For native New Yorkers, Tribeca likely conjures up images of the high-end, fashionable section of Lower Manhattan that is home to big business, art and entertainment. For everyone else, Tribeca is probably more identifiable for the film festival that bears its name, which was headed by cinematic heavyweights like Robert DeNiro as a way to rebuild and reinvigorate the area after 9/11.
However, there is new blood coursing through the veins of Tribeca Enterprises: video games. Last week, Tribeca Games held its inaugural event in the world of gaming, The Craft and Creative of League of Legends.
During the course of the event, the folks from Riot Games — the studio behind LoL — spoke to us about the influence the title has had on the video game industry and what they attribute the game’s massive success to.
"The game is so engaging and so re-playable. You’re in a game with 10 characters, five on each team, and they’re different every time," said Riot Games’ Lead Designer, Mark Yetter. "So, the combinatorics of that is in the billions. So, every single game you play is new and fresh."
For a game that is over six years old, LoL hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, either. In fact, things are only getting bigger for Riot.
"It sort of snowballed over the years (when) old players continued to play," Yetter said. "They grabbed their friends, continued to play … Ten years in, people are going to still be playing. Twenty years in, we hope players will still be engaged."
Unlike so many MOBA games that sacrifice character development for other elements, Riot knows how important that narrative is for players, and it’s one of the reasons they keep coming back. Even after six years, these characters are always growing, always evolving and always keeping gamers’ interest.
"I was on a panel earlier, and we talked about a character, Gangaplank," Yetter said. "He’s an old character. So, we said, 'can we update this character but also move his story forward? (Let’s) let things happen in this universe. He’s got rivals. He’s the king. Maybe his rivals have finally defeated him and he lost everything and so now, his character has evolved.'
"So, he’s changed a little. He’s still that same character, but he’s in Act II of his story. Then, maybe we’ll come to Act III. There’s a lot of opportunity across characters to do this."
Aside from the narrative arc, it’s the look and design of these digital avatars that have also withstood the test of time. LoL’s art team is aware that the countless MOBAs out there can all begin to look the same after a while, which is why they take a painstaking approach to the detail in their creations.
“We like to play a little bit with our characters,” said Riot Games’ Principal Artist, Moby Francke. “Sometimes, they’re a little bit ugly, but they’re also beautiful at the same time. So, we’re dealing with ratio systems when we’re designing characters, because at the end of the day, that’s how you’re actually going to make a character that truly stands out from the rest, and I think that’s what League players have an affinity for. It’s that, ‘Oh, I’ve never seen that before. Love it!’”
To the end, though, League of Legends is a game tailored to fans. Riot takes the time to listen to feedback and incorporate fan ideas into the game to keep it fresh and relevant to their needs.
It’s in this communal experience that LoL prospers — it’s not just a solitary experience. You may find yourself with a group of new friends after traversing the digital world long enough, or you can use the game as a way to keep in touch with those who have moved on over the years. In a way, it’s as much a social media platform as it is a video game.
"When I was a kid in the early ’80s, we had the arcade system and maybe a group of friends would shove some quarters and play," said Moby Francke. "Now, you can actually be online with your best buddies and they may have moved to another place, but you guys can play."
Just last year, Riot revealed that LoL has 27 million daily and 67 million monthly players subscribed to the game. When you take into account that competition like Warcraft topped out at 12 million players in 2010, it's painfully clear that LoL is one of the biggest forces in the video game industry. With LoL featured in eSports tournaments across the globe and shown on ESPN, Riot's mammoth franchise only looks to grow into 2016 and beyond.
However, beneath all of the sales numbers, subscriber metrics and eSports coverage, there is a team of writers, designers, artists and composers dedicated to making LoL an engrossing and unforgettable experience for fans.
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Photos and video: Stacey Szewczyk/Tech Times
