Shoot. Reload. Repeat. Project Xandata at PGF 2017.
Last April 28-30, we took Project Xandata out for its second public alpha at the Pinoy Gaming Festival Summer Assembly in the Trinoma Activity Center. After the explosive response we received back at ESGS 2016, it was only imperative that we incorporate those into the second public alpha.
We didn’t just update the game; our entire set-up needed to level up as well!
The PGF Summer Assembly was a more intimate event, so anything that was done bigger definitely doubled in impact. We erected a Project Xandata backdrop to set the tone of our 10-machine play area, and we had our trusty Project Xandata standees and pull-ups to adorn the sides of our booth. Then came Day 1. What a crowd. We were greeted by a line circling the activity center as early as an hour before the event officially started; participation and enthusiasm were nothing short of excellent!
Later in the afternoon, the game graced the stage with its first ever exhibition match care of our friends at Road to Rank Wild who split into two teams for the show. Muscle Unit took the first round with nearly a 5,000-point lead over eTeam. In the second and third rounds, however, eTeam flipped the tables on Muscle Unit in the final stretches of each round by taking advantage of their score multipliers and from crucial kills by Audhulma and Eisenhart, ending the match with a 2-1 slate.
Despite having their own members land on top of the standings in every round, Muscle Unit bowed to eTeam’s strategy of balancing point captures, on-the-fly weapon changes, and crucial skill adjustments, further proving that a Project Xandata victory can be achieved through many different styles of play.
Throughout the day, we were thrilled to have interview opportunities with the many media outlets present at the event.
Day 2 was an even more exciting day for us, as we began the group stages of the Project Xandata tournament. After an early afternoon match-up on the main stage between our very own Secret6 devs and Team WASD (who happily came back to play after participating at ESGS), the tournament kicked off to a fiery start. After three matches that resulted in straight wins for ANBU, HYVE and We dont know anything, Emotwo broke the trend after upsetting Blitz Gaming from a first-game loss. The rest of the day was dedicated to our hotly-attended free play sessions and t-shirt raffle which saw four winners go home with a brand-new Project Xandata shirt.
Day 3 was all about the conclusion of our Project Xandata tournament. We dont know anything and HYVE bowed out at 3rd and 4th place, respectively, but it was nevertheless a valiant effort by them as well as all of the eliminated teams. That left us with the championship match between ANBU and Emotwo, to take place on the main stage. After three days, the excitement of seeing our game up on the big stage and the big screen, and the fact that we were also being viewed on a live stream, was as fulfilling and refreshing as ever, and what a way to close it out through this match!
Despite ANBU striking an early lead in the first two rounds, Emotwo took better advantage of all their scoring options especially with the capture points. By utilizing their control point multipliers to secure leads of up to 7,000 points, Emotwo was able to make a clean sweep of ANBU despite a number of triple kills made by Caladbolg and SuperLocs. Congratulations, Emotwo!
After catering to a record PGF attendance of over 17,000 people, we came home with a sense of fulfillment thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response from all of you at PGF. Armed with even more feedback and exposure, we’re thankful and definitely looking forward to the next time we can present Project Xandata to the public.
Until the next event, the road to Beta continues!
