xparasite9 Wrote:I'll wait for "Pay to Win: The Movie"

Words Wrote:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/18/valves-new-film-free-to-play-is-a-bid-to-legitimize-professional-gamers/

Leaving this Washingtonpost "review" or whatever here, haven't watched it yet so I wouldn't know what to think of it... especially the "extended commercial" part. Guess I'll wait until tomorrow to figure out how I feel about it.

VerrKol Wrote:I think the reviewers just wish the documentary had been a bit broader in scope and included some professional gamers not playing DOTA2 in order to talk about the profession as a whole. I have to admit I would find that a much more appealing premise since I don't happen to play DOTA.

Takebacker Wrote:You mean they didn't? Might as well name it DOTA2: the movie then. Much less reason to watch this imo if that's the case, but i'll still watch anyway.

VerrKol Wrote:I obviously haven't seen it yet, but I think it's just about 3 players getting to the DOTA2 championship or w/e. I'd love to see an actual documentary which covers some of the emergence history of e-sports with SC1/2, DOTA, LoL, etc

VerrKol Wrote:I think the reviewers just wish the documentary had been a bit broader in scope and included some professional gamers not playing DOTA2 in order to talk about the profession as a whole. I have to admit I would find that a much more appealing premise since I don't happen to play DOTA.

Takebacker Wrote:You mean they didn't? Might as well name it DOTA2: the movie then. Much less reason to watch this imo if that's the case, but i'll still watch anyway.

Valve's "About the Movie Wrote:Free to Play is a feature-length documentary that follows three professional gamers from around the world as they compete for a million dollar prize in the first Dota 2 International Tournament. In recent years, e-sports has surged in popularity to become one of the most widely-practiced forms of competitive sport today. A million dollar tournament changed the landscape of the gaming world and for those elite players at the top of their craft, nothing would ever be the same again. Produced by Valve, the film documents the challenges and sacrifices required of players to compete at the highest level.

Words Wrote:Stuff I don't understand.

Words Wrote:I don't know how feasible it would be for Valve to make the documentary on other games but my uneducated guess is that it isn't that easy, so I'd say the reviewer's expectations/wishes were rather weird... as appealing as the premise you describe may be.

VerrKol Wrote:Takebacker; Thanks, I'll check it out later.

Quote:The movie isn't perfect and viewers without a knowledge of the scene might struggle at points, particularly with some of the game footage as a couple of the fights simply appear chaotic rather than complex. Early in the documentary it's explained that players make calculations and deal with a great number of variables every second so dissecting a dramatic sequence or a skilful snippet of play might have helped convey that complexity in a more manageable form. If you do know more about the game, you'll know the winners and losers in advance meaning some of the interviews can be jarring.

Above all, though, it's a movie which participates in, as well as documents, a tipping point. The movie is set largely in 2011 and over the last two years eSports and professional gaming have made real inroads in terms of being considered an occupation where they were previously often dismissed as a childish hobby.