Beer Pong Goes High Tech: New Program Makes it Easier Than Ever To Participate in the Sport of Beer Pong
LAS VEGAS, NV (PRWEB) January 02, 2012
Today, during the opening ceremonies of the Seventh Annual World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP VII™), event founders announced the formation of a new beer pong league and comprehensive program to revolutionize the sport of beer pong. Thousands of competitors and spectators got a first-hand look at the technology designed to get more people involved in the sport, whether you play competitively or just enjoy a casual game now and again. The program includes the formation of the new National Beer Pong League(NBPL), a free mobile app, real-time international ranking system and bar program. To join the League or see an overview of the program, visit http://www.BeerPong.com.
National Beer Pong League
“Each day hundreds of thousands of beer pong games are played at fraternities, backyards and bars across the world, yet – until now – there’s never been an easy way to record scores, compare rankings among friends, or see when local tournaments are happening,” said Duncan Carroll, NBPL co-founder. “We understand that not everyone can travel to Las Vegas to compete in The World Series of Beer Pong, so we’ve designed this high tech program to bring the sport to the masses. It gives casual and serious players alike a way to get in the game and see how they stack up against players throughout the world. We expect this technology and program to do nothing less than revolutionize the sport of beer pong.”
Formerly BPONG.COM, the new National Beer Pong League (NBPL) is a unified beer pong league that acts in the interests of players – both casual and professional – around the world. Free to join, it provides the worldwide “nation of beer pong players” with the tools, information and technology to participate in beer pong games anytime and anywhere. Thanks to an intricate ranking system, the NBPL helps ensure that new players have fun and don’t get steamrolled by the pros, much as someone new to bowling can contribute to their team or local league thanks to handicapping. The NBPL allows players to set their affiliations and organizations for groups such as city, school, state or Greek organization. Each game contributes not only to each player’s individual ranking but also to the rank of the affiliation or organization that the player belongs to, whether they consume beer, water, soda or another liquid during game play.
“The NBPL offers a fun and easy way for players to use technology and actual game data, instead of arguments, to see who’s the best among their group of friends when it comes to beer pong,” said Carroll. “For the first time, players are also going to be able to see how their college or fraternity stacks up against its rivals, or how players from their hometown bar rank.”
Another component of the NBPL is the introduction of high tech player ID cards. These cards serve to verify player identity when scoring games or playing in tournaments. Members won’t need to print them, order them or shove them in their wallet. Just download the NBPL to your Smartphone, scan the QR code and start playing.
Tournament Management Software
While others have created “leagues,” they have been missing the critical ability to quickly and efficiently pass the game data to a central place. The NBPL provides participating bars with the tools and technology to efficiently run complex tournament formats and upload results instantly. League bars will host local League Nights, with prize incentives ranging from cash awards to entry into The World Series of Beer Pong. Each week from March 1 through December 15, participating bars will hold free League Nights where players may walk-on to play games. At the end of the local league period, the top team from each bar will earn a spot in a Satellite Tournament. The winning team will then move on to The World Series of Beer Pong in Las Vegas, which pays $ 50,000 to the champs.
The National Beer Pong League App
Available for download beginning today is The National Beer Pong League app. Free to casual and serious beer pong players alike, the app is defined by its developers as “beer pong evolved.” It gives players the tools to join the National Beer Pong League, record game results, find other players, see their rankings, end rule disputes and get notified when a local tournament is scheduled.
One of the most revolutionary features of The National Beer Pong League app is the ability to record official stats anywhere at any time, via one’s Smartphone. It employs over 50,000 lines of Java code and uses technologies such as real-time XMPP, a proprietary encrypted QR-scanning routine, to quickly record game stats, and a database of every school and Greek fraternity/sorority organization in the country. So what’s this mean in layperson terms? Not only can scores from any beer pong game anywhere be officially recorded, but standings from players and their affiliations (such as school, fraternity, etc.) can be compared and analyzed in real-time. Friends need not argue over who’s the best among them, or which affiliation holds the best players—they simply turn to the app and bring up the latest worldwide statistics.
Version 1.0 of the free app is currently available in beta format for Android platforms. An iOS version for iPhone is slated for spring 2012. Until then, NBPL players can record game results via friends who have an Android-based phone or tablet. Just download the app and provide your email address to create a free account, and join the league.
Official Rankings
Official BPONG Rankings is a one-stop shop for all the statistical data you could ever want about the sport of beer pong. Designed by NBPL co-founder Benjamin “Skinny” Solnik, who has degrees in math and computer science from Carnegie Mellon University, the program uses an Elo ranking system similar to those used in chess and other competitive sports, but it’s designed specifically for beer pong statistics.
Each win/loss is tabulated and weighted according to the ranks of the players involved. Although “casual” stats are weighted less strongly than league play and tournament games, they are still officially recorded and can help (or hurt) a player’s ranking. The system compares and analyzes standings in real-time so players know how they stack up against fellow beer pong players across the country and the globe. For current rankings and a description of the program, visit http://www.BeerPong.com/rankings/explanation.
The ranking system, app and software program all contribute to a central database of NBPL teams and individuals to answer the question, “Who is truly the best in the world at the sport of beer pong?” But you can’t be counted if you don’t sign up. Visit http://www.BeerPong.com today to join the future of the sport of beer pong.
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