June 26, 2018
Congratulations to the Catalyst Sports’ 2018 NBA Draft Class
Summary:
Catalyst Sports’ basketball division represented 4 players in this past Thursday’s annual NBA Draft. In the last 2 years, Catalyst has represented 4 1st round picks with an additional 5 clients taken in the 2nd round.
Our Take:
This year’s draftees include:
- Lonnie Walker- #18 overall pick- San Antonio Spurs
- Landry Shamet- #26 overall pick- Philadelphia 76ers
- Rodions Kurucs- #40 overall pick- Brooklyn Nets
- Alize Johnson- #50 overall pick- Indiana Pacers
Congratulations to Lonnie, Landry, Rodions, and Alize!
Fortnite’s New Limited Time Mode: “Playground”
Summary:
Epic Games continually works to engage users and update Fortnite. One of the ways in which Epic Games does this is through releasing new Limited Time Modes (LTM) every so often. A LTM allows users to play in a battle royale match that has special, limited features. These “modes” only last for a short period of time before they are removed from the game and a new LTM is released. Some of the previously released modes include Infinity Gauntlet (featuring Marvel’s Thanos), Snipers Shootout Mode, and High Explosives Mode, among others. Many Fortnite users would like to see a mode where they can be even more creative with their building and gameplay, so Epic Games will be releasing a new LTM called Playground. In Playground, players can practice build, fight, and respawn after dying. This is something many Fortnite fans have been asking for.
Our Take:
In order to engage fans and keep Fortnite as exciting as possible, Epic Games must periodically update the game. This has and can be done in a variety of different ways. Some examples are the addition of a new LTM mode or adjustments to the map. A LTM, such as Playground, that allows for more creativity and experimentation will certainly draw attention in the gaming community. Since its release, Fortnite has not announced an update that has been met with as much anticipation as Playground. In an actual battle royale match, characters die and are removed from that specific game for good. However, in Playground, players can practice their building and fighting skills as if they are in a real match, without the risking the “lives” of their characters and having to leave a match. Essentially, this will provide players with an opportunity to enhance their skills in an elimination-free environment. Epic released a statement regarding Playground where they described the matches as lasting for “an extended period of time.” The exact duration of a match is unknown, but players will have and adequate amount of time to explore and create in unique ways.
If the update goes as well as Epic hopes for, this can be a big boost for the Fortnite phenomena. Playground seems like it will draw a lot of attention from casual players, but something more interesting to see will be how professional streamers use Playground. If professionals use (and like) this LTM, then that can open up to a variety of possibilities such as collaborating to build the structures, 1 v. 1 matches, and so much more. Another interesting point is the duration that Epic will keep this LTM available for. This appears to be the most anticipated LTM, and could possibly set the tone for the game moving forward. All of these predictions, however, depend on what happens shortly after the mode is released. There is no real way of knowing how significant this LTM can be for Fortnite’s future, but it will draw a variety of users with different skill levels and motives.