shoutcasting
Latest
Guild Wars 2 launches authorized shoutcaster program
According to ArenaNet, the introduction of Custom Arenas and Spectator Mode to Guild Wars 2 has resulted in a surge of new tournaments, which naturally has been accompanied by a surge in people shouting about those tournaments. ArenaNet hopes to keep the shouts coming with the introduction of its Authorized Shoutcaster Program. Under the new program, Authorized Shoutcasters will receive notifications when highly rated teams square off against one another. Those shoutcasters can then jump into the match and stream the content live to what we can assume is a cheering throng of e-sports/Guild Wars fanatics. Streams will be delayed to prevent them from influencing the outcome of matches. ArenaNet has already selected its first set of shoutcasters based on their community contributions and shoutcasting bona-fides. If you'd like to be considered for the role, you can post a link to your stream on the official Guild Wars 2 forums. In other, somewhat related news, character slot expansions will be half-off 20% off (math!) from June 7th to June 9th. You can find the offer by checking in with the Black Lion Trading Company in-game. Oh! And don't forget: Massively is in the market for a new Guild Wars 2 columnist.
Black Ops 2 in-game 'Shoutcasting' video tour
When Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 launches on November 13, it will feature built-in tools that allow players on any platform to livestream their multiplayer sessions to the web. No capture boxes or special software required.For competitive video game commentators – or anyone who wants to shoutcast a match of Call of Duty – Black Ops 2 also features a slew of in-game options to control the action as it happens live or from watching a replay. You can adjust items on the HUD, add scoreboards and user name cards, jump to the map showing all users, listen in on team mics to hear their strategies, and more.If you're worried the tools could help opponents get the upper hand, Treyarch has thought about it. Players in the middle of a game won't hear the shoutcasters do their thing and the online time delay is such that it wouldn't make a difference if someone you were playing against was watching the same match. There's also the ability to turn off streaming for certain kinds of matches – like a tournament you've organized.The tools both embrace the growing world of eSports and advance the possibilities of gaming. In-game streaming and shoutcasting tools have made it to the top of our "every game should have this feature" list. And you don't need a pair of commentators explaining the on-screen action in order to make use of the new feature, you could just stream it worldwide at any time for any reason.Joystiq had a chance to play with the feature and discuss its tools with Treyarch advisor (and pro shoutcaster) Mike Rufail as a group of journalists battled it out in a multi-team deathmatch on the Yemen map in Black Ops 2. Watch the mayhem (and why I shouldn't quit my day job) above.
Black Ops 2 features in-game livestreaming and 'Shoutcasting'
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is looking to leave a mark on the future with its feature list, bringing livestreaming options into the series for the first time in its history. Developer Treyarch has revealed that Black Ops 2 will include the ability to stream and Shoutcast directly from the game on all platforms when it launches on November 13.In the mode, two players can serve as Shoutcasters – otherwise known as commentators – for a multiplayer match. Though inspired by the eSports crowd, the mode is available to all. Players can shoutcast games live as they are taking place or add commentary to games saved in the Theater mode of Black Ops 2.Delayed livestreams can be activated from the menu at any time, feeding the game to a web browser for anyone on a PC, Mac, or mobile device to watch.In my experience Shoutcasting a match during a recent Black Ops 2 event I learned two things: I'm honestly terrible at it and Treyarch has just vaulted Black Ops 2 to a new level in the competitive gaming scene.Stay tuned for a video of Joystiq shoutcasting tomorrow.
Firefall's new eSports Toolkit allows better viewing of matches
Red 5 Studios knows that it's not always just about playing Firefall -- it's also about watching matches. Whether you want to check out your friends as they battle in the upcoming free-to-play shooter or you want to get a good look at your competition, the new eSports Toolkit will allow spectators to see the action as it unfolds. It also gives shoutcasters various tools to enhance their broadcasts. Spectators will be able to watch matches in observer mode in which viewers can utilize an assortment of static cameras, follow players, or even check out the whole map and get a bird's-eye view. Viewers have the added bonus of being able to pause, rewind, fast-forward, and even watch the action in slow motion. Shoutcasters enjoy extra features in the broadcast mode, which will allow for free-flight across the map, the ability to access and display player stats, and the ability to switch between multiple camera views to highlight the best action. Together, these features will improve the spectator's overall experience. The eSports Toolkit will be featured at the Firefall beta tournament at Gamescom 2012. For a preview of the different modes, check out the video after the break. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]
Arena Shoutcasting contest opens
So maybe you don't have the kind of name recall as Leeroy Jenkins, and maybe you don't have the street cred of GotFrag TV's Kintt or the British accent of ESL's Joe and Zalmah -- but if you think you can commentate with the best of them, Blizzard's got the right contest for you. Blizzard is looking for the best people to do play-by-plays on Arena matches (dubbed Shoutcasting), so if you think you've got the chops, head over to the contest page and see what it's all about.If you think you're the Dick Vitale of eSports (that's an interesting thought), go ahead and download the stock Arena tournament video on the contest page and dub over the best color commentary you can muster. The best entry will win a Dell Ultrasharp 3007WFP-HC Monitor as well as the code for a cool BlizzCon 2008 Polar Bear mount. Runners up will receive BlizzCon shirts and the mount. Contest ends on April 17, so get a-shoutin', just be sure to read the rules first.
