Our massive $10,000 StarCraft II Ladder kicks off this week, with gamers issuing challenges and battling it out for the top spots and the chance to take home some serious prize money.

Gamers can still register to play in the tournament even though it has started, so there's still plenty of time to get in the race to chase down some prize money. Since the increase of the prize pool to $10,000 we've added prizes for the top 16 players overall, giving you more chance than ever to take home cash.

In addition to the massive overall prizes, including $2,000, $1,000 and $500 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively there is more cash for the top 5 ranked players in each location. So even if you don't think you've got what it takes to take home the overall prize, there's a great chance to be in the top 5 at your local centre.

Check out all the details on CyberGamer.com.au

That's right, the prize pool has been increased once again, this time to a ridiculous $10,000, with additional prizes for those ranked in the top 16 overall.

This means great prizes for all those placing in the top 4, and an additional $50 for all those in the top 16 places. All of this is of course on top of the local centre and Under 18 prizes. Check out all the details at Cybergamer.com.au

Play StarCraft II on Tuesday nights from 6pm - 10pm and pay just $10.

If you've registered for our upcoming $8,000 StarCraft II Ladder, the first two Training Tuesdays are absolutely free!

That's right, the StarCraft II Ladder Prize Pool has increased to a ridiculous $6,500 with the entrance of Sydney and Dandenong to the competition.

This means that 1st place will take home $1,600 with 2nd place $700, third place $350 and a runner up receiveing $100. But this is not all! These are just the base prizes for these winners. Players ranking in the top 5 of each location will take home cash, and this will be added on top of your prize money if you take out one of the overall positions.

Check out all the details here.

Congratulations to the team from Ballarat who defeated the Geelong team in the Winter Cup held on Sunday.

The cash prizes for gamers at each LAN Centre involved in the upcoming StarCraft II Ladder has been announced.

In addition to the massive cash prizes up for grabs for the best StarCraft II players over the entire league, there will be cash prizes for the best gamers at each centre involved. These are:

1st ranked in each location $150

2nd ranked in each location $100

3rd ranked in each location $100

4th ranked in each location $100

5th ranked in each location $50

This means there are guaranteed cash prizes for the top 5 gamers in each location, on top of the cash prizes for the overall best players. There will also be an extra prize pool for the best Under 18 gamers overall. These prize pools will be announced soon as we draw closer to the official start of the ladder!

The StarCraft II Beta has been reactivated in the lead up to release, and Guf has in-store accounts ready to go so you can get some practice in before the tournament this August.

The Barracks, a game centre in Canberra, has joined the upcoming StarCraft II Tournament - increasing the gamers involved as well as the prize pool to well over $3,000.

As written on CyberGamer.com.au "What is this ladder exactly? Its a heavily prized CG Ladder, but it's not just that, this ladder has a twist. This ladder will be played at participating Gaming Centers and Cafes throughout Australia. That's right, you will be playing LIVE, sitting beside other people at your local center who will be doing the same, knowing that your opponent is also not locked up in his room at home, but rather down at their local center enjoying the atmosphere and the cheering and the red carpet."

This ladder will feature massive prize money for participating gamers, and not just for the top two or three players in Australia. Top players from each game centre will receive prize money - so no matter where you're playing from, you'll have a huge chance of taking home cash!

Find out more at the CyberGamer.com.au website.

The rules and setup for the upcoming StarCraft II Tournament with over $3,000 in prize money have been announced.

This tournament will be the biggest event of its kind in Australia, with massive amounts of prize money up for grabs. Players will compete in a ladder hosted by CyberGamer.com.au by playing at participating game centres around Australia. Check out the rules here.

It's that time of the year again where Geelong and Ballarat find the best players in each city to face off for the Winter Cup.

This year the games will be Heroes of Newerth, Call of Duty 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The Winter Cup will be held on Sunday July 18th at Guf Geelong with qualifiers taking place at each store in the weeks leading up to the date - giving the teams plenty of time to make good use of all the free training time. Drop into your local Guf to find out how to get involved!

BFBC2 Nights start tonight - play against gamers from Ballarat, Geelong and Shepparton for just $10 for four hours.

Get into a squad from your local game centre and battle it out on the server hosted by CyberBUNKER Shepparton playing against a group of gamers from CyberBUNKER as well as Guf Geelong and Ballarat.

Fight for the glory of being the best in the state as well as novelty prizes given out each week. Ask staff for more details!

Come in and play Starcraft 2 for 4 hours for only $10. That's only $2.50/hour. This deal is only available on Mon, Tues, Wed and Thu nights from 6pm - 10pm. The Starcraft 2 beta officially closes on the 31st of May so this offer is strictly limited. This is your last chance to get your skills up before the Guf $3000 SC2 ladder!

Looking for a way to get Starcraft 2 for free? Come into Guf Ballarat on Saturday May the 16th. Try out the Starcraft board game and the SC2 beta totally for free. AND 1 lucky person who preorders win their copy for free as a lucky door prize.

Congratulations to the team from Ballarat who took home the Summer Cup for this year.
Ballarat defeated Geelong in both Age of Empires 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to take home the Summer Cup, whilst Geelong defeated Ballarat in Heroes of Newerth.
Planning is already under way for the Autumn Cup, with new games and held in Geelong.

The Ballarat and Geelong teams have been training in the past weeks, ready for the Summer Cup this Sunday 17th.
Following selection at the qualifiers in each city, the teams have been given unlimited free training time at guf to hone their skills before the face-off on Sunday. Geelong will travel down to Ballarat to compete in Heroes of Newerth, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Age of Empires 3.

Guf Geelong has just added 8 new PCs to its gaming lineup, bringing our total number of gaming seats up to 36.
This means more room for lock-ins and more room during the day so you'll never have to wait for a free PC again. We're now up and running with 28 gaming computers and 8 Xbox 360 consoles.

Just letting everyone know that Guf Ballarat is rolling out it's new sexy i7-920 PCs. They are super quick, brand new and glowing blue! Everything runs faster and is far more stable. Less crashes! This means we have a few of the old e6600 pcs (2GB Ram, 250GB HDD) looking for a new home. Grab your old favourite (Ive always had a soft spot for pc6) for $399. No OS, no warranty! Yeah I'd love to leave all the games installed but it aint gunna happen :)

Everyone at Guf wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, look forward to all the new games coming to Guf in 2010.

The Ballarat vs Geelong Summer Cup is coming this January 17th, ask staff how you can qualify to compete!
Ballarat came out on top during the Winter Cup in 2009, so the Summer Cup will see some fierce competition from Geelong to take back some glory this year. This Summer's games are: Heroes of Newerth, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Age of Empires 3.
Each town will be holding qualifiers to see how are Ballarat and Geelong's best gamers, who will face off at the Summer Cup in Ballarat.

Activision's blockbuster new shooter: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is instore and ready to play. And it is awesome!

Guf Geelong is giving away 1,000 free hours these September School Holidays.
With events running every day including Lock-ins and heaps of Tournaments, there's heaps of fun to be had and hours to be one. Events calendar:
SEPTEMBER:
18th – Lock-in 10pm – 10am
19th – Lock-in 10pm – 10am
20th – Far Cry 2 FFA Tournament 7pm
21st – Call of Duty 4 FFA Tournament – 1pm
22nd – DotA (-arsp) Tournament – 7pm
23rd – CnC 3 1v1 Tournament – 1pm
24th – Halo 3 FFA Tournament – 7pm
25th – Lock-in 10pm – 10am
26th – Lock-in 10pm – 10am
27th – Heroes of Newerth 3v3 Tournament - 1pm
28th – Supreme Commander 1v1 Tournament – 7pm
29th – DotA 2v2 (-sdom) Tournament – 1pm
30th – Call of Duty 4 FFA Tournament - 7pm
OCTOBER:
1st – COD: WAW 4v4 Zombies Tournament – 1pm
2nd – Lock-in 10pm – 10am
3rd – Lock-in 10pm – 10am
4th – Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood Tournament - 7pm
You can pick up a flyer or register for the Tournaments in-store!

Guf has scored exclusive access to the Heroes of Newerth Closed Beta - testing a brand new game from S2Games.
S2Games, the creators of Savage 1 and 2 are developing Heroes of Newerth, a next generation PC game based on the popular Warcraft III map - Defense of the Ancients (DotA). Come into guf and ask the staff how you can create an account and start playing one of the biggest titles for this year.

Congratulations to Guf Ballarat who took home the Winter Cup for this year.
On Sunday July 5th, the representative team from Ballarat traveled down to Geelong to battle in a series of games for the Winter Cup 2009. The teams had been training hard for the past two weeks, but it all came down to the performance on the day.
Halo 3 was the first game to be played and resulted in a solid win by the Geelong team. Capture the Flag on Valhalla was the game, and Geelong took down Ballarat 3-0.
Following this initial defeat, Ballarat decided to take back some glory in style, showing Geelong just how Call of Duty 4 is really played. Ballarat defeated Geelong in scores I'm sure the Geelong team would rather not talk about - taking smashing Geelong to record a win for their side.
Going into the final game Demigod, the teams were 1-1 and the results of the day would come down to this last game. A close game and well fought by both sides, but Ballarat still managed to come out the victor with superior team tactics.
A successful day of tournament play topped off with free pizza and some free hours for the representative teams. Look forward to the Spring Cup!

This Sunday the team from Ballarat will travel to Geelong to compete in the Winter Cup against the Geelong Guf team.
Kicking off at 11am the representative teams will face off over a series of games including Call of Duty 4, Demigod and Halo 3. The teams have been training for the past two weeks to hone their skills and strategies in the hopes of taking home the Winter Cup for their centre.

Guf Geelong has just seen a massive upgrade with the addition of 8 Xbox360 consoles, each on it's own 32" LCD TV.
These Xbox 360s are available for Xbox Live (online) and System Link (LAN) play over a variety of games. Currently our games list includes; Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Red Faction: Guerrilla , Far Cry 2 and Project Gotham Racing 3. These consoles are also available for booking at our Friday and Saturday night Lock-ins that run 10pm - 10am for just $15 each week.

A reminder to everyone that the Winter Cup qualifiers will be held this Sunday 14th June at your local Guf.
If you want the chance to represent your city in the annual Winter Cup, you'll need to register for the qualifiers at your local store. We're seeking pro gamers in Call of Duty 4, Left 4 Dead and Demigod.
The top players from each city will play each other on Sunday July 5th for the chance to take home the Winter Cup for their city. The Winter Cup will be held in Guf Geelong - 28 Malop st, Geelong.

For the second year in a row, the winner of the $1000 COD4 tournament was Team Immunity. Australia Field Ops were an unlucky 2nd. AFO came into the final full of confidence, having beaten TI in the earlier rounds but in the end TI's professionalism won the day. Local Ballarat team Crimson Dragons took out 3rd.

Congratulations to Forest, Zee and Ropey - winners of the $1000 Demigod tournament. Warry, Muffins and Nicholas made it to the grand final but were beaten by some great team work. 3rd and 4th places were filled by two Shepparton teams, Cyberbunker and Anger Management.

The Call of Duty 4 league, featuring Free-for-all and Team games is starting tomorrow night.
Using ProMod to ensure a balanced playing field, the Monday night league features a FFA ladder to test your individual skill, and a Team ladder with teams of three competing to be the Guf Geelong COD4 champions. Free hours are up for grabs each night along with some solid COD4 competition. Sign up at the front desk!

Guf Geelong is now taking registrations from those wishing to qualify for the Geelong Winter Cup team 2009. Register at the front desk for the games you'd like to qualify for - Call of Duty 4, Demigod and Left 4 Dead are this years games and we need pros for each game!
The qualifiers will be held on Sunday June 14th and will be $5 per game you wish to qualify for. The top players in each game will form the official Guf Geelong Winter Cup squad for 2009. An opportunity you don't want to miss!

Registrations are now open for the huge Guf / GiG COD4 and Demigod tournaments at http://www.guf.com.au/register_gig.php . Register for the chance to win over $2000 in cash prizes.

With a prize pool of over $2000, the Guf / Get into Games Demigod and Call of Duty 4 tournaments are set to be one of the biggest eSports events of 2009. Spanning 2 massive days (Friday 15th May and Saturday 16th May)the competition will culminate with the top teams playing off on the main stage at the Ballarat Get Into Games Expo. Entry is $25 per person, with teams of 3 for Demigod and teams of 5 for Cod4.

Season 8 of the inter-game centre league, Truerank, kicks off on the 28th of April. Each Tuesday night will feature a DotA league and each Wednesday Dawn of War 2 players will do battle in a 1v1 and 3v3 competition. On Thursday night the ever popular Call of Duty 4 league sees teams from 12 different game centres fighting it out for the title of Australia's best. It all kicks off on the 28th of April with Dota, the 29th of April for DOW2 and Thursday the 30th for COD4. Get into Guf and signup now!

Congratulations to the Ballarat guys from GBU - winners of the season 7 Truerank COD4 league. Brownie, Kirby, Sinky, Synic & Tollie dominated the six week series and finished things off by defeating Cyberbunker Shepparton in the final. They take home $500 and the title of COD4 champions.

Dawn of War 2 is out now and is finally working perfectly. Up to 8 players can play simultaneously on Lan or online. And for the next week you can play for 1 hour for free. Provided we have a few free computers for the paying customers - but apart from that - it is totally free!

Truerank season 7 kicks off on next week. This season will include: Tuesday 7pm DotA 5v5 ($29 pp) Thursday 7pm COD4 PAM mod 4v4 and Thursday 8pm COD4 Promod 5v5 ($40 pp). Last season our Ballarat pro team came 3rd and took home $160. Come in, signup and get into some eSports action!

On the 1st of January, the new Guf Geelong store will open at 28 Malop St (opposite La Porchetta). We will be starting off with 20 pcs and 2 xboxes. We will also be setting up 2 big projector screens for Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band2. More details soon....

The highly anticipated Gears of War 2 is now out and playable at guf on any of our four Xbox 360s.
The gears of war continue to turn as Marcus Fenix and his squad of Cogs go back into action in the sequel to Microsoft and developer Epic Games' blockbuster action title. Gears of War 2 continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, locked in an increasingly desperate battle against the nightmarish Locust Horde for the survival of humanity. The game promises to be an epic saga of survival, loss, and retribution. Just as Gears of War set the standard for high-definition visuals, Gears of War 2 raises the bar even further with the amazing technological advances of Unreal Engine 3, delivering a bigger, badder, and more intense experience as the story continues.

This week guf has two new additions in Fallout 3 and FIFA 09, both for the PC.
Fallout 3 is the highly anticipated game from Bethesda Softworks, a Role-Playing Game set in the wastelands of Washington D.C. following a nuclear holocaust.
FIFA 09 is the latest edition of the FIFA soccer series by EA Games.

Two highly anticipated titles make their way to guf this week - Far Cry 2 and Dead Space.
Far Cry 2 is a brand new FPS set in Africa, featuring amazing new environmental effects including dynamic lighting and time-of-day along with the most realistic fire ever seen in a game. The new features in Far Cry 2 bring a new edge to the FPS genre, with single and multi player available at guf.
Dead Space is a new Sci-fi horror themed game that has received amazing reviews since it came out. An intense atmosphere backed up by fantastic game play and combat makes for a great experience. Dead Space is single player only.

OMG! $49 Lich King and get 5 free hours! That makes it like only $30!

The latest expansion for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is due out on November 14th, pre-order now to save.

The standard edition of Wrath of the Lich King is $59.95 RRP, but when pre-ordering from guf you will pay online $49, and will be able to pick the game up at midnight on the launch day - be one of the first to play the new game!

These school holidays guf will be holding our first ever Halo 3 Doubles Tournament, with $100 cash up for grabs.

First place will receive $100, second place will receive $40 and the team coming third will win $20. Entry for the tournament is $10 per person, with the tournament to be held at 12 noon on September 30th.

Come in store for all the details and to book your team!

The highly anticipated new game from The Sims creator Will Wright is out, and is now playable at guf.
From the very tiniest forms of life to the intergalactic level of existence, you are in control of life itself in this simulation game by Will Wright. Beginning in the primordial ooze, players create a character from DNA that will grow, survive, and mate as it evolves from a single-celled organism to a fully-formed member of an establishing species. As more and more creatures inhabit the world, and as evolution forms the future, your species will join herds, clans, even civilizations. The more advanced the creatures of the planet grow, the more complex the strife of survival becomes. And while the player can continue gameplay in Spore at any level -- playing as a cell, as a wild creature, or as a civilized and organized society – players can also step even further out and play the game from the planetary or interstellar level, while also going online to connect worlds with other gamers.

There is some huge games coming out in the next few months. To keep you guys up to date I've created a list of the exact release dates. I've included our special Guf prices just in case any of you crazy kids decide you've gotta buy something. With super cheap prices it's all about looking after our lovely Guf members. Personally I think you should just come into Guf to play... :)

True Rank Season 4 has officially ended, with the finals fought out last week between the highest scorers during the ladder season.
Division 1 DotA saw Zone Adrenalan Bendigo defeat The Barracks Canberra to take home the title of Season 4 DotA Champions!
In Division 2 DotA the CyberBunker3 team took down Gaming Unleashed team to take home the Division 2 honours for this season.
Gaming Unleashed defeated CyberBunker in Division 1 Counter-Strike: Source and in Division 2 Zone Adrenalan defeated the CyberBunker2 team.
In the individual DotA -arsp league, Virge from CyberBunker took home the top score of the season on an incredible 190 kills.
The Division 1 Call of Duty 4 champions were Island, who defeated The Barracks in the finals match. In the Division 2 finals Lanmine defeated Computers Made Fun.
The individual Dawn of War: Soulstorm final saw Oddessy from CyberBunker defeat Zender from Guf.
Well done to all teams who competed this season, with special congratulations to all teams who managed to make it into the finals. A great season played by all - keep practicing and get ready for Season 5!

True Rank Season 5 is on its way with all Season 4 games - Dawn of War: Soulstorm, DotA (both -lm and -arsp), Counter-Strike: Source and Call of Duty 4 set to be heavily contested for another season. New to Season 5 is Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, helping to bring more RTS into the league. The proposed schedule for Season 5 is: Tuesday 5.45pm: Dawn of War: Soulstorm (Individuals) Tuesday 7:00pm: DotA -lm (Teams of 5) Wednesday 6:00pm: Counter-Strike: Source (Teams of 5) Wednesday 7.30pm: DotA -arsp (Indiciduals) Thursday 6:00pm: Call of Duty 4 (Teams of 4, Search and Destroy) Thursday 7.30pm: Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (Individuals) Register your interest at guf early, and as always - keep throwing around ideas for new leagues on the forums, True Rank is always willing to try out a new game and see if it takes off.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a brand new MMORPG, that is now playable at guf. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) based on the world and works of acclaimed author Robert E. Howard. In Age of Conan, players enter Hyboria with thousands of their friends and enemies to live, fight, and explore the dark and brutal world of King Conan. Come into guf and try it out on the guf account, we will also have copies available for purchase if you wish to continue playing. The server everyone from guf will be on is 'Bloodspire' so make sure you start your character there so you can play with us!

We've recently downloaded a whole bunch of new Rock Band songs, so now is a better time than ever to come down to Guf and check it out before it hits shelves here in Australia. Here's the full list: N.I.B. – Black Sabbath Sweet Leaf – Black Sabbath War Pigs – Black Sabbath Ride the Lightning - Metallica Blackened - Metallica ..And Justice for All - Metallica March of the Pigs – Nine Inch Nails The Collector – Nine Inch Nails The Perfect Drug – Nine Inch Nails Don’t Look Back in Anger - Oasis Live Forever - Oasis Wonderwall - Oasis 3’s & 7’s – Queens of the Stone Age Little Sister – Queens of the Stone Age Sick, Sick, Sick – Queens of the Stone Age The Hellion/Electric Eye – Judas Priest Riding on the Wind – Judas Priest Bloodstone – Judas Priest (Take these) Chains – Judas Priest Pain and Pleasure – Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance – Judas Priest You’ve Got Another Thing Comin – Judas Priest Fever – Judas Priest Devil’s Child – Judas Priest All the Small Things – Blink 182 Beethoven’s C*** – Serj Tankian Buddy holly – Weezer Dirty Little Secret – All American Rejects Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival I Fought the Law – The Clash Interstate Love Song – Stone Temple Pilots Joker and the Thief – Wolfmother Last train to Clarksville – The Monkeys My Sharona – The Knack Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden Roxanne – The Police Sex type thing – Stone Temple Pilots Simple man – Lynyrd Skynyrd Still alive - GLaDOS

This year the World Cyber Games Victorian Finals will be held in Ballarat, here at Guf as well as the Mining Exchange in conjunction with the Get into Games expo. Competitors victorious in the finals will win flights and accommodation to the national finals in Sydney, victory there will bring them to the next stage - the world finals in Cologne, Germany! When: Saturday 6am - 2am May 16th and Saturday 9am - 4pm May 17th Where: Guf Games Centre 121 Doveton St North, Ballarat and the Mining Exchange 8 Lydiard St North, Ballarat Cost: $25 per person Official games: [PC Games] · Call of Duty 4 (5 v 5 Team FPS) · DotA (5 v 5 Team RTS) · Warcraft III (1 v 1 RTS) [Xbox 360] · Halo 3 (4 v 4 Team FPS) · Project Gotham Racing 4 (1 v 1 Racing) · Guitar Hero 3 (1 v 1 Music) · Virtual Fighter 5 (1 v 1 Fighting) Register here - Registration must be in by 11th May, so be quick!

As part of Truerank season 4, the major prize of a Gaming PC is up for grabs. To win, all you have to do is enter to compete in the Truerank league. We are still discussing the exact components in the gaming PC but we can reveal that the Gaming PC will be housed in the sexy Thermaltake Soprano DX and will be powered by the Thermaltake Toughpower 600w PSU. The winner may not necessarily be someone from Guf, but it will be someone who competes in Truerank. Head over to forum.truerank.com.au and have your say in how we should give away the gaming PC.

True Rank Season 3 is officially over - the cake has been taken and finals results are in. Call of Duty 4 was a new addition to the True Rank gaming line up this season and proved to be a very popular and competitive game with a total of six Division 1 teams and a Division 2 with four teams. CyberBunker Shepparton finished the qualifying season of True Rank undefeated, and they continued this winning streak into the finals match against Guf Ballarat. Congratulations to the winning CB team consisting of Virge, Hopstar, Harry12 and Friedrice - who can now proudly call themselves the True Rank Call of Duty 4 champions. In the Division 2 match of The Island vs CyberBunker, The Island came out on top to take home the Division 2 honours for this season of Call of Duty 4. DotA - a tried and true favourite of the league was again an extremely competitive affair with six teams in Division 1 and a Division 2 of five teams making DotA the biggest game this season. Guf took the top spot at the end of the season on five points, but closely followed by the CyberBunker team on four points. CyberBunker managed to come out on top in the final to take the win from Guf and end the season once again as True Rank DotA champions. Well done to Virge, Nightfire, Friedrice, Presto and Maramix on their performance in the game. The Division 2 DotA final was fought out between two Guf teams, with a minimal amount of sledging up and down the store The Guf1 team managed to best their opponents taking home the Division 1 honours - Cozmo, Frosty, Birdyman, S1nky and Defiler. With the addition of Gaming Unleashed this season Counter-Strike: Source was more heated than ever with CB and GUN battling it out for the top spot all season. The finals brought out and extremely close match between the two teams, which eventually resulted in a tie breaker! At the end of the 30 rounds of play, each team was sitting on 15 wins and neither looked like they were going to give up. After some quick deliberation the format of the tie breaker was decided, each team would play five rounds on each side, and the winner decided from their. CB managed to take control during the tie breaker and defeat GUN 6-0. Well done to both teams, with special congratulations to the CB team - Chibi, Nightfire, Friedrice, Mazon and TyRael. In another new addition this season, the individually ranked DotA -arsp league turned out to be extremely popular. With 26 players over the season, plenty of kill stealing action and hero-slaying -arsp proved to always be an enjoyable (sometimes frustrating) experience. The -arsp champion for this season was [GK] Reaver who finished on an amazing 157 kills in just 6 games! Congratulations to everyone who participated in what was another fantastic season of True Rank. The new gaming centres this season certainly provided everyone with some new blood, and turned up the heat on the competition. Stay tuned for more information regarding next season, and keep thinking about those ideas for new games.

The qualifying season for True Rank is over, and finals teams have been announced. In Division 1 Call of Duty 4 Cyberbunker Shepparton came out on top undefeated with 6 wins and on a sturdy 12 points, the finals will see them face off against the Guf Ballarat team who ended the season on 4 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw totaling 9 points to narrowly take the finals spot from The Barracks Canberra. Whilst Division 2 Call of Duty 4 will see Cyberbunker Shepparton play The Island Tuggarah team 2 who finished 1st and 2nd on 10 and 8 points respectively. Counter-Strike: Source was hotly contested this season, but again we saw CyberBunker taking out the top position this season. Finishing the season undefeated on 6 wins totaling 12 points, CyberBunker will face off against Gaming Unleashed Gympie in the finals next week, who finished the season on 10 points. Division 1 DotA saw some very close matches this season but Guf prevailed to take home top spot this season with 5 wins and 1 draw, totaling 11 points. CyberBunker finished the season on 4 wins, 2 losses totaling 8 points and will play Guf in the finals. The Division 2 DotA final will be an all Guf affair, with Guf3 and Guf1 playing in the finals. Guf3 and Guf1 finished the season in equal first on the ladder winning 9 points each and each winning 4 matches, losing 1 and drawing 1 - should make for an extremely close match! Congratulations to all teams who earned a place in the finals, as well as to all the teams competing in this season of True Rank. For the latest True Rank news and discussion, head over to the forums.

The latest expansion to the award winning Dawn of War franchise, Soulstorm will be hitting Guf March 6. Soulstorm features two new races, the Dark Eldar and the Sisters of Battle - this will bring the total amount of playable races to an unprecedented nine! As well as two brand new races, Soulstorm bring air units to the battlefield, with a new flying unit for each race currently in the game, as well as for the two new races. Check out Soulstorm when it hits Guf later this week, and see if it's good enough for the next season of True Rank.

The official forums for the True Rank league are up and running, so head over and sign up. The forums will be the central area for all discussion related to the current league, and changes that might be made in the future so that True Rank can be better for everyone. Sign up and pledge your allegiance to Guf - this will give you access to the private Guf forum as well as access to all the other True Rank forums to discuss the latest games, news, strategies etc. Check out the forums here.

Season 3 of the True Rank gaming league has begun, with Call of Duty 4, Counter-Strike: Source and DotA being the contested games this season. To get the latest information on the draws, individual and gaming centre scores, as well as who is currently in the lead, head over to the True Rank page.

Time left to register for this season of True Rank gaming league is running out, with teams to be finalised soon. To ensure yourself a spot in one of the True Rank leagues, you need to come into guf and register along with payment for the season. These are the final steps you need to take to register yourself in the league which will begin on February 5th. The current league setup is: Counter-Strike: Source: 6pm Tuesdays (Teams of 5) DotA -arsp: 7.30pm Tuesdays (Individuals) Dota -lm: 7pm Wednesdays (Teams of 5) Call of Duty 4: 6pm Thursdays (Teams of 4) RTS: Games to be determined: 7.30pm Thursdays (Individuals)

Savage 2: A Tortured Soul is set for release Thursday the 17th and to celebrate guf is holding a VIP Only Launch Night - the night will run from 7pm-11pm and will cost just $6 for all VIP Members. Be sure to book in-store at guf as quickly as possible as places will fill up fast! Be one of the first to play Savage 2 on it's release!

The third season of the True Rank gaming league is starting early February and we are taking registrations now. Confirmed games for this season are Counter-Strike: Source, Call of Duty 4 and DotA. There are also three RTS games we may be playing depending on the interest that we get, these include: Command and Conquer 3, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and Dawn of War: Dark Crusade. Put your name down on the sign up sheet at counter to show you're interested, with payment and registration finalised at a slightly late date.

Want to avoid the price rise? Get a 2008 VIP Membership and receive: - An exclusive membership card - 5 hours - VIP rate: 1 hour for $4 - VIP rate: 30mins for $2 - Access to $2/hour VIP nights - Free can of coke when purchasing 5 hours - VIP only bulk buy deal: 15 hours for $49 VIP membership is only available until 13th January and is valid until 31/12/08

In order to finish off 2007 at guf, we're looking back at the 50 most played games at guf over the past year. Some are classics, some are still at the top of the ladder today, and some are a long gone hit. 1. World of Warcraft 2. Counter-Strike: Source 3. Warcraft 3 4. Call of Duty 2 – Multiplayer 5. Call of Duty 4 – Multiplayer 6. Dawn of War: Dark Crusade 7. Day of Defeat: Source 8. Gary’s Mod 9. Company of Heroes 10. Battlefield 2142 11. Command and Conquer 3 12. Battlefield 2 13. Team Fortress 2 14. Supreme Commander 15. The Sims 2 16. Overlord 17. Flatout 2 18. Hellgate London – Singleplayer 19. Half-Life 2: Deathmatch 20. Starcraft Broodwars 21. Dragonball Source 22. Savage 23. Medal of Honour: Airborne 24. Call of Duty 4 – Singleplayer 25. Portal 26. Guild Wars 27. Crysis 28. Half-Life 2 29. Timeshift 30. World of Warcraft Test Server 31. Enemy Territory – Quake Wars 32. Neverwinter Nights 33. Half-Life 2: Episode 2 34. Empire Earth 3 35. Race 07 36. Trackmania Nations 37. Need for Speed: Prostreet 38. Wolfenstein 3D 39. Hexen 40. Unreal Tournament 3 41. Stepmania 42. Clive Barker’s Jericho 43. Geometry Wars 44. Chuzzle Deluxe 45. Ultimate Doom 46. Heavy Weapon Deluxe 47. Bookworm Deluxe 48. Doom 2 49. Feeding Frenzy 2 50. Bejewelled 2 Deluxe Note: Get Chuzzling and we'll get it in the Top 10 next year!

The action-oriented PvP only MMORPG game Fury, from Australian developer Auran has gone free to download and play. You can download Fury from the official site at www.unleashthefury.com and sign up for your free account there. Once your account has been created you are free to battle and advance in the game world. As a free player you are entitled to slightly less benefits than those who've purchased the game, or pay the monthly subscription fee. However, in your first month of play you get the same access as the 'Immortals' those players who have signed up for the subscription, so you can test out all that Fury has to offer. Fury is ready to play at Guf, and all you need to do is sign up for your free game account and get playing!

1st prize PSP + 2 games 2nd prize CyberSnipa Mouse 3rd Prize Guf Hoody Bring in the most new members, or returning members*, before the end of Jan to WIN! Those who come 4th and 5th also receive a Guf T-Shirt, and there are four copies of Hitman: Blood Money to give away for runners up as well! Receive four free hours instantly for each new member or returning member*! *A returning member is a member who has not purchased hours in the past 6 months. To be included in your tally, the returning member must purchase at least 5 hours of guf time in one transaction.

The latest season of True Rank DotA ended last night, with the victors being decided in a well fought finals match.

In Division 1 the Gaming Knights team defeated the Guf team to take home the title of True Rank DotA champions, which is no mean feat. In Division 2 CyberBunker defeated the Guf team to take home the Division 2 title.

The biggest weekend BYOC LAN to hit Ballarat in a looong time is incoming. Kicking off December 7th to 9th, book online now at www.realityevolved.com . With less than 20 spots left out of 48, book before it's too late.

It's a great time to be a gamer, with World in Conflict, Stranglehold, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Two Worlds making for some of the best PC releases this year.

Even with the amazing release schedule for the PC, consoles certainly aren't getting left in the dark - Halo 3, Conan, Call of Juarez, Juiced 2, Sega Rally, Skate and Medal of Honour: Airborne all made their way to the Xbox 360 recently, and are all available to hire or play in store.

The PS3 got one of the best releases for the system recently, with the critically acclaimed, multiplayer only shooter, Warhawk. The Wii also got Super Paper mario to flesh out it's game library with more classic mario gameplay.

Guf hoodies are now available to order - they are black and feature the Guf logo on the front, as well as your name on the back of the hoody. Cost is $40 and orders must be placed and paid for by this weekend.

The new season of True Rank begins on October 14th with Team Fortress 2, and registration is open now. After the success of the last season, it's back - and this time with a few new games to test your skills against.

Games returning from last season are; DotA, Dawn of War:Dark Crusade, Day of Defeat: Source, Counter-Strike: Source and Call of Duty 2. As well as all of those games, this season we are trialling some new additions to the True Rank league with' Team Fortress 2, An individual 'arsp' DotA ladder, Company of Heroes, Command and Conquer 3 and Battlefield 2.

Head down to Guf and sign up!

Available in Ballarat, exclusive to Guf, Team Fortress 2 launches Tuesday the 18th September at 7pm. Signup now for the launch and ensure you are one of the first in Ballarat to play TF2. Other NEW games for September - Medal of Honor Airborne - Quake Wars demo - Fury beta - Flatout 2 - Bioshock

CyberBunker added to their win in Counter-Strike: Source, as they took home the DotA Division 1 title as well for this season of True Rank, defeating GUF 3-2.

In DotA Division 2, GUF defeated GK 3-2, to take home the Division 2 win. Well done to all the participating teams, and especially to CyberBunker and GUF of Division 2.

CyberBunker took home the Division 1 Counter-Strike: Source title this season, taking down AL 29-0. Whilst in Division 2, GUF1 defeated the second GUF team to take home the Division 2 prize.

Well done to all participating teams, and special congratulations go to the CyberBunker and GUF1 teams.

The final of the COD2 truerank ladder was won by Guf1 over GK in a tight battle. Guf dominated initially, winning the first leg 12 - 5. GK came back hard in the second leg but were unable to get the caps needed - finishing GK 11 Guf 5. The final score: Guf 17 GK 16. Congratulations to the Guf1 team: Zyan, Coast, Haymaker, Ropey and Joshu.

CB again proved their skills in Division 1 of Counter-Strike: Source this week, successfully defeating AL and extending their lead above the other teams in the competition, they now sit on an impressive 12 points and remain undefeated.

GK also saw victories in Counter-Strike: Source this week, with their division 1 team defeating LM. Although, even with this victory they missed out on a place in the finals to the AL team by 2 points. CB and AL will face off next week in the Division 1 finals.

[CB] Veldren ends the season on a score of 66, and the top played in Counter-Strike: Source Division 1, earning the title of Victorian CS:S Champion. [CB] Fried Rice came second, only 3 points behind [CB] Veldren on 63.

Both GUF teams saw victories in Division 2 of CS:S with GUF defeating LM and GUF2 defeating CB in their respective matches. The results of this week confirm the teams for the Division 2 finals to be held next week, interior rivalries will be solved in a GUF vs GUF2 match.

Ending the season in 1st place for Division 2 CS:S is [GUF] Coast on 191, followed by [GUF] Zyan in second position 176.

For more information check out the True Rank pages.

This week in Call of Duty 2, GK defeated the GUF2 team while GUF retained their lead on the ladder by defeating GK2.

[GK] DarkHeart retains his steady lead on the Call of Duty 2 individual ladder on a solid score of 300, [GUF] Synic trails behind on 254 in second place.

With the ladder season now over, GUF and GK have been assured of their places in the finals. GUF and GK will face off next week to decide the Call of Duty 2 champions of Victoria.

For more information check out the True Rank pages.

Adrenalan Bendigo deafeated the GUF1 team in DOW:DC this week. In a surprising turn of events, AL managed to take the finals victory from the until now, undefeated GUF Team.

In the Day of Defeat: Source final between GK and GUF, GK defeated GUF to claim the title of Victorian Day of Defeat: Source champions.

Well done to both teams for making the finals, special congratulations to AL and GK for their respective victories.

For all True Rank information, check out the True rank pages.

With the DOWDC, DODS and DotA leagues now finished; it is time for the 1st placed and 2nd placed teams to play off in the final. Dawn of War Dark Crusade final Guf Ballarat (1st) vs Zone Adrenalan Bendigo (2nd) Day of Defeat Source final Gaming Knights Geelong (1st) vs Guf Ballarat (2nd) Defense of the Ancients Division 1 final Guf Ballarat vs Cyberbunker Shepparton (equal first) Defense of the Ancients Division 2 final Guf2 Ballarat (1st) vs Gaming Knights Geelong (2nd)

LM and AL took home victories in Division 1 Counter-Strike: Source putting AL into second place on the ladder, assuring them of a place in the finals next week.

Guf defeated Guf2 in Division 2 CS:S and CB took down LM for another victory to the tally. Although, both CB and LM miss out on a place in the finals which will be between the two Guf teams next week.

Division 1 of DotA saw CB and GUF into the finals with them each winning their games against GK and AL respectively. Whilst in division 2, Guf2 took down the CB team whilst GUF3 defeated GK.

For the full information on the finals next week, and this week's results, check out the True Rank page.

This week flagged the last of the games before the finals of this season of the True Rank gaming league, with positions in the finals given out to the top two teams on each of the game ladders.

The Guf team dominated again in DOW:DC over GK, ending the season undefeated and securing their place in the finals. AL took down the Guf2 team to secure their place alongside Guf in the finals to be held next week. [GUF] Zender retained his position in top spot on the ladder, winning by a healthy margin of 10 points on 78, and earning the title of True Rank DOW:DC Champion!

The GK2 team defeated Guf in DOD:S this week, taking them to the top of the ladder and going in to the finals with the upper hand. GK also defeated AL this week, but missed out on a placing in the finals to Guf. In the individual rankings [GUF] Forest kept his steady lead on 327 and earned his title of True Rank DOD:S Champion.

Well done to all those who participated in this season's games, with special congratulations to [GUF] Zender and [GUF] Forest taking out the individual trophies in their respective games.

For the full details head over to the True Rank page.

Another great week for CyberBunker in Counter-Strike: Source and DotA, managing to keep their top position on the CSS ladder, and bringing themselves to equal second on the DotA ladder with GUF, on 4 wins each.

Division 1 CSS saw CB and AL defeating GK and LM, whilst in Division 2 both GUF teams defeated their opponents CB and LM, keeping their position in first and second place on the Division 2 ladder.

GUF and CB won their games in Division 1 of DotA, defeating GK and AL respectively. It was GUF vs GUF in division 2 this week, with the GUF2 team defeating GUF3 as well as the GK team defeating CB.

For the full details as well as next weeks draw visit the True Rank page.

Some internal conflicts were resolved this week in Call of Duty 2, with the Guf and GK teams playing their respective second teams.

Guf managed to take down the Guf2 team in straight sets, winning both games with a large margin, whilst GK also proved victorious over GK2.

This week's games brought around a healthy reshuffle in the the Call of Duty 2 individual rankings, with [GK] DarkHeart and [GUF] Synic now sitting on top of the ladder on 227 and 169 respectively. In equal 3rd position are [GUF] elliooo and [GK] Josh, each on 166 kills.

With only one more week of games until the finals, the heat is on to secure a position in the games. GUF is undefeated on top of the ladder with 4 points, a shoe-in for the final face off, while GUF2 and GK are equal on 2 points each.

For the full breakdown of ladders, and the draw for next week's games check out the True Rank pages.

This week in Dawn of War Dark Crusade Guf defeated Guf2 and Adrenalan defeated Geelong's Gaming Knights, whilst in Day of Defeat Source, Guf defeated Adrenalan and Gaming Knights2 team overcame Gaming Knights1. Tonight was a satisfying night for Guf, winning every match they played. Firstly, Guf conquered Guf2 to secure top place in Dawn of War - Dark Crusade. Undefeated on 10 points, Guf1 cannot be toppled but the battle is on to secure 2nd place and a spot in the final. Next weeks match with Guf2 and Al should be interesting. Guf then went on to claim victory over Adrenalan in a breathtaking game of Day of Defeat Source. Guf's top player was Forest, coming in with a ranking score of 258. In other DODS news, Gaming Knights2 crushed Gaming Knights in a heated game with their top score of 220 held by Darkheart. And finally, Al defeated GK in a match of Dawn of War - Dark Crusade.

Bioshock, available to play on the Guf PCs and hire on XBox 360 on the 24th of August, could very well be the biggest game launch so far this year if the reviews can be trusted. GameSpy.com 10.0 IGN.com 9.7 UnderGroundOnline A /A+ 9.5 1UP.com 10.0 Xbox World 360 [UK] 0.9 GameTap 10 /10 10.0 Game Informer 10.0 Game Informer 10.0 GamesRadar [UK] 10.0 Eurogamer 10.0 Gamer.tv 10.0 Official Xbox Magazine 10.0

LM and CB took home victories in Division 1 Counter-Strike: Source this week, bringing them up to second and first places in the CS:S ladder respectively. Both Guf teams proved their worth against LM and CB in division 2, taking home a victory each.

CB and LM again came out on top in Defence of the Ancients, beating the Guf and GK teams. In division 2 Guf and GK drew with one win each, while CB took down Guf3 to add another win to this week's tally.

In the individual rankings this week [CB] Nightfire is in top spot for CS:S with a score of 46 in division one, while in division 2 [GUF] Zyan is on top with a solid score of 108.

For the full statistics and draw for next week, check out the TrueRank pages.

Guf dominated last night's Call of Duty 2 games taking home victories from both GK teams. Capture the Flag on Burgundy was the game and some quality grenade spamming from both sides proved to be the winning strategy.

[GUF] Ropey took home the top spot in the Deathmatch for GUF and GK2, while [GK]DarkHeart won the deathmatch for GUF2 and GK. At the end of last night's games, [GUF] elliooo is on top of the ladder at 146 kills, with [GUF] Ropey following closesly behind on 136.

For all the details and the full breakdown of ladders, visit the TrueRank page.

Both GUF teams took home victories in Dawn of War: Dark Crusade this week, with GUF keeping a steady lead on 8 points, and GUF2 equal second with AL Bendigo on four points each. [GUF] Zender brought out his true skill in the Free-For-All to take top position on the Dawn of War individual rankings, at a none too shabby 50 points!

GUF also managed to take a home a victory in Day of Defeat: Source, rising above the GK team to bring them to equal first position along side GK2, whilst GK2 triumphed over AL. This week's results brought [GUF] Forest to a 62 point lead on a whopping 258 total score.

For the full results and score breakdown, head over to the TrueRank page.

Halo 3 is out on the 25th of September. As a special deal for members only, pre order your copy for $84.00 or the collectors edition for $99.00. Pre order now or screw down EB for a discount :P

After a few technical problems in the first two weeks, True Rank is up an going in full swing! Keeping checking back for weekly updates on ladder positions and gaming results.

Current Overall Ladder:

Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	Draw	Points
1	GUF	9	4	0	18
2	AL	5	2	1	11
3	GK	3	10	1	7
4	CB	2	1	0	4
5	LM	0	1	0	0

Just a reminder to everyone that registration for the True Rank Gaming league will close as of Friday 20th July. If you are yet to sign up but still interested you need to get in quick to assure yourself a place in the teams. This is also a reminder to all those who have already put their names down for a place in the teams that the league officially begins on Monday 23rd with Dawn of War: Dark Crusade and Day of Defeat: Source. So if you've got your name down for a place in the teams, please pay as soon as possible to ensure a quick and easy start to the season! Check out the TrueRank page for information on the draw and to check out the ladders and statistics of each player and team.

Registration for the first season is closing soon! The first ever season of the TrueRank gaming league commences on the 25th July, so time is running out if you want to get involved.

The games being played for this season are Call of Duty 2, Counter Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source, Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, Starcraft and DotA.

There are two divisions for every game, so even if you think you might not be the best, you'll still be able to get a great game each week, against the other centres.

The cost is $29 per person for the entire season, this includes the weekly games against other centres, as well as two free hours a week to train for division 1 players, and one free hour for division 2 players. That's 24 hours for only $29!

If you wish to play in more than one game, the fee will be $49, the cost per league gets cheaper the more games you are involved in. Head down to guf to sign up, or sign up online via the registration page.

Beginning this September, Victoria will be the host to a new era of competitive gaming. The TrueRank™ gaming league is a league of four Victorian gaming centres revolving around competitive play, and will face each week in six different games.

The games chosen for the Spring '07 season are three RTS and three FPS games; Call of Duty 2, Counter Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source, Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, Starcraft and DotA (Defense of the Ancients).

The weekly games will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with two different games being played each night. There will be two divisions from each gaming centre, for each game that will play against the opposing team.

Head over to the TrueRank page for more information on the games, and how to sign up!

The $1000 has been won and the CPL Victorian DotA Champions found. Congratulations to TKS who took out the title and $800 from runner-ups Gaming Knights. GK, hailing from Geelong won $200 and much respect. TKS from the gaming centre N2C in Melbourne have won a berth in the CPL finals in Sydney on October the 13th. For more info and to view replays check out the events page.

The Halo 3 beta is out and you can play it instore at Guf. Try out what is sure to be the biggest XBox 360 game of 2007 on our 42" (106cm) plasma TV. The Halo 3 beta is only available for a few weeks so get in soon and test out your console fps skills. $2.50 for 30mins for guests or $2.00 for members.

Twenty contestants entered the FPS Qualifiers to try and grab a spot in the Guf Ballarat team to take on the Adrenelan Bendigo guys on Saturday June 16th. The top 5 players for Unreal Tournament 2004, Counterstrike Source and Call of Duty 2 are looking good for a place in the team but everyone who entered is invited to come to the free training sessions and prove their worth. No.1 CSS player on the day was Pure_daemon. Top COD2 player was Frosty. The best UT2004 player was also Frosty. Ranked by his team mates, team player of the day was panics. They win 5 hours each (10 for Frosty). Training will be held 5-6pm Tuesday and 6-7pm Fri and will cost nothing for anyone who entered the qualifiers. Everyone else is welcome to come and take on Ballarat's best FPS champions. The top ten CSS players were: 1. Pure_daemon 2. Panics 3. Bob 4. Bayanai 5. Sacren 6. Joshu 7. Zeeyan 8. Jock 9. Ropey 10. SWAT marine The top ten COD2 were: 1. Frosty 2. Bob 3. Sacren 4. Phil 5. Joshu 6. Ropey 7. Zeeyan 8. Shadow 9. Pure_daemon 10. SWAT marine The top ten UT2004 players were: 1. Frosty 2. Joshu 3. Phil 4. Sacren 5. Panics 6. SWAT marine 7. Ropey 8. Bob 9. Haymaker 10. Shadow The top ten team players were: 1. Panics 2. Frosty 3. Zeeyan 4. Joshu 5. Bob 6. Sacren 7. Ropey 8. Phil 9. SWAT marine 10. Bayanai

Elliooo dominated the tournament until the final, when he went down to Kadith. Luckily as the undefeated player, under double elimination rules, he had to be beaten twice. In a close game Ellioo was victorious, taking home a tshirt and 10 free hours. Kadith won a copy of Hitman Blood Money for second place. The top 5 rankings are available on www.guf.com.au/ladders

This time they are coming to us... We have laid down the gauntlet and Adrenelan Bendigo are taking up the challenge. We need you to try out for the Ballarat team on Saturday the 12th May. Trials start at 11.30ish and finish at 6pmish. The three games to be contested are Unreal Tournament 2004, CSS and COD2. Only $8 and the chance to prove just how good you are and get the chance to kick Bendigo's best. So if you are looking for some highly competitve FPS action come into Guf and signup or call on 53315303.

Guf and CPL Australia are pleased to announce the first Victoria CPL DotA Championships to be held in Ballarat on the 25th and 26th of May 2007. With a prize pool of over $1000, the DotA Championships are set to be one of the biggest professional PC Games Tournaments in Victoria during 2007. The competition will culminate with the top teams playing off on the main stage at the Ballarat Get Into Games Expo. With projectors displaying the contest on a big screen, the Ballarat public will be afforded an unprecedented opportunity to see semi-professional players in action. The winning team will gain automatic qualification to the National DotA Finals at the CPL Australia 2007 World Stop, October 12-14th 2007. This international event will be held at the Supanova Pop Culture Expo 2007, Sydney Olympic Park. DotA, or Defence of the Ancients, is a free Warcraft III mod. It is available from http://www.getdota.com/ The map will be 6.37 and the official CPL rules, available at http://www.cplaustralia.com/warcraft-3-dota-rules.html, will be used. Please register your team early at http://www.guf.com.au/register_dota.php or call 0353315303. With teams already registered from as far afield as Shepparton and Geelong, this tournament is sure to be popular. Entry is $15 per person - teams of 5.

The RTS Qualifying tournament to find the best Ballarat players to take on Shepparton's finest is completed and the results are in. With so many top level players involved we have narrowed the squad down to 14. The final squad will be decided just before the trip to Shepparton on Sunday the 20th of May. The squad will receive 2 free hours to train each week. Training times are from 6-7pm Mondays and 5-6 on Thursday. Everyone is welcome to come along and play Ballarat's best strategists! The top ranked player for DotA was Defiler. The top ranked player for Dawn of War: Dark Crusade was Johnny Pumpkin. The top ranked player for C&C Generals was Elliooo. They win 5 free hours each. Ellioo gets a bonus 5 hours for being top team player. Congrats! The top ten Dawn of War Dark Crusade players were: 1. JohnnyPumpkin 2. Elliooo 3. God 4. Moka 5. Shadowpriest 6. Colonel.Dimitry 7. Ropey 8. Scsi 9. Insanity 10. Unknown_Slayer The top ten C&C Generals players were: 1. Elliooo 2. Sam 3. JohnnyPumpkin 4. Defiler 5. Fatmoose 6. God 7. Vanguard 8. Zyan 9. Scsi 10. Shadowpriest The top ten DotA players were: 1. Defiler 2. Elliooo 3. God 4. Scsi 5. Vanguard 6. Fatmoose 7. Colonel.Dimitry 8. Moka 9. JohnnyPumpkin 10. Unknown_Slayer

Think you are up there with the best in Ballarat at Real Time Strategy Games? On Sunday the 29th of April at 11am, Guf will be running the inaugural Ballarat RTS qualifiers. Are you good enough to make the Ballarat team and kick Shepparton's best in the bottom? The selected games are: C&C Generals (Shepparton's choice), Dawn of War Dark Crusade (Ballarat's choice) and Defence of the Ancients (a Warcraft III mod for all you pro gamers). The format will consist of two rounds in 4 or 5 people teams for each of the 3 games, with a 30-40min time limit. This equates to over 3 hours of gaming for only $8. Add in rest time between rounds and a few extra games if time permits and we probably won't finish until 6pm. Almost seven hours for only $8. And if you are good enough, you could make the Guf Ballarat RTS team. Only 8 people will be selected for the Guf team. These RTS champions will receive at least 2 free hours to train each week, a free tshirt and will be bused to Shepparton to pit their skills against the best of Shepp and win the Guf-Cyberbunker RTS Shield. The finals of the Guf-Cyberbunker RTS Shield will be hosted by Shepparton's premier games centre, Cyberbunker on Sunday the 20th of May. Prove yourself the best and get selected for the Guf Ballarat RTS team.

The FPS Challenge league is done and the best gamers have risen to the top of the ladder. Winning a massive 10 Guf hours and the envy of gamers throughout the area is Zyan. Second place was tightly contested with Sacren taking home 4 Guf hours and just beating out Ropey and Alucard. No suprise that all four of these guys are members of the Ballarat FPS team. A new FPS league will be starting on Tuesday 24th April at 6pm. The first two weeks will be completely free! The final details are still being determined but at the moment it looks like we will be going with a 2v2 competition, with teams randomly determined each week. This will ensure that everyone plays with and against a variety of gamers. It'll also make sure I don't get kicked by Zyan 3 weeks in a row (again). Come by on Tuesday 24th of April and the 1st of May at 6pm to check it out and play absolutely for free.

The Dawn of War Dark Crusade league has concluded and the final results are in. The winner was Johnny "anyone can win with Necrons" Pumpkin. JP takes home a NVIDIA tshirt and 10 Guf hours valued at approximately $40. Runner up was Elliooo, who wins 4 Guf hours. Receiving 2 hours each and kudos are TucanSam and Zender. The first two Mondays after the holidays will be free nights for the new 2v2 RTS league. The teams will be randomly decided each week so with a bit of luck you could end up playing with JP and winning 10 free hours at the end of the 7 week league. Come along at 4pm til 6pm on the 23rd and 30th April and find out the finer details of how this innovative competition will work. The first two weeks are free!

In the new semester a great new challenge will arise to help hone RTS players skills. The games for the League will be Command and Conquer Generals, and DoTa, a War craft 3 map. Each week, of the arrivals, random teams will get picked to compete in one round of each game – different teams per game. They will be ranked matches, so each player has a feeling of achievement. Be sure to come in on 16/4/07 (first Monday back!) to signup on the night! The League will be held between 4-6pm Mondays.

Guitar Hero II, sequel to the hugely popular Guitar playing rhythm game has hit the Xbox360 down at Guf. Guitar Hero is unlike any other game out there, with the awesome guitar peripheral controller, can really get you into the mood (not to mention forgetting that there are others watching you). With 74 songs, 48 of which are licenced from big name artists like Guns N' Roses, KISS, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Ozzy Osbourne and many more. The game features four difficulty modes to fit your playing ability, with the delightful Expert mode being nigh-on impossible. The game also features a huge tally of unlockable items including extra characters, guitars, guitar finishes, songs, videos and more. Plenty to keep you going at any rate. Guitar Hero II is a great game, even for those that might not necessarily be huge fans of rhythm games, it's easy to get into, and you can feel like you're playing a great song in no time! And for those that think no game can challenge them, just open up 'TROGDOR' for a few laughs!

Kane Lives! Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is out at Guf. Tiberium Wars is the latest game from the legendary Command & Conquer series, and this time it's going back to it's roots. Tiberium Wars covers the Third Tiberium War, the epic struggle between the forces of GDI and NOD that was seen in the first even Command & Conquer game years ago. Tiberium Wars also brings a third faction to the fray, the Scrin. These aliens have come to Earth for some unknown reason, and seem to have a fascination for the tiberium. The three factions GDI, NOD and the Scrin are all fully fleshed out with an arsenal of tanks, mechs, aircraft and hugely powerful super weapons such as the Ion Cannon and the Rift Generator. Tiberium Wars features two main campaigns, telling the story from the respective GDI and NOD sides of the war. As well as some bonus Scrin missions once the two main campaigns have been completed. The game features hugely impressive graphics, bringing the great Command & Conquer gameplay to the next generation. The game is an absolute blast for any fans of the series, who will recognise many series favourties such as the legend that is the Sidebar, and Live-Action cut

This was the last week of DOW:DC! Congratulations to JohnnyPumpkin, who won the tournament with 29 points, earning 10 hours, and an NVidia Tee-shirt. Next week there will be a lapse in RTS gameplay, but look out for the first Monday of term 2, where a new RTS challenge might appear! Click here for more.

Come join us for the Tri gamers cup where teams of 3 will battle it out over 3 different types of games: FPS, RTS and racing. Games will be kept secret until the day of the event. The FPS game on the PC will be chosen by the Guf team; as will the console racer. The RTS will be random selected from DOW:DC, AOE III, Company of Heroes, DotA, Supreme Commander and Starcraft Brood Wars. If you think you can muster up the mates and are up to the challenge of being the champion team of the Tri gamers cup, get into Guf and sign up for the fun. Cost: $20 per team (less than $2 per person per hour!) Prizes are: 1st place – 10 hour’s each 2nd place – 4 hour’s each Random Chosen team to win 4 hours each

Saturday the 24th of March witnessed the staging of the first FPS Cup with the best of Ballarat battling Geelong's finest. It was a very competitive day, with Geelong eventually emerging victorious in a mammoth day for professional gaming. Three different games were played as part of the tournament: Medal of Honour Allied Assault; Call of Duty 2; Counterstrike Source. Guf Ballarat champions Joshu (captain), Zyan, Wallie, Ropey and Sacren started the day with the Guf chosen game, COD2 on the Toujane Tunisia map. With the game conditions set to first to 10 caps in capture the flag, our warriors annilated the Geelong team 10-3 as allies. A quick swap of sides and the boys were soon 2-0 as Axis and in fine form. The Geelong quickly conceeded defeat and the score was Guf Ballarat 1 - Gaming Knights Geelong 0. Round 2 was MOHAA on the v2 rocket objective map. This was Geelong's choice of FPS game so they were chock full of confidence. Unfortunately, they didnt reckon upon General Grievous (captain) and his team of Acolyte, Wallie, Lord David and Sacren. The Guf guys came out strong, winning the allied leg 10 - 6. After a quick pizza lunch (thanks to Darren from Gaming Knights for supplying pizza for all), the second leg was commenced with Ballarat as the axis side. Geelong's experience shone through, with a co-ordinated and astute strategy of camping the objectives turning the game into a snipe fest. Ballarat needed only 6 wins to take out the tournament but bravely succummed with the fight at GK Geelong 10 - Guf Ballarat 4. So close, but the tally was now 1 win all. The last round and decider was CSS and the Ballarat team of Zyan (captain), Ropey, Wallie, Panics and Acolyte were feeling the pressure. In a hard fought contest, the Ballarat team went down 10-5. The second leg saw the dispirited team shocked by Geelongs tactics and aptitude. At 6-0 the game and FPS Cup was manfully conceeded. Despite the loss, everyone enjoyed a very high standard of gaming. General Grievous obviously earned the title of Western Victoria's MOHAA champion and similarly Zyan can clearly claim the COD2 title. Guf Ballarat will host the Gaming Knight team for the second leg of this bi-annual event in August so keep an eye out for the qualifying tournament and prove yourself to be one of Ballarat's best. The FPS Cup must be brought home!

Price: FREE! Challenge your friends in Guf’s AFL Dream Team League and win. Feel like a winner? Know heaps about AFL or nothing at all? Choose the players in your team and watch them gather points for you throughout the season… make trades for those players who aren’t performing, keep an eye out for up and coming players, or just enjoy the fun of watching your team compete and if your team gets the highest score in the weekly Guf leagues you will win 5 free Guf hours! Win your league grand final and take home $50 cash and 25 Guf hours. Compete for other random prizes throughout the season. AFL Prizes include: * An incredible $50,000! * Two VIP tickets to the 2007 AFL Grand Final. * Two return airfares from your nearest capital city to Melbourne. * Accommodation for 1 night in a 4-star hotel for you and your mate. * Plus if you're a Coca-Cola Member you'll find yourself in possession of a 3-year season membership to your club. If you want to be part of Guf’s league, send an email to mark@guf.com.au and you will be forwarded an invite. Come on – even if you’re a footy hater, there’s no skill needed!

A marathon 4 and a half hours of Supreme Commander and the Ballarat champion has been found. Acolyte defeated Defiler in a tough final and tool home $40 work of Guf hours and his own copy of Supreme Commander. The final results were: 1. Acolyte 2. Defiler 3. Joshu 4. Lovoboy17 5. Warry 6. Siberius 7. Vanguard 8. Sam 9. Hank 10. Sexymagpie Sexymagpie won 4 free Guf hours, Siberius and Defiler won Supreme Commander posters and everyone received plenty of game play for their $8 entry. Sign up for the rss feed to be the first to hear about the upcoming Command & Conquer 3 tournament.

Last minute notice but, due to the long weekend and popular request, there will be an allnight LAN, starting NOW. Thats $15 for 13 and 1/2 hours of gaming! The allnighter will finish at 9am tommorrow but you will need to call on 53315303 to secure your spot.

Dystopia comes to guf! Dystopia, a 'cyberpunk' themed mod for Half-Life 2 is out of it's beta stages and Version 1 is out! Dystopia follows the epic struggle between the authority of the 'Corps' and the rebellion of the 'Punks'. Game play is based around objectives which differ between each map, much like the 'Assault' game type in Unreal Tournament. Players select from one of three classes, each with four unique and powerful weapons ranging from rocket launchers to Tesla rifles. To top it off, an arsenal of special 'implants' is at your disposal to further customise your character, giving abilities such as thermal vision, stealth and enhanced reflexes. One of the biggest features of Dystopia is that each level is split between two alternate maps; Cyberspace and the Real World, or 'meatspace'. Players who select the Cyberdeck implant can 'hack in' at certain jack-in points and enter Cyberspace. Cyberspace has a completely different set of physics and rules as players fight each other inside. Players in cyberspace may help their teammates by opening a door, or switching on some turrets in the real world, clearing the path for rest of your team. Be sure to check out Dystopia, one of the best looking mods for Half-Life 2!

Dystopia comes to guf! Dystopia, a 'cyberpunk' themed mod for Half-Life 2 is out of it's beta stages and Version 1 is out! Dystopia follows the epic struggle between the authority of the 'Corps' and the rebellion of the 'Punks'. Game play is based around objectives which differ between each map, much like the 'Assault' game type in Unreal Tournament. Players select from one of three classes, each with four unique and powerful weapons ranging from rocket launchers to Tesla rifles. To top it off an arsenal of special 'implants' is at your disposal to further customise your character, giving abilities such as thermal vision, stealth and enhanced reflexes. One of the biggest features of Dystopia is that each level is split between two alternate maps, Cyberspace and the Real World. Players who select the Cyberdeck implant can 'hack in' at certain jack points and enter Cyberspace. Cyberspace has a completely different set of physics and rules as players fight each other inside. Players in cyberspace may help their teammates by opening a door, or switching on some turrets in the real world, clearing the path for rest of your team. Be sure to check out Dystopia, one of the best looking mods for Half-Life 2!

Supreme Commander Championship Competition 1v1 Sunday 18th March Starts at 4pm Only $8.00 Welcome to the all Elite Supreme Commander competition. Were you will test your skills and strategy against the best in Ballarat. You will command unique units in 1v1 and attack from every direction with Air, Ground and Sea. Choose one of the 3 SUPREME COMMANDER’S from the U.E F, the Cybran Nation or the all mighty Aeon Illuminate; all commanding their devastating tools of war. If you think you have what it takes to be The SUPREME COMMANDER don’t miss the action Sunday 11th march. 1st Prize – 10 hours on your account Plus a copy of Supreme commander PC Game 2nd Prize – 8 hours on your account 3rd Prize - 4 hours on your account If you get knocked out of the first round you will be able to compete in 2v2 competition.

Guf is filming a television advertisement and we need you to star in it. All that is required is for you to sit playing games for free and hopefully look socially well adjusted. Should we have an excess of freeloading TV star wannabes turn up, preference will be given to those that brought a female friend because we would like to pretend some some women come into the shop :P If you are keen, let me know and turn up on Wednesday the 7th of March around 6ish. It should be all finished by 7.30 or so. Did I mention you get to play for free?

The new expansion to Titan Quest, Immortal Throne is released on Thursday the 8th March. You are invited to be one of the first to hit level 70 in a 5 hour LAN session. Book now in store and secure your spot for the launch. Only $10 for five hours of game play, a drink and a packet of chips. The launch goes from 6pm until 11pm. Even if you only come for two hours it is still great value.

Super advance notice - at the moment Guf is organising a RTS challenge against CyberBunker in Shepparton. They have accepted the challenge and have invited Guf to send Ballarat's best strategy gamers for a competition during April. The format will be based around teams of 4 or 5 playing a variety of Real Time Strategy games in a similar manner to the FPS Cup. At the moment, I am looking for expressions of interest in being a competitor, suggestions for RTS games that should be played, maps, formats etc. Please use the contact us form and sign up for the RSS feed to keep up with developments in the CB Shepparton vs Guf Ballarat RTS Cup.

Chris Taylor's Supreme Commander, the 'spiritual successor' to Total Annihilation, is launched today in Australia, and is available at Guf. SC aims to raise Real Time Strategy to a whole new level of scale with gigantic battles across a variety of terrains. SC has built up a huge buzz amongst strategy fans and must be an early pick for RTS of the year. Will it surpass Dawn of War Dark Crusade as Guf's most played RTS? Try it out and find out.

The best 15 FPS players in Ballarat have been identified and will soon play Geelong to confirm their supremacy as Western Victoria's best. With upcoming matches against Shepparton and Albury, the reputation of their invincibleness is sure to spread further a field. This undefeated squad of future FPS stars will be training and honing their skills each Tuesday from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and Thursday 5.30pm to 6.30pm. If you wish to come and awe at their talent, groupies are welcome. Alternatively, if you would like to volunteer as cannon fodder please come early as there will defiantly be queues. Qualifiers to join the Ballarat Guf squad will be held again in a month or so...

All competitors have been awarded 2 free hours - congratulations. Wallie has also won 10 free hours for being the highest rank player overall. General Grevious has won 5 hours for being top ranked in MOHAA and 10 hours for being the leading team player. Acolyte wins 5 hours for being the leader in CSS. Finally, 5 Guf hours have been credited to Alucard for winning COD2. The final points table has been uploaded on the ladder page. The squad has been selected and is listed on the events page.

The first booster pack for Battlefield: 2142 is coming in a little later this year. The pack offers new maps, vehicles, unlocks and rewards, as well as tweaks to the core gameplay of the game. The features include: - Fast–paced, infantry-focused gameplay boosts the intensity of the all-out war experience. - Three new maps set in Europe, where snow-covered post-apocalyptic cities and a ridge in the Alps become the new battlegrounds. - Two brand-new vehicles designed to support infantry combat available in an asymmetrical set-up, with the hovering light IFV Hachimoto available to the PAC and the massive heavy IFV Goliath available to the EU. - Increased persistence. Ten new rewards, one new pin and ten new unlock items at the top of the unlocks trees, available also on core game maps, take persistence to new levels. Unlock credits earned in the booster pack can also be used in the core game. - Epic Titan mode available on two maps, and for the first time in a urban setting, for more intense Titan gameplay. - Tweaked Conquest-assault gameplay (Assault Lines game mode) on all three maps creates more choke points and more heated battles. - Horizontal podding gives infantry additional ways of moving across the maps quickly Don't forget every Thursday between 7pm-11pm you can play BF: 2142 for only $2.50 an hour with upto 18 people simultaneously online or LAN.

Titan Quest: Immortal Throne, the expansion to the action-RPG Titan Quest is on it's way to guf. The new content in Immortal Throne is designed for high-level characters, with an increased level cap to 75, so you'd better get working on your TQ characters! The new content takes place mostly in the Underworld of Greek mythology, with 30 quests, 20 new monster types, the entirely new 'Dream Mastery' and over 400 new items, including the brand new mechanics of artifacts and scrolls. Artifacts are special items, created by the new Enchanter NPC's that will enable huge bonuses on the player who is lucky enough to come across the 'Arcane Formula' and the required relics for creation. Scrolls on the other hand will be a one-shot spell or buff that consumes the scroll when it's cast. The expansion is set to add another 15 hours of classic Diablo-style gameplay for the hardcore and casual alike. Look out for Immortal Throne in early March, but you'll want to get a high-level character ready so you can enjoy all the great new content! Get questing!