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PAX Prime 2013: Riot Games' Whalen Rozelle on LoL Season 3
I was really excited to step into Riot's press room on Friday at PAX Prime. We had just finished the first series of matches of the day, and it was pretty exciting to talk to people about the matches yet to come. But I don't think anyone was more excited to talk about League of Legends' e-sports scene than Whalen Rozelle, or RiotMagus as he's known on the internet. As the senior e-sports manager at Riot, he's tasked with making sure that events run smoothly, and I took the opportunity to ask him about the format for Season 3 -- especially improvements over Season 2 and the lessons Riot will be taking into Season 4.
Government bans female League of Legends characters at Iranian tourney
League of Legends players will be short a few fighters at Iran's World Cyber Games tournament that's scheduled to begin on September 12th. The Iranian government has its knickers in a knot over some of the MOBA's more scantily clad femme fatales, and so tourney participants will have to do without the services of champions including Ahri, Miss Fortune, Lulu, and dozens of others. Kotaku reports that WGC Iran may be forced to shut down the tournament altogether if it doesn't comply with the ban, though it's worth noting that a few female avatars are "under consideration for tournament play."
The Soapbox: Actually, that really isn't an MMO
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster argued that online gaming has evolved over the past few years and that the term MMO should be expanded to cover other online games like MOBAs. He examined the blurred dividing line between new online games and the classic MMOs of yesteryear, and he made the controversial argument that Call of Duty and League of Legends should now fall under the MMO umbrella. I found myself disagreeing with many of Mike's arguments and wanting to make additional points of my own, so this week I'd like to offer a few counter-points on the same topic for debate. The MMO market has certainly evolved since Massively was founded, with some pretty big innovations in gameplay and new ideas like the free-to-play business model taking hold. As much as people like to complain about a lack of innovation in the games industry, the same level of experimentation and evolution has hit industry-wide. Call of Duty has borrowed unlock and XP systems from the world of orcs and dragons, and League of Legends came from nowhere to be at the forefront of a global MOBA revolution, but neither of them is an MMO by any stretch of the imagination. In this in-depth opinion piece, I break down the definition arguments surrounding the term MMO, offer a reasoned view of where the line can and should be drawn, and look at why Massively covers games other than MMOs.
League of Legends compromised; North American accounts and transactions accessed
Riot Games has just issued a letter to League of Legends players revealing that North American account information has been compromised by hackers. According to the message, usernames, email addresses, "salted password hashes," and real names were accessed. Riot insists that password information is unreadable but that players with easy-to-guess passwords might be at risk. Also accessed were hashed and salted credit card numbers from around 120,000 transactions made in 2011. Riot noted that the payment system in question has not been used since July of 2011 and that it is "taking appropriate action to notify and safeguard affected players." If your information was affected, you will receive an email from Riot. All North American players will be required to change their passwords "to stronger ones that are much harder to guess." In the meantime, keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity.
The Soapbox: That's not an MMO
You may not be aware of this, but Massively is a website focused primarily on massively multiplayer online games. It's kind of what we do. However, the world of MMOs in 2013 is far different from the world of MMOs in 2007, when the site was founded. The niche has changed and the games industry has evolved. There was a time when "online" told you everything you needed to know about a game because there was really only one type of online game. You knew in picking up an online game that you and some friends would be leveling, looting gear, and slaying dragons. It took a while for developers to notice that online play was actually a thing that could work in more than one particular format. Nowadays, online games range from traditional MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2 and RIFT to MOBAs like SMITE and League of Legends. There's no clear definition for what an MMO is or isn't because so many games are massive, multiplayer, and online. Maybe it's time to embrace MMO as a broader term than previously thought.
Twitch update for iOS more than triples live channels, revamps chat
Twitch streams a lot of events these days, and it's improving its iOS app to keep up with the flood of new content. The just-posted 2.3.5 update more than triples the number of accessible live channels from 200 to over 750, giving viewers a better chance of seeing a local tourney or a "let's play" feed. Chat has also received a thorough makeover that brings both a simpler design and support for Twitch's unique take on emoticons. And if you're a dedicated Dota 2 player, you'll definitely want this upgrade -- link your Steam account and you'll earn item drops in Valve's arena battler when watching certain streams. There's no word of corresponding updates for Android or other platforms, although Twitch says it's improving channel capacities across all its apps.
League of Legends steels itself for patch 3.10
How do you know when a patch is a big deal? How about when its designation ends with a zero and when it has its own seven-minute preview video. League of Legends patch 3.10 has both of these, and while it's not yet live, players can check out the full patch notes and patch video to prepare for the changes. Patch 3.10 begins with a nerf to Elise's spiderling pets and her rappel range. It goes on to make Twisted Fate's passive fit his gambling theme better, make a few jungle tweaks, take runic bulwark out, and add a new mid-level magic resistance item to the game. You can check out the 3.10 preview video after the jump.
Hi-Rez's Todd Harris argues Tribes: Ascend is a 'complete' and 'content-rich' experience
We reported earlier this week that Hi-Rez decided to stop updating Tribes Ascend in favor of user mapmaking tools because the studio feels that the Tribes experience is "complete" as-is. In a follow-up interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Hi-Rez's Todd Harris has now discussed the development hiatus in more detail and answers some tough questions on extant issues with game balance. He argues that not only is the game complete, but it's already feature-rich and a bargain for the price. Since launch, we added 54 new weapons. We added a new game mode, a new leveling system, custom servers, server browser, shielded base assets, 29 new maps – all free – and all that in a brief period of time. We also added an option for people to pay one price and get all the weapons. I don't know of any other free-to-play game, other than our own SMITE, that has that option. It's free-to-play, but it does have a twist. You can get all the gameplay elements for the price of a normal game. It's fairly complete in its content. Harris also tells RPS that a new tutorial would be only a "modest improvement as far as new people sticking with the game"; instead, he says, he hopes to facilitate community resources. But mostly, he appears to believe the game has already found its audience. "The days of major changes in the game are behind us," he says. What about insinuations that the studio bit off more than it could chew? Harris explains that the studio has three small teams working on multiple games and has learned "learned the value of focus." According to Harris, Tribes has supported itself commercially and profits were always returned to the game's development. Even so, the studio is focused on the MOBA space: "SMITE is doing well enough that it's justifying a large amount of resources on it . . . we see the biggest studio opportunity on SMITE."
Uncle Sam: League of Legends pros are pro athletes
"The United States government recognizes League of Legends pro players as professional athletes, and awards visas to essentially work in the United States under that title," Riot e-sports manager Nick Allen tells Gamespot. Allen says that international tourney organization is now much easier, though getting the initial batch of visas was a "lengthy process" that required a lot of legwork in order to provide enough proof to satisfy government officials.
Riot is apparently a really good place to work
Business Insider has teamed with Glassdoor.com to publish a list of the 25 best tech companies to work for, according to those companies' own employees. Reviews and ratings were compiled spanning the past 12 months, and only companies with more than 25 employee reviews were considered. Riot is the only gaming company on the list, but the League of Legends studio places a respectable fourth thanks to glowing employee feedback. "The company takes ridiculously good care of us, and tries every step of the way to make sure we're engaged culturally, intellectually, and socially with the industry and each other. It's by far the best place I've ever worked," gushes one staffer.
Todd Harris confirms no more development on Tribes: Ascend
If you've been a fan of Tribes: Ascend, we hope you're happy with the current state of the game -- or that you like SMITE just as much. In response to a user inquiry, Hi-Rez Studios head Todd Harris announced that there are no major updates planned for the game within the next six months. The studio's current resources are devoted first to SMITE, then to Global Agenda 2, and beyond that a full-on sequel to Tribes: Ascend is more likely than a major content patch. While Harris goes on to mention that there are additional maps being worked on, he states there is no definite date for release, if indeed these maps are ever released. While support for servers and the existing game is not in question, the long-term health of the community without further content is questionable. And with no developers working on a sequel, even that seems rather unlikely at this point.
Anonymous donor posts 500K bail for jailed League of Legends player
Two weeks ago we reported that a teenager from Texas was incarcerated last March after his comments on Facebook during a verbal exchange with another League of Legends player were deemed terrorist threats by authorities. Jailed for months, Justin Carter has been in solitary confinement after repeated assaults by other inmates and on suicide watch due to depression. After reading about Carter's plight, numerous folks have stepped forward to sign the petition for the boy's release. Another anonymous donor has come forward and donated $500,000 to the family to meet bail, allowing Carter to return home until his court appearance on the July 16th.
The problem with F2P is dishonest product marking, says David Paris
Game developer David Paris has penned a new blog at Gamasutra focused on the stigma of free-to-play business models. Paris, whose bio lists him as the builder of the world's first subscription-based internet MOG (Valhalla), says that there's nothing inherently wrong with F2P that more honest product marking won't fix. And thus we come to the core of the problem - the lack of honesty about how much impact IAPs [in-app purchases] have on games. The truth is that F2P monetization is frequently very much about concealing exactly this impact from its players so that we will either play until we are so invested that we will cough up and pay, or so that we'll provide an audience for the whales to lord it over. Burying pay-to-win mechanics under an initial layer of skill-to-win, providing advantages that become required for competitive play, roadblocks or surprisingly reduced game functionality tucked underneath paid barriers that weren't obvious when you started. He cites League of Legends and Marvel Heroes as games that do it right and wrong, respectively, though he does criticize LoL for failing to offer an all-the-content-for-a-single-price option.
League of Legends video previews 3.9 patch
As is wont to happen, patches bring change. And League of Legend's upcoming 3.9 patch is no different. In the latest video patch preview, Riot Games highlights some of those incoming alterations to the popular MOBA. This time around Draven is the first in line for a nerf bat makeover. Deemed an unfair champion (thanks to his unmatched early game damage), the team toned Draven down by modifying his passive ability. Next up, LeBlanc is actually getting buffed up to improve her flexibility. And finally, Oracle's Elixer and wards are getting a few changes; kill gold for a ward will be split between the player that finds it as well as the one that kills it, and Oracle's Elixer will persist through death, but have a shortened duration and reveal radius. You can catch all the details in the video after the break. [Source: Riot Games press release]
Texas teen still in jail after February League of Legends argument
Texas teen Justin Carter has been in jail since March 27th due to comments he made on Facebook that stemmed from a February confrontation with another user in League of Legends. Carter, 18, reportedly posted "oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still beating hearts." According to his father, his next two lines of text were "lol" and "JK." After a Canadian woman saw the Facebook post and called the police, Justin Carter was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat, Gamespot reports. Carter faces up to eight years in prison. Family and friends have started an online petition asking for his release as well as adjustments to anti-terrorism legislation.
RIFT tops Raptr's May most-played list
Is RIFT taking the charts by storm? At first glance when it comes to Raptr's most-played PC and Xbox 360 titles in May, it would appear so. However, just as with everything else associated with statistics, it's important to know the full story before jumping to conclusions. RIFT jumped up 13 spots to garner a 7.76% share of player hours in May, topping even League of Legends and World of Warcraft. This was largely thanks to a reward campaign that quadrupled the number of players from March. The company notes that Neverwinter was also a "big mover" in the month among Raptr players, netting 11th place.
Why MMOs stopped getting bigger
If after looking over the state of MMOs lately you've been left singing, "Where have all the big games gone?" to yourself, Ramin Shokrizade has an answer just for you. A virtual world economist, Shokrizade states that up until EVE Online and World of Warcraft, games grew in size and scope and then stopped. Why? Because it was never about getting big; it was about protecting and ensuring the equity of the gamers. Shokrizade delves into why equity -- the sum of gamers' in-game efforts, such as levels and possessions -- is so important in a game and why those games that ignore protecting this equity don't measure up when it comes to success. He discusses how microtransactions that deal in in-game content destroy equity as well as how expansions that make previous content (such as crafting tiers) obsolete do the same thing. He then goes on to discuss the games that get it right, like League of Legends and World of Tanks.
League of Legends reveals new cinematic trailer: A Twist of Fate
If you've been following the League of Legends competitive scene, you've probably noticed tiny cinematic snippets in promotional videos for big events. Those little clips have all been part of a huge effort at Riot Games spanning the past several years and aiming to create an epic cinematic trailer. Following last night's conclusion of the League of Legends All-Star event in Shanghai, Riot finally released its impressive four-and-a half-minute cinematic trailer A Twist of Fate. The video has been met with a huge response from fans, reaching over 1.2 million views in less than 24 hours. Continue past the cut to watch the full embedded trailer or head over to YouTube to watch the Behind the Scenes video on the making of the trailer.
LoL video previews 3.7 patch, introduces Custom Item Sets
Instead of just rolling out a wall of text to discuss the changes and updates hitting League of Legends in the 3.7 patch, Riot Games offers players a video preview to get a glimpse of what's to come. And among the goodies is one of the most player-requested features -- Custom Item Sets. Want to create a specific set of items, tailored to individual champions and/or maps before you get into a match and the fighting begins? Or how about just browse through the entire item shop on PVP.net just to see what's available? Both will be possible with the new Custom Item Sets feature. Initially, these custom builds will be stored on players' local machines only, but the devs plan on adding server-side storage in the future. The video also discusses some balance changes to the champions Rumble, Twisted Fate, Caitlyn, and Nunu. Check out the specifics after the break.
League of Legends player goes pro to pay rent
What would you do if you were kicked out of your house as a teenager with nothing but a bicycle, a computer, and a tiny bit of cash to your name? Most people would probably answer, "beg on a street corner" or "curl up and cry forever," but not League of Legends player Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng, who decided he was going to make ends meet by becoming a full-time pro gamer. Seems like a long shot, right? After all, pro gaming isn't what most people would call a reliable source of income. But somehow, he pulled it off, becoming an integral part of pro-gaming team Counter Logic Gaming in the process. Peng's story is so remarkable that the folks over at Machinima.com have put together a short documentary video that highlights Doublelift's rise to power in the League of Legends pro scene. It's something of a rags-to-riches story for the gaming generation, and whether you're a fan of e-sports or just a fan of uplifting success stories, it's certainly worth a watch. And as it happens, you can find the video past the cut, so why don't you check it out for yourself?
