Urgent Fury has showcased their Premium Event, Urgent Fury on Tour $15K GroundWar Challenge on PlayStation 3 around here long enough, you may recognize this weekend’s big Black Ops 2 LAN these folks are hosting in Chicago this weekend.

Many of you who were at recent UMG Gaming events at Game Pazzo, would recognize this unique venue just outside of downtown Chicago.  In additional to that, all of us who’ve enjoyed an entertaining production from Kona’s Korner will appreciate the stream quality.  The obvious highlight for this specific event, is the PS3 platform/game being showcased and the very healthy $15,000 up for grabs between outstanding Call of Duty players.

Since Tournament Seeker enjoys positively showcasing our premium listing-partners who host great eSports events all around the world, Ben McDougal of Jet Set Studio took the opportunity to chat with Urgent Fury organizer and Texas native, Shane Bell, just a few days before their big LAN event.

Here’s a transcript for proof…

BEN: Shane, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you and we’re excited about your LAN event in Chicago this weekend.  Why don’t we begin with quick overview on the Urgent Fury community?
[Shane Bell]:  Urgent Fury was created back in the PS2 days for SOCOM.  Since the beginning UF has always been about respectful gaming and sportsmanship which you will find inspired our motto of “Win with Honor, Lose with Dignity”.  We offer a wide variety of Leagues and Scenario Based TacMap tournaments generally on PlayStation.

BEN: Excellent.  Now that we know a bit more on Urgent Futy overall, let’s chat about this weekend’s big event.  We know the basics thanks to what you’ve shared on your Tournament Seeker event listing, but tell us more about what you’re excited most about as this big PS3 Black Ops 2 tournament approaches.
[Shane Bell]:  This is the first time we have been able to get out our tournament out in the field per say.  Thanks to our generous sponsors we are able to bring some true cash to the PlayStation players’ pockets with our $15,000 prize pool.  We feel that PlayStation players have not really had their opportunities to get in on the bigger prize pools.

BEN: Has it been challenging to connect with players who only play CoD on the PS3?
[Shane Bell]:  Somewhat yes, there are still many who do not know about the event even though we’ve worked hard to get the word out.  Going back to what I said earlier as the PS3 players are not accustomed to having these opportunities for Black Ops 2, so we want to make sure they do.  This is only the first event of many to come to PlayStation!

BEN: That’s excellent.  So, does the gameplay within a PS3 LAN experience, differ from an Xbox 360 LAN?  If so, how?
[Shane Bell]: Honestly the actual gameplay is not much different, but Urgent Fury’s rule set and game settings are what makes us different.  One of the most criticized setting is random hard points.  We receive constant feedback that we should use rules similar to MLG and other sites out there, but we are different.  We want to be unique as well, not just a copycat riding the wave.  These are the same rules we have been using since day one on Black Ops 2 and what our community is accustomed to.  It also is just a bit more challenging.

BEN: That said, how do you think Xbox 360 players would fair at this weekend’s event?  Do you have any controller converters or would they be required to use PS3 controllers?
[Shane Bell]:  It will definitely be a challenge for an Xbox player.  To ensure a level playing field, as well as avoiding modded controllers slipping in, we are providing all of the equipment, including the system, controllers, and even headsets.  With that being said, yes they will have to use a PS3 controller.

BEN: When we discuss the Xbox 360 vs. the PS3, what are your thoughts on the next generation consoles?  Also, with your connectivity to Sony and Playstation, how do you think they are planning to support eSports enthusiasts as they launch the PS4 this holiday?
[Shane Bell]:  So, I had the pleasure of seeing both at E3 this year.  I, of course, am pretty partial to PS4, but when it comes to eSports, I think both consoles will have their place.  I am not sure how it is going to play out for the Xbox One though.  It will be interesting to see if MLG will use it.  We have future plans to support both PS3 and PS4, in both online and live events.

BEN: Speaking of connectivity with Sony and their Playstation community, let’s talk about that for a moment.  How long have you collaborated with the folks at Sony, what type of relationship have you been able to build, and what have you done to keep momentum moving forward with such a notable partner?
[Shane Bell]:  We have been a community partner with PlayStation for quite some time now.  They are great to work with and are all about the community and the gamers.  Really we are about giving the PlayStation community a platform to compete in, and we are not the only ones out there.

BEN: A lot of people misunderstand how involved it can be to maintain a meaningful relationship like that, so thanks for sharing.  I suppose as we close, I’m curious to hear what you plan to next?  Specifically, do you have any future video game events you’d like to share?
[Shane Bell]:  We are coming to Houston next, and our tour is planned to hit both the east and west coasts as well.  For all of you guys out there that like Dust514, we have an online video game event getting started right now, head over to www.urgentfury.com for more info.

BEN: Cool.  Lastly, where can folks learn more about you, Urgent Fury, and this weekend’s LAN event?
[Shane Bell]:  Go to our Tournament Seeker event listing of course.  We have all the #UFonTour details right there!  You can also watch the event live this Saturday (August 3, 2013) on www.twitch.tv/urgentfury, as Kona’s Korner Productions will be running the show and we’ll be giving away prizes to our online viewers as we enjoy the exciting CoD competition!

BEN: Thanks Shane and we’ll be watching.  Now, wanna conclude this with your short testimonial for Tournament Seeker?
[Shane Bell]: I’d love to: www.TournamentSeeker.com/testimonial-view/urgent-fury

Special thanks to Urgent Fury for sharing some great insight, right as they prepare to host their a large-scale LAN.

How excited, nervous, hyped, and terrified are those guys, haha!

We hope you enjoyed that short interview with a video game community manager and now a LAN event organizer.  Although we can’t showcase all our Premium Listing like this, if you think you’re up for it and understand the promotional value of something like this, please feel free to reach out in the email form below.

In the meantime, please enjoy this Next Generation Consoles article and good luck to the Urgent Fury gaming community!