Queens Over Aces: The Women of CGS

Ray Huling interviews the Dead or Alive-playing women of the Championship Gaming Series: "Arteaga is not Tiger Woods. No; the women's play is compelling because of its psychological complexity.

Arteaga lost twice this season, to rookie Michelle "Phoenix" Pleet of the Dallas Venom, with the first loss snapping a 20-game undefeated streak. Pleet doesn't have the technical skill of Arteaga, but it's precisely this difference between them that gives Pleet an advantage. Dead or Alive, more than other fighting games, most closely resembles chess or poker in its mechanics and psychology. Over a single game, the greatest threat to a chess master or a poker rounder or a top player of DOA is not a highly-skilled opponent, but one whose skill level is unknown. Playing these games requires an understanding of your opponent's thinking; misinterpreting the actions of a weak player as the actions of a strong one can quickly lead to defeat."