A criticism of Blizzard is that they take a popular gaming genre and dumb it down - so will their answer to TF2 catch the imagination?
What is the recipe for a successful eSport?
The world’s largest games developer, Blizzard Entertainment, is hoping it has found the answer.
Taking the base ingredient of the classic first-person shooter experience, throwing in a pinch of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) class-combat systems and account level rewards and topping it with a sprinkling of character customisation.
What we end up with is a fun and engaging FPS – one that attempts to combine the best elements of other successful genres, such as Team Fortress 2 (TF2) – into a dynamic and competitive shooter.
But for Overwatch and others, a good game does not necessarily make a lasting eSport.
Sticking with Team Fortress 2 as an example, it is a wildly successful, profitable and beloved game.
And yet it is only supposedly becoming an eSport later this year, nine whole years since its release in 2007.
That length of time is indicative of the gulf between what makes a popular game and what makes a popular eSports game.
It relies on three crucial elements; accessible gameplay: difficulty v reward and audience interest.
Accessible gameplay
Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is one of the world’s most popular eSports and is the closest thing to pick-up-and-play that the scene possesses.
Sure, some of the competitive nuances (flanking, planning, team tactics) take a little while longer to master, but the aim and fire mechanics? Instinctive, especially to any FPS fan.
Contrast that with the definitive global superstar of eSports – League of Legends (LoL).
The most popular eSport in the world by a country mile, it is also a deeply complex, layered experience and requires serious dedication and time to achieve even a basic understanding of its workings.
So why is the labyrinthine LoL more popular than CS:GO? That brings us to our second point.
Difficulty v Reward
One of the consequences of CS:GO’s pick-up-and-play accessibility is that it gives a low ceiling of complexity or expansion.
Maps and strategy tend to follow pre-agreed patterns that only become more evident in the eSports arena, as fans and audience alike can roughly predict how a level will play out before it is even played.
That’s not necessarily a negative, but it creates a winning bitesize audience experience to suit the short and sharp gameplay.
You can see why Overwatch would want to capture that same easy charm with its colourful FPS aesthetic.
LoL, meanwhile, rewards fans and eSports audiences alike who are prepared to invest.
A far larger amount of hours and days are needed to overcome the learning curve with a deeper experience. Matches with multiple layers that can shift at any moment – a moving tapestry of gameplay.
By now, the contrast is obvious.
One popular eSports game offers a fast-paced and accessible, but slightly shallow, audience experience. The other offers one that is difficult and complicated, but rewarding and deep.
So when Blizzard are demonstrating they want to capture elements of both with Overwatch, they’re suddenly on shaky ground.
The best of both worlds can very quickly end up being the least of each. Which brings us to…
Audience interest
A common criticism of Blizzard is they take a popular gaming genre and dumb it down.
Vast swathes of World of Warcraft fans feel they have slowly simplified the experience to make it more accessible.
Similarly, their previous attempt at making an eSports gem, Heroes of the Storm, has hardly set the battle arena scene alight amid criticism of being casualised.
Starting to see a pattern yet?
Again, when Blizzard start to try and please everyone with an ‘accessible FPS’ (Overwatch), they risk alienating in equal measure.
This time, though, there are signs they have learned from their previous mistakes.
After the Overwatch beta in December, there was a two-month hiatus where audience feedback was rigorously dissected and applied. So when it re-opened last month, the signs were positive.
Gone is the level cap, to introduce a new progression system leading to cosmetic rewards.
But the most important eSports aim is ranked play, where competitive customisation is king. It could be just the thing that sets Overwatch apart from other failed eSports endeavours.
Verdict
We can’t guarantee success, but it’s certainly heartening to see Blizzard listening to their audience for once.
Instead of throwing in competing elements haphazardly, keeping the gameplay accessible with a sensible but meaningful learning curve could be the way to ultimate success.
Overwatch will be released on 24 May and, if it takes off as an eSport, you know we’ll have odds on it right here.
So keep your eyes glued to @BetwayeSports for all the latest announcements and specials.
