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  • Red 5 putting 'e-sports toolkit' in Firefall to encourage shoutcasting, e-sports interest

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    08.09.2012

    Red 5 Studios has revealed what it's calling the "e-sports toolkit" for its upcoming free-to-play shooter Firefall, with two new modes for broadcasters and commentators to keep an eye on the action. There will be a standard observer mode, with the ability to watch a match from the top down or from a certain player's perspective, open to anyone that wants to use it. And then specially-approved broadcasters will get more options, like the ability to fly around the map, or watch different cameras from the game at the same time. In an interview with PC Gamer, Red 5's "e-sports maven" (and former Fragdoll) Morgan Romine talks about how the developer is doing everything it can to make e-sports a priority, including tweaking classes and even the game's core attributes like movement speed. The goal, says Romine, is "to have an FPS that has the long term viability of a Counter-Strike," so Red 5 is really aiming to make observing and shoutcasting its matches accessible, and is planning e-sports events later on this year at GamesCom, PAX, and other big gamer gatherings. Of course, just having access to more cameras won't immediately make you the next Phreak or Day[9]. But better tools are always more helpful, and Red 5 hopes that by making these tools available, more players will get engaged with its upcoming title.