Well we had our ping pong match with Sucker Punch last Friday and I must say things did not go well for us. The Sucker Punch “Rockets” lived up to their studio's name and left us with a big old purple shiner. Already there is talk here in the office that our glorious victory march through the game industry is now looking more like a trail of tears.
We showed up around 6pm for our match and we got a great tour of their facilities. When it came time to play our team was introduced to the couple dozen spectators on hand. Then it was time to introduce the Sucker Punch players and that’s when things got a little crazy. As the lights dimmed music began to swell from some unseen source. Flashlights blazed on and swept back and forth across the room. Then, amplified by a megaphone the “rockets” were called out one by one. Each one paused briefly in the doorway to gesture at the cheering fans before taking his place on the far side of table. I can understand why you might think I’m joking. I promise you I’m not. Let’s just say the intimidation factor was high.
The games started out pretty rough and really didn’t get much better as we moved through the ranks. Our man Mike played a guy who used the “inverted claw” grip. We thought this was a joke until we saw him lift his paddle, completely avoiding its handle and instead gripping it the way a basket ball player might palm a ball. My own match was against an ambidextrous giant of a man who played the entire match while tossing his racket back and forth between his massive paws. Our man Robert was the only one to even win a round. With the games tied at two each it came down to a nail biting final round in which Robert was eventually bested.
We may not have won but the evening was still a success. We had a great time with the Sucker Punch people and everyone here at PA wants to thank them for their hospitality. Kiko is working on getting some photos of the event uploaded and I’ll let you know when that happens. Our next match is in two weeks against Microsoft Casual Games. They might read this and think its okay to relax. They might even begin to feel a tingle of confidence. Let me tell you now, that would be unwise. We may have been beaten but all that means is that now we are angry. Microsoft employees are encouraged to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorways because in two weeks, Penny Arcade is coming.
-Gabe out
