flyers on campus for details on upcoming tournament events.

You might also want to brush up on your gaming skills unless you want to suffer the same fate that I did, because let’s face it; nobody likes to end up on the receiving end of a “killing spree."

C. COLT CRANE
BizTech Writer

Related Posts:

1. The beginning of the end: ‘Halo 3′ finishes the fight
2. X-Play’ brings TV network
   for gamers into the big time
3. From ‘Pong’ to ‘Halo’
4. Hardcore gamers build souped-up PCs for games
5. Halo 2 has a winner’s aura