All-nighters, bootcamps and a call to tournament organizers!

Fall has officially begun and tournament season is still going strong with a new set of ranbats and events for all this weekend.

AZHP Gaming tournaments abound for the end of August

After a bit of a lighter week, competitive action is going full force in Arizona for the last of August.

AZHP Gaming will host their fifth tournament at the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale this Saturday for Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The tournament will start at 2 p.m. and be free to enter.

AZ Bar Battles this weekend

Arizona’s own rendition of bar fights is going to pit some of the state’s finest players against each other, with a few drinks and grudge matches to spare. 

Black Ops II action galore this week

December is beginning to fill out a bit with events for gaming. Although tournaments seem to be in short supply this month, there are tons of casual opportunities to play with your fellow gamers and be merry.

Starting off is Mesa bar and grill Monsterland hosting a video game night on Wednesday. The event is 21 and above only, and will include casual play (or possibly a competition) for Black Ops II. The event will kick off at 8 p.m. and go until midnight, check out their Facebook event page for more details.

Continuing the Black Ops II trend will be Fix and Play hosting their tournament for the shooter title on Saturday. The competition will take place at their 83rd Ave. and Camelback location and start at 5 p.m.

Entry fees will likely be the same as their last tournament and cost $5. The grand prize winner will net themselves a $60 gift card to the store for some holiday spending.

IncreaseBlue’s Saboten Con Re-cap

Anime and game lovers alike are back to the daily grind after the exhausting 2012 Saboten Con finished up over the weekend in Glendale. This was the convention’s first dive into its new venue of the Glendale Renaissance Hotel and despite some missteps, it came out victorious over last years’ performance.

The Yamaoka-centric concerts with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn on vocals were an easy highlight of the convention.

Although Saboten Con was more so anime and video game-oriented, thus having a less diverse draw of panels and events than the Phoenix Comicon, the convention definitely made each individual event count with its guests and programming.

The new hotel was a more than welcome change, as the Saboten Con was all but bursting with attendees in its old home of the Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix. This allowed the latest Sabo endeavor breathing room to try on new things, some a step in the right direction, while others could use some fine-tuning.

IncreaseBlue’s Saboten Con guide for gamers (2012 ver.)

The wait for the Saboten Con is slowly ticking down as the convention looms ahead jam-packed with events. As always, The Pause Button’s very own IncreaseBlue has created a guide for gamers in attendance to make sure they don’t miss out on any of the awesome programming highlights.

Courtesy Saboten Con.