SmedBlog: eSports Support

[Baneblade]

Originally Posted by Smed

you are thinking way too narrowly IMO. How many of you watch anything on Twitch TV? I do. I don't play Starcraft II but I watch the hell out of it. It is gradually taking on a lot of the time I used to spend watching TV (which isn't a ton anyways since I spend most of my free time gaming).

Do not think of an Esport the way they exist now. Planetside 2 will not fit into that square hole. However imagine a 500 person outfit fighting another 500 person outfit with cameras posted (time delayed) at a bunch of locations around the world and spectators able to follow people around the map at various locations. Imagine really good Casters following the best players on each side (maybe it's even all 3 empires fighting). Imagine a Season where we allow outfits to register (with requirements about size, etc) and be tracked during that season on a huge number of stats.

There are 2 ways of looking at Esports. One way is literally as pure competition. Another is looking at it as really well done Television. Instead of watching Survivor wouldn't you rather watch an hour long battle casted by really good shoutcasters and follow some of the best players in the game?

Esports is a lot more than simple arena matches. It's really becoming about watching other people game. Those of you that think this idea is stupid.. I was one of you. Now I'm hooked. Give it a try.. you will be too.

We have made the decision to innovate in a major way in Esports. It's not going to be the primary focus and driver of Planetside 2.. but we are adding technology that is already in the game and working that will allow you to cast directly from Planetside 2 without the need for external clients. At some point real soon you will even be able to follow your outfit mates from your ipad or iPhone as they pull of a Bin Laden style raid on some base and you'r going to be able to watch them. And guess what. Down the line (not at launch). If you have the right certs. You'll be able to do some drone action yourself.

Please keep an open mind. We aren't going to change what's at the heart of Planetside 2 to try and shove it into being an arena based shooter. That ain't happening.

Are we mindlinked somehow? Because this sort of thing was something War Machine was planning to do when we launched our network broadcasting station.

[NePaS]

I for one would have no problems or worries watching a battle between 500-1000 guys on twitch,just like going to the movies for a war film(except,that you have been one of these poor saps yourself,so you kinda relate,maybe)!

[Hamma]

I will totally stream PlanetSide 2 and talk about it. I'll be doing it with capture cards and our badass AGN setup though

[Patflute]

You guys realize that you don't have to do eSports? It's probably not going to affect the base game.

[RoninOni]

Originally Posted by Smed

Dissapointed a lot of folks? For throwing an idea out?

This whole developer/player relationship thing has to be better than that. We have ideas. We throw them out. You like them or not. We make them or not. You play the game or not. We need the feedback loop and we are trying to go way above anything we've ever done and frankly we want to raise the bar in this industry (and there are developers that do this very well so that is a high bar indeed) for interaction with our player community.

I look at this very simply. We make this game for you. You vote both with your feet and your pocketbook. If you don't play, we're screwed.

so let's be able to discuss ideas and not assume the world is coming to an end on December 22, 2012 (launch date for PS2).

Smed

Please don't stop sharing ideas

Love for the chance to discuss these kinds of things before they get implemented.

Kinda the whole point of community interaction

Not enough studios do it.

[Graywolves]

I enjoy discussing with the Devs when I am able, it makes me feel like I'm part of the team. It makes Planetside2 something even more personal for the player as well.

[AnamNantom]

Originally Posted by RoninOni

Please don't stop sharing ideas

Love for the chance to discuss these kinds of things before they get implemented.

Kinda the whole point of community interaction

Not enough studios do it.

Ditto!

Watch what T-Ray says at 3:50:

[Electrofreak]

Originally Posted by AnamNantom

Ditto!

Watch what T-Ray says at 3:50:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvoaHWsO34c

Wow. That was T-Ray responding to my question 8 years ago. Yes, that skinny guy with the lame hair and scraggly goatee that yammered on endlessly starting at 2:15 into the video was me when I was 20. A lot has changed since then. Man, I'm embarrassed to watch myself!

Funny, this is the video I mentioned yesterday evening in a post to Smed about how I thought some ideas for PS2 were so great back in the day that became complete failures.

Originally Posted by Electrofreak

I could link a video of myself back in 2004 excitedly asking questions of T-Ray, CriticalMass, and Fisa about upcoming PS1 features (during PSUMA in Orlando, FL). Some of the ideas seemed so great at the time, but ultimately sent PS1 into a tailspin. Hopefully we can avoid that this time around.

TL;DR - Be gentle with us Smed... we gamers are delicate and fickle creatures.

Smed responded and pointed out that his presence is an indicator of how serious they are about addressing my concern:

Originally Posted by Smed

I should point out the simple fact that I'm having this discussion before the game even launches and in my blog I specifically noted that we plan on releasing the 3 year plan and taking player feedback. We've learned our lessons.

Interesting how T-Ray's statement 8 years ago applies to this discussion. Sometimes they don't think of things during development that make sense later. And here they are, throwing ideas around with us during closed beta for the sequel, and we're jumping down their throats for it...

[GhettoPrince]

Originally Posted by RoninOni

QFT,

[RoninOni]

Blizzard used to be one of my favorite devs too D:

Good old days of Warcraft 2, Diablo (1&2, but I was mostly around for 1), and Starcraft.

[Bittermen]

I seem to be hooked on Tribes and Day Z twitch casts... The Tribes casts made me a better player and the Day Z casts made me buy the mod.


This is going to be big. I like the idea of watching a massive battle unfold from different angles on twitch. Especially like the one I was involved in today.

[Malorn]

I think differently about this now.

[Ruffdog]

Originally Posted by Malorn

You're much better off spending those dollars on marketing and making the Massive Epic Planetside experience better instead of making PlanetSide 2 into something it's not.

My thoughts too. I'd much prefer seeing the 2000 player ceiling raised, more conts per server, more servers overall.

If e-sports happens, it happens. Personally speaking with very little free time, I will be spending it shooting, not watching.

[EVILPIG]

I know SOE is hot on eSports, but not for Planetside. No way. Let the battle for Auraxis be just that. No eSports, no stupid battledomes.

However, Bullet Run should be all about eSports. Make that a good game with Teams and it could have a pro circuit.

[sumo]

i never cared about e-sport. so the way i see it is: dont spend any resources what-so-ever on e-sport.