Conclusions
My many years of experience as a gamer has proven to me that gaming is so much more than just graphics and gameplay. Some games like Elder Scrolls strive to tell great stories set in massive open worlds. Some games attempt to push the boundaries of graphical fidelity like the Crysis series. Many succeed in their own right at one element or another, but often times the experience is one where the player can play without having to engage with the outside world. League of Legends and Defense of the Ancients are two titles that defy that common sensibility. As gaming has become more of a shared experience over the past decade, the multiplayer component of triple a titles had become more and more of a necessity. Strip away everything else, and that is what these two games provide. A level of sophistication in game design that has players coming back to experience the games over and over, regardless of map size or graphical quality. The replayability of these games lies in the diverse catalog of playable characters that, after a careful balancing act by the developers, offer their own unique play styles which contribute to team dynamics so incredibly complex that if you blink during a team fight you might miss three moves. How does all of this manifest itself when put into the larger context of the "rivalry" of both titles? Well, it's somewhere between complexity and camaraderie that these games find fault with one another. As any two titles within the same genre will have, fan feuding is a thing that permeates any medium. In the hyper competitive MOBA space, however, it is taken to a whole other level. Not only do fans ally themselves with one title or another, they analyze every tiny detail in order to gain a competitive edge in the game and chat lobbies. As my interviews have divulged, feelings on each title range from the care free to the passionately engaged.
Adam Khan's The Trojan Player Typology helped me to better understand the elements of a player that go into making up what particular group they belong to. His criteria designated the types of gamers as: socializers, completionists, competitiors, escapists, story-driven players, and smarty pants players. It was quite amazing to me that I found elements of all of these types of players in many of my interviewees. Whether it was the casual, more story focused player, or the hardcore enthusiast who competed to win and win often; both League of Legends and Defense of the Ancients provided an outlet to any and all. No matter who I talked to though, one fact remained a constant: the title you learn first binds you to it in many ways. As mentioned above, the complexity of these games is nothing to scoff at, which is why it's no surprise that comparisons between the two turn sour quickly. Though they share a common set of mechanics, each in its own right has a flare all its own. Whether it is the use of the Steam client to play DOTA, drawing more players into Valve's already massive community, or Riot Games' attention to detail when it comes to making the meta-narrative of LOL something even the casual fan can engage with; both of these games create communities of unwavering loyalty. This loyalty, while based partly on first experiences, also manifests itself on the even larger stage of the e-sports world. This is the battleground where the real match between these titles is waged, as prize pools and new TV deals create major headlines to make one title standout from the other. The big business of these free to play titles has surpassed even the wildest dreams of Valve's Gabe Newell. With big money comes big talk, and more often than not I found that, both through my own experiences in playing and researching both titles and in talking to other players, the root of argument lay in the highly contentious professional scene. As any major sport will, the communities, when big enough, may become overly critical, focusing on the minutia of each element of the sport.
From small, humble beginnings the gargantuan nature of these titles has led to a swell of negativity attached to the online community. As noted in my interviews, the level of anonymity afforded by the internet only increases negative expressions between fan bases. All of these elements, combined with the increasingly visible presence of e-sports in the mainstream media, have created something of a "rivalry" between each game. This rivalry is a complex reality informed by social dynamics of players who play together and the perceptions of each fan base about the professional nature of their title of choice. While my research divulged the broader nature of the rivalry, my interviews and experiences helped to inform my conclusion by way of fleshing out the greater complexities of each titles mechanics, how the fanbases perceive each title, and how the big business aspect of each bleeds into conversation between both. A majority of my interviewees proved to be of the socializer variety according to Khan et al. and the Trojan Typology. Furthermore, Players 1-9 outlined how the complexities of these games bind players to them, creating divisions based on hours poured into learning each games' unique set of challenges. Combined with the rabid nature of the online space in how it foments argument, nothing is surprising about this. What differs between the two is how the competitive element draws in each player base. While LOL has a dedicated professional scene which highlights the hardcore competitive nature of the title, developer Riot Games also strives to connect more casual audiences to the tile through the use of meta-narrative elements in order to flesh out the games' many champions. Contrast this with the professional craze of Valve's DOTA 2, which is a primary focus of the developer in pushing the appeal of the title, and you have the schism that separates the two fan bases. What I learned from my interviews I also experienced with my play of each title, as I found first hand that LOL was the more accessible of the two titles, with DOTA 2 living up to its name of "for hardcore enthusiasts only." In retrospect, while each title does share a common core of mechanics and map design, they appeal and handle their audiences in wholly different ways that, coupled with the anonymity afforded by the online space, creates a distinct and unique rivalry inside of the MOBA genre and the e-sports field it promotes.
Citations:
Kahn, Adam S., et al. "The Trojan Player Typology: A Cross-Genre, Cross-Cultural, Behaviorally Validated Scale Of Video Game Play Motivations." Computers In Human Behavior 49.(2015): 354-361. ScienceDirect. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
Lobel, Adam, Isabela Granic, and Rutger C.M.E. Engels. "Stressful Gaming, Interoceptive Awareness, And Emotion Regulation Tendencies: A Novel Approach." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking 17.4 (2014): 222-227.Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Seo, Yuri. "Electronic Sports: A New Marketing Landscape Of The Experience Economy." Journal Of Marketing Management 29.13/14 (2013): 1542-1560. Business Source Complete. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
Voulgari, Iro, Vassilis Komis, and Demetrios Sampson. "Learning Outcomes And Processes In Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Exploring The Perceptions Of Players." Educational Technology Research & Development 62.2 (2014): 245-270. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Adam Khan's The Trojan Player Typology helped me to better understand the elements of a player that go into making up what particular group they belong to. His criteria designated the types of gamers as: socializers, completionists, competitiors, escapists, story-driven players, and smarty pants players. It was quite amazing to me that I found elements of all of these types of players in many of my interviewees. Whether it was the casual, more story focused player, or the hardcore enthusiast who competed to win and win often; both League of Legends and Defense of the Ancients provided an outlet to any and all. No matter who I talked to though, one fact remained a constant: the title you learn first binds you to it in many ways. As mentioned above, the complexity of these games is nothing to scoff at, which is why it's no surprise that comparisons between the two turn sour quickly. Though they share a common set of mechanics, each in its own right has a flare all its own. Whether it is the use of the Steam client to play DOTA, drawing more players into Valve's already massive community, or Riot Games' attention to detail when it comes to making the meta-narrative of LOL something even the casual fan can engage with; both of these games create communities of unwavering loyalty. This loyalty, while based partly on first experiences, also manifests itself on the even larger stage of the e-sports world. This is the battleground where the real match between these titles is waged, as prize pools and new TV deals create major headlines to make one title standout from the other. The big business of these free to play titles has surpassed even the wildest dreams of Valve's Gabe Newell. With big money comes big talk, and more often than not I found that, both through my own experiences in playing and researching both titles and in talking to other players, the root of argument lay in the highly contentious professional scene. As any major sport will, the communities, when big enough, may become overly critical, focusing on the minutia of each element of the sport.
From small, humble beginnings the gargantuan nature of these titles has led to a swell of negativity attached to the online community. As noted in my interviews, the level of anonymity afforded by the internet only increases negative expressions between fan bases. All of these elements, combined with the increasingly visible presence of e-sports in the mainstream media, have created something of a "rivalry" between each game. This rivalry is a complex reality informed by social dynamics of players who play together and the perceptions of each fan base about the professional nature of their title of choice. While my research divulged the broader nature of the rivalry, my interviews and experiences helped to inform my conclusion by way of fleshing out the greater complexities of each titles mechanics, how the fanbases perceive each title, and how the big business aspect of each bleeds into conversation between both. A majority of my interviewees proved to be of the socializer variety according to Khan et al. and the Trojan Typology. Furthermore, Players 1-9 outlined how the complexities of these games bind players to them, creating divisions based on hours poured into learning each games' unique set of challenges. Combined with the rabid nature of the online space in how it foments argument, nothing is surprising about this. What differs between the two is how the competitive element draws in each player base. While LOL has a dedicated professional scene which highlights the hardcore competitive nature of the title, developer Riot Games also strives to connect more casual audiences to the tile through the use of meta-narrative elements in order to flesh out the games' many champions. Contrast this with the professional craze of Valve's DOTA 2, which is a primary focus of the developer in pushing the appeal of the title, and you have the schism that separates the two fan bases. What I learned from my interviews I also experienced with my play of each title, as I found first hand that LOL was the more accessible of the two titles, with DOTA 2 living up to its name of "for hardcore enthusiasts only." In retrospect, while each title does share a common core of mechanics and map design, they appeal and handle their audiences in wholly different ways that, coupled with the anonymity afforded by the online space, creates a distinct and unique rivalry inside of the MOBA genre and the e-sports field it promotes.
Citations:
Kahn, Adam S., et al. "The Trojan Player Typology: A Cross-Genre, Cross-Cultural, Behaviorally Validated Scale Of Video Game Play Motivations." Computers In Human Behavior 49.(2015): 354-361. ScienceDirect. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
Lobel, Adam, Isabela Granic, and Rutger C.M.E. Engels. "Stressful Gaming, Interoceptive Awareness, And Emotion Regulation Tendencies: A Novel Approach." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking 17.4 (2014): 222-227.Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Seo, Yuri. "Electronic Sports: A New Marketing Landscape Of The Experience Economy." Journal Of Marketing Management 29.13/14 (2013): 1542-1560. Business Source Complete. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
Voulgari, Iro, Vassilis Komis, and Demetrios Sampson. "Learning Outcomes And Processes In Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Exploring The Perceptions Of Players." Educational Technology Research & Development 62.2 (2014): 245-270. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.