Splot Review: Splot-On Platforming

Splot Review: Splot-On Platforming

Gamezebo

by Jillian Werner 

Splot is the first mobile-focused release from developer Frozenbyte, best known for their action-puzzle series, Trine. Although more condensed in scale than its character-swapping epic older brother, Splot brings plenty of clever ideas to the touch screen, presented through bite-sized bursts of platforming challenges that utterly ooze charm.
Splot begins after your eponymous alien creature crashes into the spaceship of the “Blob Kings,” marooning both sets of aliens on a planet populated by Birdlings. The Blob Kings decide to make the most of a bad situation and eat the succulent baby Birdlings. The Splots, feeling largely responsible for the imminent demise and protection of the young duck-likes, begin rounding them up before the Blob Kings can devour them.

Each stage is built on this premise, pitting the player-controlled Splot against a rampaging Blob King as you each try to reach the Birdlings first. The small bubble-bound birds are scattered about levels the way coins would be in most platformers, with a large batch of birds at the end of the stage acting as the goal and primary victory condition.
The Blob King has no effect on Splot and performs almost like a race ghost during each run, passing by without harming or interrupting your one-eyed alien’s trajectory. Meanwhile, Splot can use a variety of power-ups to interfere with the King, such as temporarily freezing him or using a vacuum to steal birds back that the King snatched first

This head-to-head competition creates a fast-paced rush to the finish (and all of the birds along the way) without the added annoyance of having to protect your Splot from impending doom. Even if the Blob King passes you by and snags some birds first, you can still win the level by beating him to the finish line. The format is reminiscent of the Gourmet Race from Kirby Super Star, although your control of Splot is vastly different.
That control is critical to making Splot an enjoyable mobile experience. In lieu of any virtual controls, Splot utilizes single-tap movement and an entirely jump-based action economy. Tapping on the left side of the screen will make Splot jump left, and tapping on the right makes him jump right. Holding your finger in place after a jump will extend his range or increase falling speed if he sticks to a wall. Levels are built almost entirely around constant jumps and slides, making Splot just as much a wall-jumping platformer as a standard runner.

Most levels are organized so you merely have to jump the correct direction and distance to collect birds and progress. Timing your wall jumps tightly is important, but lower difficulties offer a large window of forgiveness before the Blob King catches up. The exception to this rule is in open areas where Splot is free-gliding, such as underwater or mid-air after hitting a trampoline.
In these instances, you have to guide Splot by dragging your finger along the middle of the screen, but his movement is floaty and often unpredictable. It’s at strong odds with the precise controls of the jump sequences throughout the rest of the level and interrupts game flow every time you have to switch to the drag control scheme. Unfortunately, mastering the awkward glide controls is critical to not only three-starring many levels, but simply completing others, such as the space station where Splot is trapped between deadly lasers within zero gravity.

Thankfully, even with such patience-trying moments, Splot is fairly forgiving. Its three difficulty levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—offer a nice scale in challenge. While stages’ layouts remain the same across all three, other changes affect the difficulty: the Blob King moves faster, Birdlings are positioned in slightly different (and harder-to-reach) locations, and Splot-slaying hazards such as spikes are more prevalent.
All stages are extremely short, with longer levels taking no more than a minute to complete, which means even complete failure won’t set you back much. The power-ups available to Splot have a modest cool-down period of a few stages, but this can be removed by leveling up and upgrading his abilities—for instance, our freeze ability previously had a three-stage cooldown, but at max upgrade it can be used every time we play.

This simple upgrade scheme is one of many bonus treats built into Splot. Experience and levels are earned in relation to the number of stars you receive on a stage, with higher difficulties offering multiplied points. This means that going back and trying to perfect a stage for three stars provides additional rewards in the form of power-up enhancements. Every stage—and each difficulty of that stage—also contains a Splot skin that you can unlock and use in-game. Each star you receive on a stage, every time you play it, has the chance of containing a puzzle piece. Finding four puzzle pieces total on a stage will award you its Splot character. This is a fun collect-a-thon and way to personalize your Splot experience: we had a blast running levels with business suit-Splot, spaceman-Splot, and mime-Splot.
On top of all of these additions, there are also a ridiculous number of achievements to earn—which also award experience points and special Splots. The entire game is jam-packed with prizes beyond the basic gameplay, which is already a treat itself.

The biggest downside to Splot (besides its floaty controls during free-fall) is that even with over 150 types of Splots to play with, the experience is fairly repetitive. New obstacles—like poppable enemies and teleportation devices—are introduced regularly to provide some variation, but you’re still just jumping from floor to wall to wall to teleporter, and so on throughout the linear levels. The Gold difficulty shakes things up the most by requiring you to time every jump, slide, and fall perfectly to have even a chance at besting the Golden Blob King, but it’s still just a meticulously grueling version of what you’ve generally been doing for 100 other levels.
The result is simply that Splot is best experienced in short bursts of a few stages at a time, ideal for on-the-go mobile gaming but less fit for binge-playing. Those bursts are enticing, though, filled with fast-paced action, adorable characters, and oodles of rewards that scream “Thank you for playing. We love you,” in colorful alien gibberish

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Hawaii volcano lava prompts evacuation concerns

Hawaii volcano lava prompts evacuation concerns

AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press

HONOLULU — Flowing lava from an erupting volcano could soon force dozens of residents of an area in Hawaii to flee their homes.
Authorities on Saturday told them to prepare for a possible evacuation in the next three to five days as the molten rock oozed across a country road and edged closer to homes.

The flow was about 35 yards wide and moving northeast at about 10 yards per hour.
Lava of some 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit crossed a road on the edge of Pahoa, the largest town in the mostly rural region of Puna on the Big Island of Hawaii, at 3:50 a.m.

It was about six-tenths of a mile from Pahoa Village Road, the town's main street.
It's not clear when it might reach the village road as the flow has been advancing erratically, said Matt Patrick, a geologist with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Kilauea volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. Most lava from this eruption has flowed south, enveloping the Kalapana and Royal Garden residential subdivisions as it poured out to sea.
For the past two years, however, the lava has been flowing to the northeast, bringing it to Pahoa's doorsteps.

Officials were going door-to door to about 50 homes to keep residents informed of the lava's movement, said Darryl Oliveira, the director of civil defense for Hawaii County.
"This is all something we've been preparing for and hoping wouldn't have to happen," Oliveira said.
The county will issue a mandatory evacuation order if the flow begins advancing at such a rate that it would be difficult for people to move out of the way with little notice, Oliveira said.

Burning asphalt was generating some smoke, but Oliveira said the wind dispersed the fumes over unpopulated areas and it didn't pose a health risk at the moment.

Oliveira said the current situation differs from the flows of past decades because the lava is now approaching the center of a community. Pahoa is not only more densely populated, he said, but it also has commercial and industrial sites as well as residential homes.
The current flow that has been threatening Pahoa began in June. It's been moving fitfully toward the town for weeks, speeding up and then slowing down.

Sporadic suspensions in the lava's movement gave emergency crews time to work on building alternate routes to town in the event the flow covers the main road and highway.
Crews near the leading edge have been wrapping power poles with concrete rings as a layer of protection from the lava's heat.

The lava's pace picked up in recent days when it reached a gully, allowing it to move more efficiently like rain in a gutter.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday asked for a presidential disaster declaration to enable federal help for local emergency crews.

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Samsung's new induction stovetop projects 'virtual flames' onto pots and pans

Samsung's new induction stovetop projects 'virtual flames' onto pots and pans

Dante D'Orazio

The Verge 

Since the dawn of man, we've associated flames with heat. But since induction stovetops don't emit any flames, it seems like they're just waiting to roast your hand. That's why Samsung's latest induction range has "Virtual Flame Technology." A set of blue LEDs around the edge of each burner projects "flames" onto the side of your pots and pans. In addition to letting you know that the burner's on, the "flames" actually increase in size to give you an idea of the relative heat. And, of course, since it's an induction range, the burners only get hot if you actually have a metal pan on them. You will have to pay for the privilege, however: the range is part of Samsung's pricey Chef's Collection, and starts at $3,699.

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Album 1989 Complete Track-By-Track Guide:

Album 1989 Complete Track-By-Track Guide:

“Welcome to New York”

By now most fans will be familiar with this synth-pop NYC anthem, co-written with Ryan Tedder, though they might not realize that it makes more sense as the album’s opener. In that context, the song is less about Swift’s real-life change of address and more about her move into full-on pop. Perhaps that’s why the central metaphor the song uses for the city is a sonic one: She says she came “searching for a sound [she] hadn’t heard before” and found “a new soundtrack” and a new beat she can “dance to … forevermore.” It’s as much a welcome to her new sound (for forevermore!) as it is about the city.

“Blank Space”

“Welcome to New York” may be wide-eyed and innocent, but the acid “Blank Space” is anything but. Those who don’t listen closely might miss the irony, but the song finds Swift—over a hip-hop-influenced drum machine beat recorded with Max Martin and Shellback—sending up her own reputation as a naive heartbreaker, a “nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

“Style”

Another song that isn’t quite what it first appears, “Style” is ostensibly about timeless fashions. “You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye,” Swift sings, “And I got that red lip classic thing you like.” But, slowly and subtly, it reveals itself to be something slightly more sinister: a song about a relationship that goes round and round but is never quite healthy. The arrangement matches the noir-ish feel perfectly, with Nile Rodgers-y funky guitar and a chugging synth riff that would fit right in on the Drive soundtrack.

 “Out of the Woods”

Those who pre-ordered 1989 have already heard this chanting, synth-heavy ballad, written with Jack Antonoff of Bleachers and Fun, but it’s another that makes even more sense in the context of the album. If “Style” is about being stuck in a vicious cycle with (apparently) Harry Styles, then “Out of the Woods” is about breaking out of it.

All You Had to Do Was Stay

Completing what plays like a three-song cycle that begins with “Style” and “Out of the Woods,” “All You Had to Do Was Stay” sees the man who was unwilling to commit (Swift has implied that this one, too, is about Styles) come crawling back to her. He may “want it back,” but—as Swift sings with a nearly audible wagging finger—“It’s just too late.” While perhaps not as memorable as the other two songs, the track gets points for attitude.

“Shake It Off”

 Its a No. 1 hit song of the album and really catchy also.

“I Wish You Would”

The most striking thing about this song initially is that it’s the first to actually place the emphasis on guitars. Written to go over a Fine Young Cannibals-sampling track assembled by Jack Antonoff . The song builds and builds—sliding into half time on the chorus—as it finds the singer wishing a lover would run back.

“Bad Blood”

Written about a professional feud with another artist who “basically tried to sabotage [Swift’s] entire arena tour,” according to Swift, “Bad Blood” is rumored to be about Katy Perry, who may or may not have hired dancers away from Swift’s tour supporting Red. 

“Wildest Dreams”

It’s hard to imagine that this song, which finds Swift quivering and whispering and reinventing herself as a sort of summer-dress-wearing femme fatale, wasn’t inspired by Lana Del Rey. The sultry lyrics describe a surreptitious, doomed affair that the singer enters under only one condition: “Say you’ll see me again,” she sings, “even if it’s just in your wildest dreams.” Swift’s own distinct songwriting voice gets a little lost, but she does a convincing Del Rey impression.

 “How You Get the Girl”

Though it follows immediately after the very sedate “Wildest Dreams,” “How You Get the Girl” is perhaps the most chipper song on the album. Built over strumming acoustic guitars, it’s also the one that sounds the most like Red. 

“This Love”

The slowest song on the album, “This Love” opens with a wash of synths seemingly meant to evoke waves on the ocean shore. These ocean currents provide the song’s central metaphor, which is about hoping that, if you let it go, love will come back to you just like the tide.

“I Know Places”

A song about trying to carry on a love affair while the vultures (the media, presumably) are circling, “I Know Places” has eerie, sinister verses that burst into triumphant, major-key euphoria on the chorus) But with its manipulated vocals, martial drums, and references to the flashing lights of photographers, the song (which was made with Ryan Tedder) achieves the mood it aims for.

“Clean”

Employing another water metaphor, “Clean” finds Swift after a breakup drowning in the stuff (tears, presumably), until she is “finally clean” and ready to move on. Written and recorded with Imogen Heap, the sad but ultimately hopeful song is in the vein of similarly-themed Swift album closers like “Begin Again.”

Bonus tracks

“Wonderland”

“You R in Love”

“New Romance”

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Drug stores drop Apple Pay and Google Wallet to push their own payment tech

Drug stores drop Apple Pay and Google Wallet to push their own payment tech

Jon Fingas

Engadget 

If you're bent on using Apple Pay or Google Wallet for your shopping, you may have to be finicky about your choice of drug stores. Both CVS and Rite Aid have shut off their support for NFC-based payments just days after Apple Pay went live. Try to tap your phone and you'll get an error, or nothing at all. The companies haven't publicly discussed why they're cutting off the handy feature, but this is ultimately an attempt to stifle competition. Both pharmacies are part of the Merchant Customer Exchange, a retailer group releasing its own mobile wallet system (CurrentC) in 2015; as a memo obtained by SlashGearsuggests, they'd rather deny all NFC payments than risk building support for rivals. Suffice it to say that this will be very inconvenient if you're a frequent customer, and you'll currently have to visit the likes of Duane Reade and Walgreens if you want to avoid paying with old-fashioned cash or plastic.
[Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Source: MacRumors, SlashGear

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Roku wants to grow its media hub empire with a public stock filing

Roku wants to grow its media hub empire with a public stock filing

Jon Fingas

Engadget

Roku frequently comes across as the little media player company that could: its streaming box business is growing in spite of much larger competition. As healthy as it is, though, this upstart now appears eager to join the big leagues. Tipsters for both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times claim that Roku is planning to file an initial public stock offering (IPO) that could net as much as $150 million, roughly doubling what it raised through private investments. The details of just how and when this would happen are still murky, but the company said earlier this month that it's near turning a profit. It may wait until it's in the black and can put its best foot forward. If the IPO does happen, though, you should expect Roku to grow quickly. It's already striking deals with TV makers and has the support of major broadcasters -- the extra cash could both put more big-name services on your existing Roku box and improve the range of devices you can buy at the store.
Source: Wall Street Journal, New York Times

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Google Rolls Out An Invite System For Its New Email App, Inbox By Gmail

Google Rolls Out An Invite System For Its New Email App, Inbox By Gmail

Sarah Perez

TechCrunch

Good news, you don’t have to scour eBay for an invite to Google’s new email application, Inbox. You just have to know someone who got in. Today, Google announced by way of its “Inbox by Gmail” Twitter account that each Inbox user will now receive three invites they can hand out to friends. Hilariously, the invite button emoji is a golden ticket.

If you aren’t seeing this option yet in your Inbox app, you soon will.

To locate the invite button, just tap the red “Compose” plus icon at the bottom right of the screen. The “Invite to Inbox” button will be the first option above the red Compose button after doing so.

Hey Inboxers, you can invite your friends. 3 invites coming your way soon. Look for the golden ticket in Speed Dial. pic.twitter.com/WOfoHZavRW

— Inbox by Gmail (@inboxbygmail) October 24, 2014

The funny thing about Inbox requiring an invite in order to get in is that it’s such a manufactured attempt at creating a sense of exclusivity around Google’s new product. By limiting access, Google is mimicking the path its buzzy email competitor Mailbox once took. Mailbox, now owned by Dropbox, famously established a “queue” users had to join before they were able to try the product everyone was talking about.

At the time, the startup claimed this would help it manage its growth without succumbing to a massive influx of users who joined all at once. But many also saw it as a marketing ploy designed to increase demand, or even an experiment in human behavior.

And of course, the original Gmail product launch also had an invite system of its own when it first arrived years ago. Gmail invites were a hot item then, too, as everyone clamored for a way into this revolutionary email system that was offering a preposterous 1 GB of free storage and instructed users to archive, not delete, their emails.

But Google isn’t some scrappy upstart anymore. It has access some of the most powerful, scalable technology that exists. As one TechCrunch colleague pointed out, “If anyone could scale any garbage to run for the entire planet without really trying, it’s Google.”

In other words, Google doesn’t need to foist an invite system on would-be Inbox app users. Instead, it’s trying to re-create a sense of buzz around this new app, purportedly a reinvention of email, in hopes of being able to increase demand and grow a user base virally.

Despite the sort-of fakeness to this methodology, I hate to say it, but it’s working. There’s a bit of FOMO going on. Those without Inbox invites are hitting up their contacts at Google, and bugging their friends. Or yes, selling invites on eBay.

Guys, chill. It’s really just a prettier Gmail with some new organizational features, and a new workflow. It’s not even ideal for advanced users who get a lot of email, or who already use Gmail filters and rules. It’s a bit of an adjustment, and you might even decide it’s not for you in the long run.

But time will tell if Inbox is the second coming of Gmail, I suppose.

P.S. Sorry, my three are gone. Move along. 

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T-Mobile’s Legere Launches Twitter Storm to Talk Apple SIM

T-Mobile’s Legere Launches Twitter Storm to Talk Apple SIM

Dawn Chmielewski

Re/code

T-Mobile’s voluble chief executive launched a one-man Twitter storm to discuss the new Apple iPads designed to work on any mobile carrier’s network — and criticize rival wireless carriers that have taken steps to thwart this effort.

John Legere notes that the Apple SIM has been the source of some confusion. Its debut represented a milestone for the industry, allowing customers who buy a new iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 the flexibility to choose a wireless carrier after they purchase the device.

Except Verizon Wireless chose not to play. It requires subscribers to obtain a separate SIM to connect to its network. And AT&T will lock the device’s SIM to its network once a customer uses it on AT&T.

Legere, every the savvy marketer, notes that T-Mobile doesn’t attempt to confine its customers in this fashion.

He goes on to explain the nuances of activating a tablet purchased at the Apple store versus one bought through a mobile carrier, and points out some surprising complications.

The 20-part Twitter dissertation shows Legere’s deftness in using social media to directly engage consumers. Take note: He is scheduled to appear Monday at the Code/Mobile conference.

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Nintendo's Amiibo figurines function a bit differently than you might expect in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Nintendo's Amiibo figurines function a bit differently than you might expect in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Chris Velazco

Engadget

Nintendo was dropping Smash Brothers info-bombs left and right last night, but the company also felt compelled to dive a little deeper into how the Wii U version of the game will play with those curious little Amiibos. You know, the Nintendo character-themed figurines that both look adorable and store game information via NFC? Now, thanks to the marketing wizards in Redmond, we've got a four-minute chronicle of young love, combat and tiny figures that explains just about everything. Key takeaways? You're not actually playing as your Amiibo character -- instead, the little avatar springs to life as a support character, getting in people's faces and generally having a grand ol' time once you tap the figure to your Wii U's gamepad.
Once they're in the game, you can level up their stats, too (the cap sits at Level 50, or so the video would have us believe), either by wailing on your Amiibo directly or lugging it into battle against others. Since all of that stat and level data can be stored on the Amiibo itself, it should be a piece of cake to lug your partner to and fro (it doesn't appear in the video, but you'll presumably touch it to the Gamepad once more when done to lock all that data down). Perfect companion for those ridiculous eight-person Smashfests? Nintendo certainly thinks so, if only because deep integration into already-popular games means its little figures are more than just your run-of-the-mill Skylanders knock-offs. Just remember that Amiibo pickins' will be a little slim at first: the first batch of twelve are all Smash characters and will hit in late November, followed by another wave of six just in time for the holidays.
Source: Nintendo (YouTube)

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Robotic hand uses the power of static electricity to pick up objects

Robotic hand uses the power of static electricity to pick up objects

Mariella Moon

Engadget

A cheap robotic hand developed by a company called Grabit offers something most of the other mechanicallimbs we've seen before don't: the ability to pick up objects using electrostatic attraction. Even if you're not familiar with term, you've likely encountered the phenomenon at least once. Ever rubbed a balloon on your hair for fun, so you can stick it to the wall? How about getting plastic of bits of styrofoam stuck on your hand while handling a package? Yep, that's all thanks to attraction caused by static electricity. Grabit's mechanical hand takes it step further by using powered electrodes to sustain the phenomenon, as the charge naturally disappears over time. It also has the technology to prevent dust from clinging onto the fingers.
This robotic limb wasn't made to be used by amputees, though -- it's meant for the manufacturing industry as a replacement for robots that use suction cups or other means to pick up objects. In fact, Grabit made its fingers out of flexible materials that have electrostatic properties, so it can manipulate objects of different shapes and sizes. The limb can also distribute weight more evenly than other manufacturing robots, allowing it to handle delicate materials such the components needed to assemble solar cells. Grabit presented its technology last week at the RoboBusiness conference in Boston, but if you weren't there, you can always watch how the hand works in the videos below.
Source: Technology Review

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Amazon has made its Appstore for Android obsolete

Amazon has made its Appstore for Android obsolete

Since its creation, the Amazon Appstore stood apart, banned from being offered in the official store for Android apps, Google Play, until now... sort of.

When Amazon recently updated its main Android app, it got a new "Apps & Games" department that duplicates the content found in the standalone Appstore app -- effectively making it both unnecessary and obsolete.
Naturally, because Amazon's still delivering apps outside the confines of Google Play, you need to change your device's security settings to accept downloads from unknown sources to install them. The change is a welcome one -- reducing app clutter's a good thing -- and the convenience factor afforded by this consolidation should have Amazon selling more apps. Still, we're pretty sure that's not enough to make up for the Fire phone's hit to the company's bottom line.
Source: TechCrunch

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Go, Gamers! University students get scholarships to compete in 'varsity eSports'

Go, Gamers! University students get scholarships to compete in 'varsity eSports'

John Keilman

Chicago Tribune 

CHICAGO — The bleeding edge of college sports can be found in a dark room on the third floor of Robert Morris University's downtown campus, where 35 highly skilled competitors practice for four hours a day without breaking a sweat.
They are the members of the nation's first varsity eSports squad, receiving athletic scholarships to play the video game "League of Legends," and on a recent afternoon they were hard at work slaying monsters and minions on liquid-cooled personal computers as coaches hovered nearby, scribbling notes.

The team, in fact, shut out its first opponents on a recent weekend — University of Kentucky, Depaul University, Iowa State and Drexel — opening a season that could end in a national championship. But whatever the result, some say the squad has already left a significant mark on college sports.
"We're making history," Alex Chapman, a 20-year-old from Plymouth, Mich., said after winning an online scrimmage. "It's amazing to be part of this."

The team is the brainchild of associate athletic director Kurt Melcher, who earlier this year was looking for a new sport to offer potential students. Taking note of the exploding popularity of competitive video gaming, he suggested "League of Legends," a computer-based game played by more than 27 million people each day.

School administrators agreed to fund partial athletic scholarships for the team, and when Robert Morris made the announcement in June, Melcher's email exploded.
"The response was tremendous," he said. "We had thousands of inquiries."

"League of Legends" pits players against computer-spawned beasts and human foes as they race to destroy their opponents' base. Strategy is of cardinal importance, and developing the knowledge and skills to become a top player takes months, if not years, of single-minded focus.

The best have a chance to turn professional while they're still teenagers, but Ferris Ganzman, Robert Morris' head coach for the team, said he tries to persuade recruits to put off that decision.
"A very small percentage of players have the opportunity to make it professionally," said Ganzman, who served as a coach and analyst for pro squads before taking the Robert Morris job. "I said they could come here and grow as players.

"The infrastructure we have here rivals professional teams'. We have coaches; we're playing against semipro teams. If people still have the aspiration to go professional, they can still pursue their education while still working on their skills."

One of his biggest catches was Adrian Ma, a 17-year-old from Houston ranked among the best amateurs in North America. He had spent up to 14 hours a day mastering the game, and he was thinking about turning pro when he graduated from high school earlier this year.

After reading about Robert Morris' scholarship program on Reddit, though, he decided to give the college scene a try.

"I thought I could both go to school and play games," he said.
Another top prospect was Derek Micheau, 20, from Olympia, Wash. He said he has enjoyed his experience, though combining practice with school has been tough.

"Before, I didn't have a whole lot of commitments; it was just focusing on becoming a pro athlete," he said. "Now I have school commitments, I have life commitments, I have a bunch of other things I have to do. Putting those together makes it difficult to keep at the level you want to be at."

The team practices in a former classroom that has been transformed into a top-of-the-line gaming arena. The computers and keyboards glow with embedded lights, the players communicate through headsets and one wall is dominated by an enormous video screen. Several coaches wander among the computer pods, listening in as the players shout directions to one another.

"Behind you!"

"Turn, turn, turn!"

"Leave that area! They're all around you!"

Assistant coach Jose Espin spent a few minutes dissecting a scrimmage with one five-member squad. He said that while gamers often don't listen to outside critiques, the college's players are eager for feedback.

"The first couple of days were a little iffy, but now they're really rolling with us and listening to what we have to say," he said. "Everyone here is looking to improve. They want to learn how to be the best, and that's what sets them apart."

Robert Morris will have to defeat dozens of other Midwestern schools to make it to the national championship in Los Angeles next year, and they won't all be pushovers.
"Other (club) teams have been together for a longer period of time, so (Robert Morris) might not be favorites — but they will do well," said Duran Parsi of the Collegiate StarLeague, a gaming group that was to run some of the competitions.

The team's greatest impact, though, could come outside the arena. Trey Sweeney of IvyLOL, another "League of Legends" tournament organizer, said the school's varsity model could boost the viability of college eSports.

"With Robert Morris coming in and establishing a (scholarship-granting) program at a university, it will open the door for other schools to follow that path," he said.

An intriguing side note is the program's straightforward injection of commercialism into a college sport. Corporate sponsors helped pay for the team's gear — their logos adorn the players' team jackets — and some of its members have channels on the streaming website Twitch, which allows gamers to earn money through subscriptions and advertising.

Because eSports operate outside the authority of governing bodies such as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the NCAA, there's nothing to stop college players from getting paid; Ganzman said one team in South Korea, the epicenter of professional "League of Legends," is sponsored by a university and that a similar arrangement could well take root in the U.S. someday.
That likely won't happen anytime soon, but Andy Schwarz, an antitrust economist who specializes in sports, said escalating attacks on the model of unpaid college athletics demonstrate that the system is ripe for an overhaul.

"If (gamers) are getting $50,000 on top of a scholarship and football programs are offering just a $5,000 stipend, I can see an athlete saying, 'That little dweeb over there is getting $50,000? I think I'll go play video games,'" he said.

For now, though, some Robert Morris players say the scholarship program has already given them a good deal — and not just financially.

"Honestly, I'm surrounded by the best group of people I've ever experienced in my life," said Sondra Burrows, 21, who came from Murrieta, Calif. "We all have such great common interests. We all have a great time together, we're always hanging out ... (and) we're in one of the most beautiful cities. What's not to love right now?"

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