Tag: Games

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Games Done Quick bans speedrunning cheater from future events | Engadget

Kris Holt

has banned a speedrunner from future events after they admitted to cheating during last week’s marathon. Russian player Mekarazium appeared to complete a Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance expansion in a world record time. Instead of live gameplay, though, Mekarazium showed a pre-recorded video that was pieced together using parts of separate runs. They reacted to the footage in real-time to sell the ruse.

While Summer Games Done Quick took place as an in-person event for the first time , some speedrunners participated remotely. Mekazarium was one of those, which allowed them to cheat, as reports. The player initially sped through the main campaign of MGR: Revengeance in a seemingly legitimate run, before taking on the Blade Wolf DLC after a charity donation goal was met.

However, viewers noticed discrepancies in the Blade Wolf playthrough. Some noted there were barely any audible instances of Mekarazium pressing keys on the keyboard (which could be heard as he played the main game). , Mekarazium lifts their right hand up while their character was looking around, though they claimed they controlled the mouse with their other hand.

Mekarazium also downplayed the record-breaking aspect of their run after the fact. You’d think a speedrunner would be delighted to beat their own world-best time by 25 seconds.

“The Blade Wolf DLC run incentive people paid for is a pre-recorded, segmented run,” Mekarazium told the GDQ enforcement team in a message obtained by PCGamesN. “It was supposed to be a real-time run, but I’ve changed my mind at the last second after switching the saves.”

Mekarazium said they wanted to show off the potential of the Blade Wolf run. However, they apologized and acknowledged they did “an actual bad thing.” They worried about the impact on other speedrunners too. “I acted selfishly and I haven’t put more time thinking about others,” they added.

“Yesterday, we were made aware that Mekazarium played a segmented video for his DLC run at Summer Games Done Quick 2022,” GDQ told Engadget in a statement. “Mekazarium has since admitted to this, both to some members of the community as well as directly to GDQ staff. He contacted our staff with a document detailing that he had planned this for over a month, demonstrating this was planned and intentional.

“This is absolutely unacceptable and attempts to undermine the integrity of the speedrunning community that we love and support,” GDQ added. “The exact result they desired was unclear from the document, but it is clear that they believed we would not be willing to speak out about their behavior. However, we believe it is in the community’s best interests to know why this run was removed by GDQ. We have removed Mekazarium’s runs from our YouTube archive, and will not permit him to run in the future.”

The incident puts an unfortunate stain on another largely successful GDQ event. Speedrunners and viewers for Doctors Without Borders. There were some other hiccups, however. Some runs went longer than expected, which led to organizers from the schedule. However, they found room to add an extra Pokémon game on the final day in a bid to .

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World-record holder returns to Scottish heavy events at Embro Highland Games

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Heather Boundy, the woman who currently holds the world record for most caber tosses in three minutes, returned to the Scottish heavy events circuit after two-year pandemic pause at the Embro Highland Games Friday.

Publishing date:

Jul 01, 2022  •  10 minutes ago  •  2 minute read  •  Join the conversation

Heather Boundy, the Guinness World Record holder for most cabers thrown in three minutes (15), competed in the heavy events at the Embro Highland Games Friday. Pictured, Boundy demonstrates her caber toss. (Galen Simmons/The Beacon Herald)
Heather Boundy, the Guinness World Record holder for most cabers thrown in three minutes (15), competed in the heavy events at the Embro Highland Games Friday. Pictured, Boundy demonstrates her caber toss. (Galen Simmons/The Beacon Herald)

A minor celebrity in the world of Scottish heavy events made her return to the sport after a two-year pandemic pause at the Embro Highland Games Friday.

Heather Boundy still holds the Guinness World Record for being the woman who tossed the most cabers in three minutes. To establish a world record for women’s caber toss – there wasn’t one previously – Boundy threw 15 cabers, which can be anywhere from 14 to 17 feet long and weigh between as much as 90 pounds, in 180 seconds in September 2016.

On Friday, Boundy, who lives in Lake St. Peter near Bancroft and has been active in Canada’s highland games circuit for 20 years, competed in her first heavy events since both the sport and games across the country were put on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m competing in stone throw, weight for distance, weight over bar, caber and the hammer throw. … It’s great to see everybody, but it’s hard to throw,” Boundy said of her return to heavy events.

The the break took a toll on her physically, she acknowledged, “plus I’m sick.”

“Not COVID sick,” she said,  “but I’ve struggled over the last year with chronic inflammation. I literally just rolled off the couch (to be here). This is sort of a test run. I just want to throw in every event.”

Jamie Trask of Guelph took first place in the men’s hammer throw competition with a final throw of 96.5 feet at the Embro Highland Games Friday afternoon. (Galen Simmons/The Beacon Herald)
Jamie Trask of Guelph took first place in the men’s hammer throw competition with a final throw of 96.5 feet at the Embro Highland Games Friday afternoon. (Galen Simmons/The Beacon Herald)

While Boundy was hoping to shake off the cobwebs in the Embro competition, she said the two women she was competing against are truly forces to be reckoned with.

“Celine Freeman-Gibb, I’d say she’s the best in Canada,” Boundy said. “She’s amazing. And the other girl, she’s new but her numbers are really good.”

Long dominated by men, Boundy tries to promote Scottish heavy events to women whenever she can.

“Two years before COVID, there was a large number of women throwing and then a lot retired,” she said. “Going into their 40s and their 50s, a lot of them just stopped throwing. So the numbers right now are pretty low in Ontario, but out west and down east, there’s more women that throw.”

For those women who may be interested in trying out Scottish heavy events, Boundy is encouraging them to check out the Canadian Scottish Athletic Federation website at www.csaf.ca to learn more.

gsimmons@postmedia.com

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Trews to headline Fort Erie’s Canada Summer Games event

Trews to headline Fort Erie’s Canada Summer Games event
The Trews will headline the 13 For 13 Cultural Event Aug. 12 at Old Fort Erie. The event is being held in conjunction with the Canada Summer Games.

Old Fort Erie will be rockin’ when the Trews come to town.

The Juno Award-winning band is a part of the 13 For 13 Cultural Festival taking place at the Old Fort on Aug. 12 as a part of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.

The festival, which runs from 3 to 10 p.m. that day is Fort Erie’s contribution to a series of events taking place during the games. All 12 municipalities and Niagara Region are collaborating with all 13 provinces/territories to showcase the unique cultural heritage, entertainment, art, and culinary experiences of each pairing during their assigned special night. The 13 For 13 Cultural Festival will rotate, changing from one municipality to another over 13 days in August.

For the purposes of the festival, Fort Erie has been paired with Nova Scotia. This one-of-a-kind initiative has never been done before by any other Canada Games host. Admission to each of the 13 municipality events will be free. 

In partnership with host sponsor Niagara Parks and provincial partner Tourism Nova Scotia, the Fort Erie event will offer food trucks, local vendors, a liquor licensed area, children’s programming, Scottish heavy sports demonstrations, the Creator’s Game, musical entertainment culminating with the Trews concert.

“What an amazing opportunity for our community to celebrate athletic excellence, cultural heritage, arts, and entertainment on the historically significant grounds of Old Fort Erie,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop. “The history of our nation unfolded here.”

On July 2, the Games torch will be coming to Fort Erie from 9 to 11 a.m., starting with a pep rally at the Crystal Ridge Arena at 99 Ridge Rd. South and conclude with an end-of-run party at the Fort Erie Leisureplex at 3 Municipal Centre Dr.

Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games take place Aug. 6 to 21 at sites across the region.

For event details, visit forterie.ca. 

 

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Kingsville Highland Games organizers ‘quite happy’ with event turnout

Kingsville Highland Games organizers 'quite happy' with event turnout


Thousands of people flocked to Lakeside Park in Kingsville Saturday for the return of the Highland Games. 


“After COVID everybody is looking to get out and get their yayas out and this gives an opportune event to get outside and mix it up with everybody. It’s good to see the crowd,” said attendee Jeff Coulter.


Fans of the games lined up to watch various events spread out through Lakeside Park.


“It’s so vital that people get out,” said Essex MP Chris Lewis. “Mental health is such a major issue that so many of us are facing so events like this get people outside, get people outdoors and get to enjoy a conversation again.”


Doug Plumb, chair of the event said not being able to build on the momentum created after the inaugural event three years ago was disheartening but is happy the tough side of the pandemic seems to be in the rear view mirror.


“A lot of people are in town, really wanted to get out and have some fun and they’re here,” he said.


Those people were uptown sparking the local economy before making their way to the waterfront park.


“It really does celebrate the strength we have together collectively and celebrating the success for businesses that have worked hard and tirelessly to make it through,” said Mayor Nelson Santos.  


Organizers were anticipating well over 5,000 people for the one-day event.


“(In) 2019 people loved it. A lot of people said I regret that we couldn’t make it for whatever reason and they’re here today. There was a lot of buzz around town about this,” said Plumb.  


There was a buzz in the park throughout the day.


The tug of war had the large crowd electrified many times. Sherry Coulter loved it.


“The tug of war was worth the price of admission,” she said.


Mitchel Colomba was one of the tug of war athletes who fed off the energy from the crowd.


“This is a real great opportunity for us to come out and practice and the comradery amongst the crowd. This is really awesome,” he said.


There was food, entertainment, dance competitions, heritage and culture to appreciate. “


The thought of it being like history is quite important,” said 94-year-old Hugh McDonald.  


Former CTV anchor Jim Crichton served as MC on the main stage. He celebrated his heritage by wearing a tartan made in Scotland.


“I wear this in honour of my late father,” said Crichton, whose dad was born in Scotland. “I had it made a year after he passed away so it’s very special to me.”


This was a special event for Santos who is not seeking re-election in October. He took part in a Haggis throwing competition against local mayors for the last time.


Although he didn’t repeat as champ, he is proud to have been part of an event he feels is set up for long-term success.


“The experience you get to have here hands-on is like no other and that is what is going to drive success forward,” Santos said. 

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2022 Commonwealth Games schedule, events, tickets and more: Everything you need to know

2022 Commonwealth Games schedule, events, tickets and more: Everything you need to know

With the exception of an interruption during World War II, the Commonwealth Games have taken place every four years since 1930 – and athletes from 72 nations are heading to the showpiece in Birmingham in 2022.

There will be 286 sessions across 11 days in the UK city, covering 19 sports from 3×3 basketball to mixed synchronised diving.

The Maldives is the newest entrant on the countries list, taking on the runaway most successful country in the history of the Games, Australia, as well as hosts England and the likes of Canada, India and Kenya.

The Sporting News looks at some of the key details involved in one of the most anticipated sporting spectacles of the summer.

Where are the 2022 Commonwealth Games?

When it first formulated its bidding route in 2016, Birmingham, England had been targeting the 2026 Games. That changed when Durban, South Africa was stripped of the showpiece in March 2017 after failing to meet financial deadlines.

Liverpool also expressed an interest, and the UK government decided to back the Birmingham bid, which hit a hitch when the federation behind the Games declared its plan “not fully compliant” and extended a deadline for potential rival bids.

The West Midlands city eventually triumphed, winning praise for the diversity of a local population containing people originating from all of the Commonwealth member federations.

There are 16 venues hosting events, including flagship setting the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, which will have a capacity of around 30,000 thanks to temporary seating and has been renovated at a cost of £72 million ($87.8 million).

The arena in nearby city Coventry will host judo and wrestling, and the glorious Cannock Chase Forest is a picturesque backdrop for cycling.

The Sandwell Aquatics Centre will put on the pool events, and the iconic Edgbaston Stadium – best known as the home of Warwickshire – will welcome T20 cricket.

When is the 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony?

Up to a billion people are expected to tune in when the opening ceremony takes place at a full-capacity Alexander Stadium on July 28, overseen by Games Creative Director Iqbal Khan.

The ceremony will take place 10 years and a day after the opening of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with two-time British Academy of Film and Television Arts award-winner Hamish Hamilton as broadcast director.

MORE: Victoria in line to host Commonwealth Games with confirmation of 2026 bid

Steven Knight, the creator of hit Birmingham-set TV series Peaky Blinders, is also part of a team featuring award-winning writer Maeve Clarke and rapper Joshua ‘RTKal’ Holness.

Alexander Stadium will also host the closing ceremony on August 8, which is being described as an “emotional and exciting” event honouring international sport and “the pride and passion that comes with representing one’s country”.

Games chief creative officer Martin Green has promised CGI, special effects and more. “The core creative team assembled to imagine the Opening Ceremony is drawn from a diverse range of disciplines, from theatre to literature, TV to stage production,” he said.

Which new sports are in the 2022 Commonwealth Games? 

Women’s T20 Cricket is one of three new sports blazing a Commonwealth Games trail in Birmingham, which has the perfect venue in Edgbaston, a stadium with a history stretching all the way back to 1882.

“It’s massively exciting for women’s cricket to get an opportunity like this at Birmingham 2022,” said England all-rounder Nat Sciver, speaking after the addition of her sport was announced.

“We are always looking to grow cricket and to take it to as many people as possible and the platform of Birmingham 2022 will really help that.”

While cricket has a long and fascinating history in the area, beach volleyball is less readily associated with the urbanity of Birmingham, which should make its presence at the Games a compelling novelty.

The sport will have a home at the Smithfield Market site, which was originally opened on the site of a demolished manor house in 1817 and cleared 101 years later as part of a £1.9 billion ($2.3 billion) regeneration project.

Smithfield will also host the basketball 3×3 competitions and seat up to 4,000 spectators, and another new sport, para table tennis, will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

The 71 Commonwealth Games Associations voted by the required majority to accept the proposal for the three new sports in 2019, and one interesting consequence will see two more women’s medal events than men’s at the Games – breaking the record set at Gold Coast 2018.

Are there any para events in the 2022 Commonwealth Games?

The inclusion of para table tennis gives the Games more para sports than any previous Commonwealth Games, featuring eight para sports in total.

Para powerlifting will also take place at the NEC, and para track events will take place at the Lee Valley Velopark – the London velodrome that staged the 2012 Olympic track cycling competition.

The 19th-century Victoria Park, which is in the town of Leamington Spa and hosts the Bowls England National Championships, will be the setting for para lawn bowls, and the 2,400-acre Sutton Park puts on the triathlon events.

Team England star Ross Wilson is understandably thrilled about the inclusion of table tennis, calling it “brilliant” and looking ahead to a defence of his 2018 title which he expects to be “special” in front of a home crowd.

“Competing for Team England on the Gold Coast was an incredible experience and I’m really proud to be Commonwealth champion,” said Wilson, a triple bronze medallist at the Paralympic Games.

“It is something I’ve always dreamed of and to go out and win was just an absolutely amazing feeling and one I can’t really describe.”

2022 Commonwealth Games full event schedule

Event Dates
Athletics – Marathon July 30
Athletics & Para Athletics August 2-7
Aquatics – Swimming & Para Swimming July 29 – August 3
Aquatics – Diving August 4-8
Badminton July 29 – August 8
Basketball 3×3 & Wheelchair Basketball 3×3 July 29 – August 2
Beach Volleyball July 30 – August 7
Boxing July 29 – August 4; 6-7
Cricket July 29-31; August 2-4; 6-7
Cycling – Mountain Bike August 3
Cycling – Road Race August 7
Cycling – Time Trial August 4
Cycling – Track & Para Track July 29 – August 1
Gymnastics – Artistic July 29 – August 2
Gymnastics – Rhythmic August 4-6
Hockey July 29 – August 8
Judo August 1-3
Lawn Bowls & Para Lawn Bowls July 29 – August 6
Netball July 29 – August 7
Para Powerlifting August 4
Rugby Sevens July 29-31
Squash July 29 – August 8
Table Tennis & Para Table Tennis July 29 – August 8
Triathlon & Para Triathlon July 29, 31
Weightlifting July 30 – August 3
Wrestling August 5-6
Opening Ceremony July 28
Closing Ceremony August 8

MORE: Athletes permitted to protest about social justice at Commonwealth Games

What TV channel and live stream is the 2022 Commonwealth Games on?

Country TV channel
UK BBC TV, Radio, iPlayer
Canada DAZN (online only)
Australia Channel 7, 7Plus
India –

Which countries are taking part in the 2022 Commonwealth Games?

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Bangladesh 
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Botswana
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Brunei
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cayman Islands
  • Cook Islands
  • Cyprus
  • Dominica
  • England
  • Eswatini
  • Falkland Islands
  • Fiji
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Grenada
  • Guernsey
  • Guyana
  • India
  • Isle of Man
  • Jamaica
  • Jersey
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Montserrat
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • Northern Ireland
  • Pakistan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Rwanda
  • Samoa
  • Scotland
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • St Helena
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Tanzania
  • The Gambia
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Vanuatu
  • Wales
  • Zambia

How to buy 2022 Commonwealth Games tickets

Tickets for the Games are now open to the public, starting at £8 (under $10) for children and from £15 (around $18) for adults.

Organisers are advertising the availability of £22 (around $27) tickets for each event, and free viewing is available for the marathon, cycling road race, cycling time trial, triathlon and cycling mountain bike events.

Tickets are available from the official Birmingham 2022 website.

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Daily tickets offering access to multiple World Games events launched

As many as 15 sports are covered by a Day Pass ticket on selected days ©Twitter/TWG2022

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Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10

For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody. 

insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.

Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since. 

As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. It would mean we can keep our website open for everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us by far the biggest source of independent news on what is happening in world sport. 

Every contribution, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our worldwide coverage in the year ahead. Our small and dedicated team were extremely busy last year covering the re-arranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretched our tight resources to the limit. 

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Top 5 Games & Sports Events in Houston This Week: June 6 to 12, 2022

Top 5 Games & Sports Events in Houston This Week: June 6 to 12, 2022

Take to the pitch at PNC Stadium for Pride Night on Sunday | Photo: Justin Jerkins/365Houston

Snag a seat to these must-see games and sports events around Houston from Monday, June 6 to Sunday, June 12, 2022.

This week, the baseball diamond is where a lot of action is taking place in Houston, with promotional giveaways that include jerseys and bobbleheads, plus fireworks on Friday.

PNC Stadium is also host to an annual international friendly for the Dynamo and Pride Night at the Dash’s weekend kickoff.

Want to dig deeper on sports happening around H-Town? Find more games and live sports happening all month long in the 365 Houston calendar.

Top 5 Games & Sports Events in Houston This Week

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Top Games & Sports Events in Houston This Week: May 23 to 29, 2022

Top Games & Sports Events in Houston This Week: May 23 to 29, 2022

Join Orbit for an Astros giveaway and Dollar Dog Night this week | Courtesy of Houston Astros

Snag a seat to these must-see games and sports events around Houston from Monday, May 23 to Sunday, May 29, 2022.

The Astros start the week with a three-game stand against Cleveland, while Sunday offers a chance to enjoy a game of polo or soccer when the Dash hit the pitch for their second home game of the year.

Want to dig deeper on sports happening around H-Town? Find more games and live sports happening all month long in the 365 Houston calendar.

Top Games & Sports Events in Houston This Week

  • Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park | Monday, May 23 to Wednesday, May 25 – Kick off the week with a trip to the ballpark for a three-game series against the Guardians. Lucky early-arriving fans can try their hands at snagging a Michael Brantley AL Championship replica ring on Monday, while everyone can enjoy dollar dogs on Tuesday. $15 and up. 7:10pm daily.
  • Vaqueros Cup at Houston Polo Club | Sunday, May 29 – Close out the month of May with one of the final polo matches of the season, featuring world-class teams vying for prizes and the Vaqueros Cup. Enjoy all of that with live music, a champagne divot stomp at halftime, and more. Individual courtyard tickets are $32.50; $15.50 for ages 12 and under. Boxes for 2 to 20 guests range from $89 to $895. 5pm.
  • Houston Dash vs. North Carolina Courage at PNC Stadium | Sunday, May 29 – In only their second home game of the season, the Dash return from a road trip to face the Courage in a cross-conference clash on Memorial Day weekend. $12 and up. 6pm.

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Can-Am Police-Fire Games invites residents to participate in several events

Can-Am Police-Fire Games invites residents to participate in several events


Can-Am Police-Fire Games organizers announced Wednesday residents will now have the chance to compete in a few of the events.


Space is available for 150 participants to run with and in support of first responders during the 5K (July 27 at 7 p.m.), 10K (July 28 at 7 p.m.) and 21K half marathon road race (July 30 at 7 a.m.).


There is also space for 75 participants in the Cross Country 5K (July 27 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and 10K (July 28 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.)


“We think this opportunity to run with and in support of our first responders will be a special memory for a lot of people. And there will be other event opportunities announced soon,” said general manager Jan Wilson.


The Can-Am Police-Fire Games is a multi-sport event which is hosted in either Canada or the U.S. every two years.


Over the six day period, the games range from more traditional sports such as softball, swimming and track, to more participant-focused events such as SWAT competitions and the Toughest Firefighter Alive completion.


Runners interested in participating can register at raceroster.com.


In addition to opening some of the events to residents, organizers also called for first responders to join the Can-Am Games Golf tournament July 26 through July 29.


Play includes two and four-person scrambles as well as individual competitions. Organizers say there is still room for players so emergency responders interested should register now.


Registration for the 2022 Can-Am Police-Fire Games is open at www.windsor2022.ca.