The Final Showdown Has Begun - BioWare versus Mojang

[Spinwhiz]

The Final Showdown Has Begun - BioWare versus Mojang

[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tournaments/standings/5]

After 5 very difficult rounds in March Mayhem: Developers' Showdown, we are down to the final 2 developers - BioWare versus Mojang! The Final Showdown has begun and voting is now open.

This is the fourth year The Escapist has run March Mayhem: Developers' Showdown and every year there have been a lot of great matches and huge upsets that have come down-to-the-wire. This year is no different as we have watched a developer voted into this year's March Mayhem as a wildcard make it to the Final Showdown, and last year's second place winner bulldoze its way through everyone to prove it has what it takes to win the title.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your Final Showdown competitors - BioWare versus Mojang!

The Road to the Final Showdown

BioWare

BioWare is a veteran March Mayhem competitor having done extremely well in past years, making it to the finals the last two years and just coming up short in the final minutes of voting. This year however, BioWare has been nothing but spectacular as it took down TellTale Games, DICE, Bungie and then Bethesda to gain the Division Title. In the Fearsome Four it took on another number 1 seed, gaming powerhouse Blizzard, and continued to impress by bringing in more than 24,000 votes. It looks as though this may be BioWare's year to bring home the crown but first it has to get past its competitor.

Mojang AB

As a first time contestant in March Mayhem, Mojang was voted in by The Escapist Publisher's Club community as a wildcard to enter as a 16th seed and go up against a number 1 seed in the first round. Little did Mojang know, this first round competitor would be none other than the most well known developer in the world, Nintendo. Not discouraged in the least, Mojang fans from around the world came to The Escapist to back up Mojang and send Nintendo home early, the first time in March Mayhem history a number 1 seed has lost in the first round. Mojang continued its Cinderella story as it then defeated Namco Bandai, Epic Games and Obsidian Entertainment. The pressure increased as it met Escapist community favorite and last year's March Mayhem winner Valve in the Fearsome Four. After being down by over 1000 votes near the beginning, Minecraft fans came back to tie it after 24 hours of voting, then took the lead and kept it as they defeated Valve by over 3000 votes. This Cinderella story continues as Mojang faces its third number 1 seed for the title.

The Final Showdown Begins

As the Final Showdown opens its voting, it is anyone game. Who will take this year's crown? BioWare or Mojang? Only your votes and tweets will tell!

Click here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tournaments/standings/5] to begin voting and good luck to both developers! Welcome to the Final Showdown!


For those of you who are just joining us in March Mayhem, head over to the Alienware laptops [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tournaments/rules/5] we are giving away!

To everyone who had filled out a bracket, make sure to check out our brand new Leaderboard [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tournaments/leaderboard/5] to see where you stack every round!


Permalink

 

[Hungry Donner]

I was really hoping to break in to triple digits with my bracket score, ah well.

I can't be the only one to suggest this but I think it would be awesome to have a video review at the end of this, perhaps an ENN special or something.

 

[Irridium]

I wouldn't really call it a "Cinderella Story". I think you stop being the underdog when you beat Nintendo.

Still, good for them. I don't really agree but whatever, just a contest.

 

[joeman098]

Thank you notch for destroying my bracket! =( i love minecraft but i didnt except such an upset
was really hoping for that laptop Now i look at my bracket and all I hear is Hsssssssssssssssssss.... BOOOM

 

[yayforgiveaway]

Previous year zynga, now some blocks. Let's crush them!

 

[Spinwhiz]

Thank you notch for destroying my bracket! =( i love minecraft but i didnt except such an upset
was really hoping for that laptop

Your bracket is just for fun. You got 25 entries just for filling it out.

 

[twm1709]

No doubt now Mojang AB is gonna win. Not that I agree in the least but anyway.

 

[joeman098]

Thank you notch for destroying my bracket! =( i love minecraft but i didnt except such an upset
was really hoping for that laptop

Your bracket is just for fun. You got 25 entries just for filling it out.

ahah shows how well i pay attention to details =P

 

[SangRahl]

My final picks were BioWare vs. Valve, with Valve pulling the win. But, as much as I'm disappointed I was wrong, I can't help but be excited for Mojang AB.

I just started playing in Minecraft S/P (will get a server together for family/friends, soon... but have a bit of research to do, first), and I've been glued to the laptop while I slowly carve out my glass biodome under the sea. (good lord it takes a lot of sand to cover a mathematically perfect 17-level hemisphere... only 3 levels down, and I've stripped the local beach down to sandstone/stone)

All hail, Notch, killer of sleep and productivity the world 'round.

 

[manythings]

No alienware laptop prize for me.

OT: I really didn't see this pairing coming.

 

[qbanknight]

Let's go Notch!

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

I think that we can consider this year's March Mayhem as a joke, I mean c'mon people Mojang should've lost in the first round (V.S. Nintendo).

 

[thisberichard]

I'm mostly baffled that a developer gets past Valve -- and looks like it'll get past Bioware -- based on a single major work, no matter how excellent.

 

[RheynbowDash]

If that shitty Minecraft game wins this, I'm leaving the escapist...

 

[odd function]

Easily Mojang. $15 for a game that lives up to the hype even if I generally dislike and "don't get" sandbox style games such as from Bethesda and Rockstar. As compared to $40 for a hugely disappointing game that wasn't merely unpolished, but the devs apparently never thought how a different story structure might force a change in mechanics. I am generally a huge fan of Bioware, ever since Baldur's Gate and MDK2, but DA2 is just that bad.

 

[Nincompoop]

One thing I dislike about this contest is that it can't make up it's mind on what it's supposed to be doing. Are you supposed to vote for your favorite? Or what you think are other peoples favorites? As far as I can tell, the contest on winning the laptops consists of being able to determine what other people will vote... Which defeats the purpose of voting for your favorite.

 

[fealubryne]

I have to say, I'm pretty surprised how things are shaping up at this point. I mean, for all the people saying this is a joke... well, it's how the votes went, so apparently it's not. If it was based on actual company clout that'd be one thing, but it's based off popular opinion. Goes to show just how much power there is behind trends and bandwagons, I guess.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this turns out...

 

[XT inc]

I wanted mojang to go far, not this far though. Valve deserved to win because steam kills all, and quite frankly everything to come out of that studio is solid gold.

 

[repeating integers]

Awesome March Mayhem is awesome.

I would absolutely love it if Mojang went against Zynga in the first round next year, and Zynga actually took an interest again and advertised as well as Notch. A true clash of the titans.