essay

Since the beginning of the twenty –first century digital game design became more and more popular, this was most likely because of the revenue that could be had, “Online gaming has become big business in recent years(1)”.So there was a supply and demand for digital games to be designed and for them to beat others in the market. This lead to a market becoming larger and more and more designer’s collaborating to produce better and better game. Not only did the digital games evolve but so did the systems they where played on, examples of this are form companies like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

“Artists have embraced the tools and culture of digital gaming to create artwork that challenges the norms and expectations of both the game and art worlds. (2)” This shows how design within in games have evolved to challenge what had not before. Norms and expectation where broken within games because designers push the interaction between gamer and game,“Computer games have gone from mere entertainment and now also include educational, informative and social games. (3)“ Games have changed form simple liner narratives like hitting a pixelated ball across a pixelated table (pong).

To high graphic mmorgs that allow for social and computer interaction for the gamer. This is what has led the franchise to become more appealing for designers, to be able to crate a piece for audience enjoy interaction with. Digital games are something to be enjoyed even if it is teaching the audience something they are to enjoy above all, if a gamer enjoys a game they play they become more interactive with the game so the message comes through a lot easier.

< evolving play systems.

League of legends some time referred to as lol is a multiplayer online battle video game it is produced and published by riot games (riot games was co founded by Brandon beck and marc Merrill and took on many designer and partnerships after founding), it is open to download and play for free on windows and mac os x.Players have a choice of playing three types of maps (in league of legends maps are call fields of justice) these consist of pvp (player verse play) 5v5, 3v3 or all random all mid (aram).The choice of champion to play as well come from a pre made set of one hundred and sixteen.

After this you are to go up against other players in your sever and try to destroy the opposing teams nexus to win. Before it is possible for the teams to reach the nexus they have to work through a series of turrets place along paths, in game referred to as lanes. Each players levels (max level 18) by killing the opposing team members and minions, which are the npcs of the game (non player characters) both players and npc re-spawn through out the game. With each kill or assist in killing players or npc gains gold for the victor to buy items and improve their champions to win the game.

It was released and live to pay on the twenty seventh of October 2009, from this date the game has grown in popularity and has be quoted to be the most play pc game in the world in 2012.” Riot Games’ League of Legends is now officially the most played PC game in North America and Europe. (4)”

> layout of the game

There may be many reason for this, some could say the advertising of the game could contribute for this vast popularity of gamer’s interest. But as you can see this table does not show how many people have played but how long they have, so it is simple to say that for gamers to stay and keep playing the game it must be enjoyable for them to interact with.

Title Total US/EU play hours July 2011 thru Jun 2012

League of Legends 1,292,502,456
World of Warcraft 622,378,909
Minecraft 371,635,651
Heroes of Newerth 184,520,156
Diablo III 172,907,605
Battlefield 3 171,852,550
MapleStory 165,503,651
StarCraft II 163,980,293
World Of Tanks 145,702,931
Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 3 126,754,082 (5)

Esports covers professional play of league of legends, riot host championships all over the world that consist of the best players from different severs to meet up in stadiums and play league. The winner is given exclusive rights in the games and wins a cup. These events are sponsored by big name deals, video recorded and live streamed to viewers who logging in to watch. When player of league of legends watch this stream they interact with the game with out playing. “looks like im staying up to wait for C9, CLG, and Fnatic ‪@lolesports‬ ‪#IEM‬ so ready to watch them play!(6)”

” This is off some ones twitter talking about they seem to be very excited about watching professionals play the game they play.
With this being said the audience also interacts by taking pointers of how professionals play and incorporate it in to their game play. I know this because I play this game and also watch the live streams and other affiliated parts to improving my play because I want to get better at the game.

With this being an online game there are some sort of social networking aspects that are necessary for the game play to flow. This is one of few digital games that will expect you to continually play in teams with people you will not know, (unless you are in a group with friends). Don’t be mistaken this game can be played in solitude but the vital elements of the game are lost to the loner player, banding as a team with people who shear a common goal is but just one to the start to what is missed out by the solitude of the lone gamer.

Online gaming has open up the isolated world of games, no longer is there a limit to the at home lone gamer but to give the options to connect to a community online to other gamers.
This has opened up many networks for the otherwise isolated gamer such as connecting to other gamers all around the world that shear a common interests.
There are defaults to the online gamer, they maybe be connecting to other people virtually but not physically.
This can lead to adverse effect on social development, self-esteem, social inadequacy, and social anxiety

It maybe easy for some to talk and interact with others in these set team because people say it’s easier to interact with someone you don’t make eye contact with. Also as it is an rpg (role playing game) digital game people assume the role of their character they are playing and act their characters actions as if it where them.

There was a test done to do with online gaming and the social interaction within the games. There was a survey given out to different genders, ages and county residence that play games some of the information gathers supports my theories, these are of the face that people online are forming much more relationships/ friendships than in person. “ What they found was that 76.2% of males and 74.7% of females had made “good friends” with someone within the game.’ (7)“ Social development today has possibly changed because of the social networking of games.

People now meet in game then in person, gamers also find romantic relationship online “Also one portion of the participants said they were attracted to another player and even went as far as dating them.(8) “This is causing problems with social interaction people no longer talk in person this can lead to self esteem issues and social anxiety.

The aspect with a game like league of legends is that it a fast pace game that will need the player to communicate with their team to allow the game to run smoothly and win. There is a chat box to communicate with fellow players, but because it is a fast pace game there is a need for a certain amount of speed to communicating. Due to this need for speed gamers have developed their own language and list of terms and terminologies. Some of which are:

“AFK: Away From Keyboard.
Gank: Where several players (normally of a higher level) team up & attack an enemy without warning.
Lag: A drop in framerate that occurs when the technology is pushed to its limits.
Noob: Also spelled N00b and nub, a term used to describe an unskillful person.(9)”
These shortened words consummate for the short period of time that a gamer has to type and play.

There are always risks to playing games with social aspects, people sometimes take it upon them self to be unkind within game play. Also people can rage (get angry) while playing, if something isn’t going quite right or they are losing. They start to blame others for this, those who are most likely to get the wrath of the player are their teammates or the opposing team. From this it is possible to say that social interaction gaming has opened up a new type of bulling. “Key risks include inappropriate content and language, conduct and contact, and increased risk of cyberbullying.(10)”.

There are ways to stop this from happing and that is the report system used to keep gamers safe and to take the “trolls” out if the game. League of legends is one of the games that tries it quite hard to keep it gamers happy and not in any discomfort. This is done through a report system and after a player has been reported enough they are sent to a tribunal to be reviewed and if found guilty they are punished.

> report system for lol <

To sum up the information provided the way gamers interact within games overall are through social and visual means. Without one you may find it may causes the audience to interact less with the game and this can lead to it being less enjoyable. Gamer’s losing interest if a game doesn’t provide them with enjoyment, if it’s enjoyable the audience interacts with the game more. This is achievable through good design and a good community where all play together and enjoy the game together.

Bibliography

(1)http://www.saferinternet.org/online-issues/parents-and-carers/online-gaming
insafe contributor

(2) artists re: thinking games edited by ruth carlow, marc garrett and carrando morgana

(3) http://www.dkds.dk/%7BFA7DE206-BF47-4C9B-AB8B-51BC023217C9%7D
the royal danish academy of fine arts

(4)http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/07/11/riot-games-league-of-legends-officially-becomes-most-played-pc-game-in-the-world/
John Gaudiosi, Contributor

(5)http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/07/11/riot-games-league-of-legends-officially-becomes-most-played-pc-game-in-the-world/
John Gaudiosi, Contributor

(6)http://twitter.com/joshesparra/status/404529062120394752
aySwizZz‏ @joshesparra, contributor

(7)http://webspace.ship.edu/jacamp/psyberpsych/Gaming/social_interaction.html
social interaction with online gaming

(8)http://webspace.ship.edu/jacamp/psyberpsych/Gaming/social_interaction.html
social interaction with online gaming

(9)http://thecircular.org/the-language-of-gamers/
the circular
Gareth Barry

(10) http://www.saferinternet.org/online-issues/parents-and-carers/online-gaming
insafe contributor