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Fire jets and glitter bombs
Technology esports
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Can you speedrun your way through Spelunky?
Suzi Pratt/FilmMagic/Getty Images
BIG names like Dota 2 and Call of Duty aren’t the only games that have attained esports status. Other games might be played for much smaller prizes, but they’re still lots of fun. Diving deep In Spelunky (pictured), you navigate a series of randomly generated caves bristling with traps and creatures. The Spelunky Daily Challenge gives every player one chance to complete –Let the games begin– a newly generated cave, the winner being the top scorer at the day’s end.
Mark Harris gets lost amid the glitz and glamour of live esports I AM sitting high in the stands at Seattle’s KeyArena, elbow to elbow with excited sports fans. The buzz from the sell-out crowd rises as TV announcers clear their throats and a bank of cameras focus on the field of play. Suddenly, the stage lights up with spotlights and jets of flame. Cheesy rock music blares as the teams come on. Battle is about to commence. This is American professional sports at its loudest and glitziest. But the last NBA basketball game played here was in 2008. This is The International, the world’s biggest annual knock-out championships for Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2 ), a fantasy-themed multiplayer online game that boasts a
heady mix of strategy, teamwork and violence. Dozens of five-player teams from around the world have fought their way through preliminary rounds to reach the finals. Now just two remain: ViCi Gaming and Newbee. Over the next few hours, the combatants will attempt to reduce their opponents to a collection of blood-spattered pixels. All 10 are young, studious-looking Chinese men, reflecting the dominance that Asian teams now exert in competitive gaming. Although heroes to legions of online followers, they have none of the exuberant self-confidence of traditional sports stars. At a pre-match press conference, they nibble
WHere can I watch esports? Ready to get into esports but don’t know where to start? Try logging on to Twitch.tv, the top site to watch video games. Twitch pulls in around 45 million viewers every month who watch celebrity gamers playing live. Or, if you’re looking to meet other fans, grab a drink at a dedicated esports bar. Meltdown, the UK’s first, opened in London in June and also
20 | NewScientist | 16 August 2014
has sites in Paris and Berlin. They offer live streams and open play every night. In the US, some bars host dedicated game nights, with big-screen showings of the latest battles. Ones which show Starcraft, the popular multiplayer game, are called “BarCraft” nights, while “BarFights” show Streetfighter II contests. Aviva Rutkin
fingernails, stare at phones and mumble answers to the questions. Even up on stage in matching tracksuits, they strike me as more high-school chess team than potential multimillionaires. There is no airpunching or trash talk, just the air of professionals getting down to business. If the event conveys mass-market aspirations, Dota 2 itself remains fearsomely exclusive. The vicious digital smackdowns look impressive, but the strategic subtleties fly way over my head. Nevertheless, the games flash by and 3 hours later, Newbee blasts to victory over ViCi. The final keystrokes are followed by bursts of fireworks, glitter bombs and a standing ovation from delighted fans around me. After the match, and mobbed by fans, Newbee captain Zhang Ning (aka “Xiao8”) tells reporters: “The game is like a dream and we just woke up.” A week later, the 24-year-old player reveals he has been suffering from stress-induced digestive complaints and announces his retirement from pro gaming. “My doctor advised me to rest. I discovered that health is the most important thing.” Esports may be a young phenomenon but money and fame are helping it grow up fast. n
spelunkyworld.com
Fire jets and glitter bombs
Players can record their attempts and upload them to YouTube. Fight to the death Beat-em-ups are the original esports. Games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Super Smash Bros involve quick reflexes, extensive memorisation and the ability to psych out your opponent. The genre is celebrated at the annual Evolution Championship Series in Las Vegas, a three-day tournament with prize pots of around $10,000. Race to the finish Speedrunning – trying to complete a game or part of one as quickly as possible – turns any game into an esport, and an exceptional run can be posted to YouTube to ensure bragging rights. Ordinary players could take days to finish games like Super Mario 64, but speedrunners can do them in under an hour. Jacob Aron n
For more technology stories, visit newscientist.com/technology
Can you speedrun your way through Spelunky?
Suzi Pratt/FilmMagic/Getty Images
BIG names like Dota 2 and Call of Duty aren’t the only games that have attained esports status. Other games might be played for much smaller prizes, but they’re still lots of fun. Diving deep In Spelunky (pictured), you navigate a series of randomly generated caves bristling with traps and creatures. The Spelunky Daily Challenge gives every player one chance to complete –Let the games begin– a newly generated cave, the winner being the top scorer at the day’s end.
Mark Harris gets lost amid the glitz and glamour of live esports I AM sitting high in the stands at Seattle’s KeyArena, elbow to elbow with excited sports fans. The buzz from the sell-out crowd rises as TV announcers clear their throats and a bank of cameras focus on the field of play. Suddenly, the stage lights up with spotlights and jets of flame. Cheesy rock music blares as the teams come on. Battle is about to commence. This is American professional sports at its loudest and glitziest. But the last NBA basketball game played here was in 2008. This is The International, the world’s biggest annual knock-out championships for Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2 ), a fantasy-themed multiplayer online game that boasts a
heady mix of strategy, teamwork and violence. Dozens of five-player teams from around the world have fought their way through preliminary rounds to reach the finals. Now just two remain: ViCi Gaming and Newbee. Over the next few hours, the combatants will attempt to reduce their opponents to a collection of blood-spattered pixels. All 10 are young, studious-looking Chinese men, reflecting the dominance that Asian teams now exert in competitive gaming. Although heroes to legions of online followers, they have none of the exuberant self-confidence of traditional sports stars. At a pre-match press conference, they nibble
WHere can I watch esports? Ready to get into esports but don’t know where to start? Try logging on to Twitch.tv, the top site to watch video games. Twitch pulls in around 45 million viewers every month who watch celebrity gamers playing live. Or, if you’re looking to meet other fans, grab a drink at a dedicated esports bar. Meltdown, the UK’s first, opened in London in June and also
20 | NewScientist | 16 August 2014
has sites in Paris and Berlin. They offer live streams and open play every night. In the US, some bars host dedicated game nights, with big-screen showings of the latest battles. Ones which show Starcraft, the popular multiplayer game, are called “BarCraft” nights, while “BarFights” show Streetfighter II contests. Aviva Rutkin
fingernails, stare at phones and mumble answers to the questions. Even up on stage in matching tracksuits, they strike me as more high-school chess team than potential multimillionaires. There is no airpunching or trash talk, just the air of professionals getting down to business. If the event conveys mass-market aspirations, Dota 2 itself remains fearsomely exclusive. The vicious digital smackdowns look impressive, but the strategic subtleties fly way over my head. Nevertheless, the games flash by and 3 hours later, Newbee blasts to victory over ViCi. The final keystrokes are followed by bursts of fireworks, glitter bombs and a standing ovation from delighted fans around me. After the match, and mobbed by fans, Newbee captain Zhang Ning (aka “Xiao8”) tells reporters: “The game is like a dream and we just woke up.” A week later, the 24-year-old player reveals he has been suffering from stress-induced digestive complaints and announces his retirement from pro gaming. “My doctor advised me to rest. I discovered that health is the most important thing.” Esports may be a young phenomenon but money and fame are helping it grow up fast. n
spelunkyworld.com
Fire jets and glitter bombs
Players can record their attempts and upload them to YouTube. Fight to the death Beat-em-ups are the original esports. Games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Super Smash Bros involve quick reflexes, extensive memorisation and the ability to psych out your opponent. The genre is celebrated at the annual Evolution Championship Series in Las Vegas, a three-day tournament with prize pots of around $10,000. Race to the finish Speedrunning – trying to complete a game or part of one as quickly as possible – turns any game into an esport, and an exceptional run can be posted to YouTube to ensure bragging rights. Ordinary players could take days to finish games like Super Mario 64, but speedrunners can do them in under an hour. Jacob Aron n