I dunno.. it seemed like console players really got shafted this time around. I mean.. the first console tourney was 5 hours after brackets and what not. I mean, granted console players could play PC games, but most of them don’t because 1) they don’t have a good enough PC and 2) they aren’t as good at PC games. Then the Halo 2 tourney only had an hour and a half to be completed. Being the more popular of the two games (between Gears and Halo), it really needs more time dedicated to it since more people would be willing to play that game, therefore meaning more matches. We had to keep cutting down score and time limits just to make sure we’d finish in time. Honestly 5 min time limits or 25 kills doesn’t show much in Halo.. Only who got the better spawn really. But I digress from that point. Console tourneys are more time consuming because they’re limited by their equipment. In the PC games, everyone has their own PC and can easily run multiple matches of 16 or whatever number they can handle. However in the console gaming, you’re limited to how many consoles are present (because everyone might not have one) and the number of TVs present. So as with the last LAN, we had 4 consoles. Since we were doing 2v2s with a full screen, then only 1 match could be played at any given time. Even with split screen, you can only run 2 matches at once. Plus rounds need to be extensive, such as a best 2 of 3 maps with a reasonable time limit and kill count.
My suggestions: Disperse the Console Tourneys throughout the PC tourneys. Have 2 PC Tourneys.. then Console, then another 1 or 2 PC tourneys, then Console, and finish out with PC tourney(s). Or have an entirely separate LAN date for just consoles, allowing for the PC gamers to easily join in by showing up the next weekend or whatever. A place to play wouldn’t be an issue since consoles have a lot less equipment to power and handle; therefore, a smaller room can be used to accommodate it. Plus, if the consoles had its own separate day, multiple tourneys could be run other than just cramming in two game tourneys into a PC/Console mixed LAN. For instance, at a console only LAN, Halo 1 (which is still very popular and fun LAN-wise), Halo 2, Gears of War, and a Madden tourney could all be run. Within the Halo 1 and Halo 2 games, you could have a FFA, 2v2, and 4v4 tourneys easily and could get a very good turnout. Gears could be 2v2 and 4v4 as well. So there is definitely enough games and tournaments to fill up a day, not as much room is needed for a console tourney, and each tournament would have adequate time for a fair, and albeit popular by current standards, competition.
Also, try and get some console sponsors of some sort. Like GelTabz, Microsoft or Xbox itself, etc.