gaming-culture
Latest
Riot Games kicks off e-sports documentary
Want to know more about e-sports without all of the "watching e-sports" that it would otherwise entail? That's the purpose behind a new documentary being assembled by Riot Games. Road to Worlds is all about tracking the path of professional League of Legends players as they fight through the championships, culminating in a shot at the top prize at Worlds. The first episode is available past the cut and runs for about 25 minutes, exploring the origins of several competitive teams and how players first broke into the industry. If you want a deeper look at the culture, or if you're already a big fan of e-sports and want to watch more about them, jump on past the break. The remaining portions of the documentary will be posted later this month, on September 12th and 15th.
GX3 Kickstarter gets a big boost from Blizzard
Conventions are expensive, and unless you have a major publisher or media franchise backing them, it's very easy for a convention to be successful without being successful enough to keep going. GaymerX managed two conventions, but the third round is currently on Kickstarter, trying to raise funds for another convention focused on inclusiveness and support of all different types of gamers. That goal is being helped significantly by a big name in online gaming: Blizzard Entertainment. The Kickstarter site for the convention lists the World of Warcraft developer as pledging "over $10,000" to making the convention a reality. There are still 23 days for the project to reach its funding goal, but that kind of money certainly helps kick a project along. If you're interested in donating yourself, the convention will be in the Bay Area of California in either November or December of 2015.
Yogscast's TUG partnership comes alongside a cancelled game
If you're a fan of Yogscast and TUG, you're probably happy to learn that Yogscast is going to be working closely with Nerd Kingdom to promote the game. Of course, you might not be such a fan if you were originally a backer of Yogventures!, the Yogscast-inspired game that very recently announced it was cancelled despite reaching double its Kickstarter goal in 2012. All of the Yogventures! assets and code are being transferred over as well, allowing TUG to reap the benefits of what had been done on the cancelled game. According to the Yogscast crew, the partnership with TUG and the distribution of serial codes are meant as an effort to make things right, although the official communication makes it clear that they are not on the hook for the game's cancellation (which might be legally debatable). Many of the Yogventures! backers are still very unhappy with the situation, though, as TUG is not the game they backed in the first place. Time will tell how this shakes out in the long run, as very few Kickstarter backers are likely to be fully mollified by receiving a copy of a game they never wanted.
League of Legends public chat rooms disabled by Riot
What's the fastest and easiest way to deal with the problems in League of Legends chat channels? Apparently, just shutting them down completely. Riot Games has removed several of the public chat rooms until the company finds a way to turn them into something "useful and accessible." The company is aware that there are great communities in the game, but it's too easy for toxic individuals to mask that. Not only were the public chat channels problematic, but even the private channels lacked effective moderation tools outside of an ignore button. The development team is starting over from a new foundation, hoping to make the chat rooms a place to hang out with friends and more easily organize matches instead of being... well, what they were before. Feedback is welcome, so chime in on the official forums if you know what you want to see when the chats finally return.
Win Lottery > Design MMO > ??? > Profit!
If you won $27 million in the lottery, what would you do with it? Buy a new car? A new house? Maybe invest in the stock market? Psh, yeah right. You'd make an MMO and you know it, you filthy liars. As it happens, that's the idea of Ellwood Bartlett, who recently hit the big time with a rather sizeable lottery jackpot. Now he's taking to Kickstarter to build interest for his ideas. What ideas? Glad you asked. Bartlett wants to create an MMO where each server is its own unique world. For example, Bartlett says that "one will be a mostly water and all avatars will have underwater breathing. Another will be a volcanic world and your avatar will have a high resistance to fire." Players would be able to travel between servers in order to tackle "universal quests" and to participate in PvP. The goals are lofty, but one question remains: Why would a multi-millionaire take his ideas to Kickstarter? In short, he wants to gauge interest before he commits to the huge investment of time and money that is the development of an MMO. So far, he says, he has gotten "tons of positive feedback as well as negative." One way or another, it should be interesting to see how this one pans out.
SOE president John Smedley announces that all players will be able to play on any server
It's no secret that Sony Online Entertainment has been in more than a little hot water in the wake of the recently announced region locks that were to be put in place following the studio's deal with ProSiebenSat.1, but there may still be a silver lining on the horizon. SOE president John Smedley tweeted earlier today that the studio has "come up with a plan to allow ALL players to play on any servers they want." While details are still to come, this should be incredibly welcome news for players of SOE titles who weren't looking forward to playing without their international friends. Smedley promises us that there are "more details to follow," so stay tuned and hopefully we'll have some idea of what's in the works before too long.
RIFT players set record for most in-game weddings in one day
It wasn't but yesterday that we ran our feature on the gaming achievements of the Guinness Book of World Records: Gamer's Edition 2012, but between then and now, a new MMO-related record has been set. As many of you know, RIFT recently added marriage to its plethora of features, allowing players to make the ultimate commitment in Telara. Well, the ultimate commitment besides joining a raiding guild, at any rate. A press release today announced that RIFT players banded together with the goal of setting the record for the most in-game marriages in a 24-hour span. We're not certain what the previous record was if there was one at all, but RIFT players managed to set the bar with a staggering 21,879 marriages performed between noon on February 14th and noon on February 15th. RIFT executive producer and Trion Worlds CCO Scott Hartsman is pleased with the outcome, stating in the press release that "Ascended Weddings were a great way to lift the veil on RIFT's new 'Gatherings' feature, social experiences that bring players together in new and interesting ways." He goes on to add that "[the studio] looks forward to expanding this great new gameplay element in the always-evolving world of Telara." So congratulations to all of the lucky couples. Enjoy your new ball-and-chain! [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
CNN observes the migration habits of the elusive wild gamer
We all know that one guy who flits between MMOs with the same attention span as an ADD goldfish on cocaine. Heck, we've probably been there ourselves a few times. Well, CNN's Geek Out blog has decided to take a look at the migratory patterns of the MMO gamer in his natural habitat, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. With the recent release of Star Wars: The Old Republic, gamers everywhere are deciding whether or not to migrate. The author of the piece takes a look at the comparative subscription numbers of major players in the MMO game, and speaks to Warner Bros. Entertainment's Jim Drewry and Adam Mersky regarding how the folks behind Lord of the Rings Online deal with MMO migration. It's really a rather interesting look into the culture, so click on through the link below to give it a read.
15 Minutes of Fame: The AFK Tavern, where everybody knows your name
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. So these two WoW players walk into a bar. Only it's not just a bar -- it's also a full restaurant serving hearty but healthy (fresh, locally sourced and frequently organic) fare such as the thick, juicy Iron Dragon Steak ("a full half-pound of flat iron steak grilled in dragon's fire and served with sautéed veggies and a GLaDOS baked potato"). And then they don't go home, because it's more than just a bar and restaurant -- it's also a gaming center hosting everything required to enjoy a night of tabletop, console and online gaming. Yes, this is heaven. Welcome to the AFK Tavern in Everett, Wash., the brainchild of WoW player Kayla Graves. "It was kinda my life's dream," she explains. "I run the place as general manager and design most the menus and almost all the drinks (a few are made by our bartenders), so I take the title of creative director most the time. I also deal with all our social media ... And advertisements. AFK started as my project, but we're big on community input, so we've shaped it that way and let it become more than us. It's pretty cool owning a company like AFK Tavern with my two best friends in the whole world." Sound like the place where everybody knows your name? We thought so, too. Come on in.
Breakfast Topic: I'm not actually "playing" right now
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. I don't know about you, but my husband and I can never agree on what it means to "play" WoW. I'm a pretty casual player, but I log in most days to take care of my regular tasks and check out what's going on in the game world. Most weekends, I have enough time to do a couple of dungeon runs or quests, but my normal weekday visit is usually just long enough to do a couple of dailies and update my auctions. However, my non-player husband doesn't seem to understand that just because I'm logged into WoW, I'm not actually playing the game. Here's a typical evening conversation: Husband: "Are you playing WoW?" Me: "No, just resetting auctions." Husband: "Well, isn't that part of the game?" Me: "Sure, but I'm not playing right now." Husband: "OK, well, you know that stuff isn't real, right? You're PLAYING a GAME." Me: Sigh ... I just don't feel like I'm playing unless I'm actively questing, dashing around the world killing hapless animals or barging through a dungeon with a couple fellow adventurers. Maybe it's the adrenaline, maybe it's my need for achievement, or maybe it's my innate competitiveness, but grinding, auctioning and banking just don't do it for me. I need to be in the thick of it to feel like I'm actually playing. What is "playing" to you? Have you ever wanted to write for WoW.com? Your chance may be right around the corner. Watch for our next call for submissions, and be sure to sign up for Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. The next byline you see here may be yours!
Felicia Day on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Our favorite DIY web series star Felicia Day showed up on network television last night, and you can watch the result after the break below. She appeared on Jimmy Fallon's late night show to promote the release of The Guild's new retail DVD, in stores right now. I watched it in HDTV on my regular television, and it was a pretty surreal experience: this is the Internet gaming culture moving mainstream as we watch it. Sure, it's just Fallon (and he's made a commitment to gaming and its culture already), but to have people talking this frankly and honestly about the gaming experience on network television is a nice step forward.The two chat about their first meeting, where Felicia helped Fallon roll up a draenei, as well as Dr. Horrible and how all of The Guild DVDs are made. And at the end of the interview, Fallon even hooks her up with some tickets to a NY show. Looks like it was a lot of fun, and it's great to see someone who's worked so hard on something they love get a nice bit of recognition for it.Update: Sorry, forgot that Hulu only works in the US. Here's another video that should work outside the States.
BBFC publishes research on gamer demographics, perception
The British Board of Film Classification published today research that they have conducted concerning video games. The report covers a wide aspect of gaming culture. Highlights include: Age: "Although children are beginning to start playing games at a younger age, the overall age of players is getting older. Younger games players are influenced to play particular games by peer pressure and word of mouth, but negative press coverage for a game will significantly increase its take up." Gender: "There is a sharp divide between male and female games players in their taste in games and how long they spend playing. Female games players tend to prefer 'strategic life simulation' games like The Sims and puzzle games and spend less time playing than their male counterparts; male players favour first 'person shooters' [sic] and sports games and are much more likely to become deeply absorbed in the play." Benefits of gaming: "People play games to escape from every day life and to escape to a world of adventure without risk which is under the control of the gamer, unlike the real world. Games provide a sense of achievement and are active, unlike television and films which are passive. However, games are better at developing action than building character and as such gamers tend to care less about the storyline than making progress in the game. Gamers claim that playing games is mentally stimulating and that playing develops hand eye coordination."
