There are two kinds of gamers - those who play League of Legends, and the rest of us.
I've accepted the fact a long time ago... I am a gamer. I've always been a gamer and I'll always be a gamer. Before it was cool and before everybody was doing it, I was a gamer. Before it was a profitable, multi-billion dollar industry, I was a gamer. Before there was a GameStop next to every Starbucks (a clever way of saying there are a lot of GameStops), I was gamer. And as a gamer, I've tried to be as "multi-cultural" as I can be, having played all of the major consoles and many of the biggest titles for the last I don't know how many years.
I think I speak the language pretty well, and while my reflexes have dulled over the years and my skill level might not be as proficient as it once was, I think I've traded those skills in for wisdom and knowledge of the video game industry.
But if I'm being honest, like I always try to be...I am truly mesmerized and perplexed by League of Legends...and admittedly - a little intimidated. I enjoy the game...am fascinated by the game...but I have never once played it. And I'm almost afraid to ever start.
League of Legends is this behemoth of a game. It is at the forefront of the eSports and organized play movements and has this massive following of gamers playing it...and gamers watching others play it. They are in essence, becoming their own genre of gamer.
I've had the opportunity to witness the League of Legends phenomenon first hand, up close and personal. I live with someone who plays it, watches it...lives and breathes it. And I've experienced it at a couple industry events, where Riot seems to draw the biggest crowd and most passionate fans. I admit I'm certainly no expert on the game and even now I'm only sharing my observations to illustrate how and why this game is such a rarity.
Vocabulary
I know gamers have their own vocabulary...I know a few of the words myself. I've even blogged about a number of them before (how do you pronounce gibs again). Having watched round after round after round of League of Legends, it would appear they have adopted a few terms unique to their game, or at least MOBAs in general. I never even realized how true this was until I stumbled across...
League of Legends Glossary/Dictionary/ Abbrevations/Thesaurus
You can check it out here.
Obviously there are quite a few terms here that are universal to most games. Abbreviations like GG are pretty much universal. But dare I say I'd wager dollars to doughnuts I'm not the only one who doesn't know every single term in this list.
SS - Stands for miss or missing. This is said when an opponent in a certain lane is missing and so could have left the lane to for example gank other players. Extra caution is advised when someone says SS. SS can be followed or preceded by more information. (E.g. top ss means whoever was in top lane is missing, ss annie means annie is missing from her lane, 2 ss bot means two champions are missing from the bot lane, etc.). In North America, MIA (missing in action) is used instead of SS and in Asia MS (missing) is used. When this champion returns to back lane, you say 're' to let your teammates know.
Rules
I remember one time after my son started playing League of Legends he made comment about not being able to quit a match midgame for fear of being banned. It kind of stopped me in my tracks. A game that bans people for quitting? My first response was there was no way I would ever play a game with such a draconian policy as to ban you for leaving a match before its end. I thought to myself, there are all sorts of legitimate reasons to leave in the middle of a game. Upon closer observation, I realized it wasn't quite as severe as that, but it can be pretty harsh...and definitely detracts from players quitting midgame. When you look at the fine details, apparently it happens if you do it so many times in a given period of time and only if it is a ranked game. Okay, I'm listening.
It would also seem there is a reporting process to identify and punish players who are only there to wreak havoc and cause problems. In a number of rounds I've watched, players would opt to report players for their offending behavior, but in more than one instance I saw calls for action just because someone wasn't very good and the game. Wait, what? Report a player because they're trying to do a good job but not living up to the team's expectations? Seems kind of brutal - a reputation games like League of Legends and Dota 2 have earned - but let's be honest...how many of us have been in a game where we wished we could take some sort of action against players who weren't supporting the team.
Imagine if Call of Duty banned players for rage quitting, trolling or just being a downright crappy player.
I don't know how rigid the rules and disciplinary actions Riot has developed truly are, but for a game that is as huge as League of Legends, you have to almost believe this is a necessary evil. I certainly think it is.
So, while I'm a little shocked at the harshness of the rules, I do applaud Riot for taking a hardline stance at keeping the peace. A truly unenviable position, I'm sure.
Culture
Another element League of Legends players seem to have adopted is their very own culture. I wonder if we would be watching games on applications like Twitch near as much if it weren't for League of Legends uncanny ability to draw in crowds of people. The same is very likely true of the eSports movement. We've been watching the slow progression of competitive gaming, but League of Legends has accelerated this movement and taken it to a much higher level. The fans are so engrossed and committed to the game it shows in every facet of their gaming personalities. They don't just play the game as if it is a casual form of entertainment. They read about it, study it, watch it, learn it and live it. League of Legends even seems to attract its division of cosplay. Cosplay is nothing new...it's been around for years and years. But fans of League of Legends can be found posing as their favorite characters in droves and Riot embraces this by recognizing their devoted cosplayers to a much higher degree than any other company and/or brand. League of Legends is often compared to its similarly themed and designed neighbor - Dota 2...but you don't see near the commitment, especially in terms of cosplay, to Dota 2 that you do from League of Legends fans.
Even though I don't play League of Legends and very well may never play the game, I can't help but be fascinated by everything about it, what it has achieved and the influence it has had on the video game industry. It is truly a game of the fans, by the fans, for the fans.