Schlagwort: Roller Champions

Wie die Entwickler von Roller Champions einen neuen Zuschauersport entwickelt haben

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Reading Time: 6 minutes
Roller Champions erscheint am 25. Mai für PS4 (und PS5 via Abwärtskompatibilität) und bietet rasante, kompetitive Free-to-Play-Matches, in denen ihr zur Sportlegende aufsteigen könnt. Diese Rollerskate-Arena-Action basiert auf drei simplen Regeln: Fangt den Ball, dreht eine Runde, während er im Besitz eures Teams ist, und erzielt einen Punkt!

Um ein besseres Verständnis für das Spiel, seine Ursprünge und Gameplay-Entscheidungen zu bekommen, haben wir mit Gauthier Malou gesprochen, dem Creative Director von Roller Champions.

Anfänge bei den Gladiatoren

„Den Kern von Roller Champions bildet ein Gemisch“, sagt Malou, was besonders im Hinblick auf seine Ursprünge zutrifft, die Inspirationen aus diversen Arcade-Spielen und einem dystopischen Film aus den 70ern vereinen. Vor Roller Champions war Malou Teil eines kleinen Teams bei Ubisoft, das mit zwei Missionen beauftragt war: kostenlose Mobile Games erschaffen und den Markt im Auge behalten, um die Trends zu verfolgen. Während dieser Zeit stellte sein Team fest, dass sich „der Markt immer weiter in Richtung Interaktion zwischen Spielern, Zuschauern und Organisatoren bewegte“, erinnert er sich und nennt dafür Beispiele wie Twitch und Esports-Wettbewerbe.

„Streamer sind wie ein römischer Kaiser, der die Menge unterhalten muss“, sagt Malou, „und je mehr Spaß es macht, bei einem Spiel zuzusehen, desto mehr Zuschauer werden die Streamer bitten, dieses Spiel noch mal zu spielen. Anfangs dachten wir an ein klassisches Gladiatorenspiel mit Schwertern.“

Das Team wollte die Idee allerdings mit einer einzigartigen Herangehensweise umsetzen, und da kam Malou ein Geistesblitz: Rollerball, einer seiner Lieblingsfilme aus den 70er-Jahren. Er zeigt eine dystopische Welt, in der Unternehmen die Kontrolle übernehmen und Spektakel erschaffen, um die Massen zu unterhalten. Der Film ist gewalttätig und düster, aber das ist nicht, was ihn daran so fasziniert hat.

„Die Tatsache, dass dieser Film Gladiatoren auf Rollerskates in einer kreisförmigen Arena hatte – wie bei Ben Hur –, ist ein einzigartiger Denkansatz“, erläutert er. „Rollerskates basieren auf Physik und Trägheit, was uns ein spaßiges Gameplay bietet, in dem wir uns gegenseitig anrempeln und umstoßen können.“

Natürlich ist im farbenfrohen und dynamischen Roller Champions nichts von der düsteren und erbarmungslosen Welt von Rollerball zu sehen. Stattdessen strebte das Team an, einen Prototyp in einer Rollerskate-Arena zu erschaffen, der den Wettbewerb zum Mittelpunkt des Spiels machte, gleichzeitig aber spaßig und zugänglich sein sollte.

Indem wir Fußball, Basketball, Handball, Roller Derby und eine Handvoll anderer Sportarten miteinander kombiniert haben, hat das Team einen völlig einzigartigen Sport erschaffen. Malou erklärt, dass Roller Champions ein Spiel völlig ohne Schusswaffen, Autos oder Machtkämpfen ist, das „auf kein Geschlecht zugeschnitten ist und nicht vor lauter Testosteron strotzt. Das macht es meiner Meinung nach ultramodern, da Rollerskates ein umweltfreundlicher Weg sind, Betonstädte zurückzuerobern.“

Aber der Wettbewerb bildet immer noch den Kern des Spiels. „Wir haben immer an den starken Effekt geglaubt, den eine Konfrontation mit sich bringt. Es steckt in uns drin, wir sind kompetitiv“, sagt Malou. „Und damit wir Konfrontationen mit positiven Werten und Fair Play haben können, haben wir eine Sportart erschaffen.“

Spaß beim Spielen und Zusehen

Während das Team an den Details dieses neuen Sports gearbeitet hat, folgte es einer klaren, zentralen Leitlinie: Das Spiel sollte beim Spielen und Zusehen gleichermaßen Spaß machen, und jemand, der nicht mit den Regeln des Spiels vertraut ist, sollte dennoch Spaß an der Action haben können, wenn sich die Spieler auf die Strecke bewegen.

Während der Entwicklung fand Malou innovative Wege, um zu testen, ob sich das Spiel auf dem richtigen Kurs befindet. „Ich habe meiner Mutter ein Match gezeigt, als sie nicht einmal wusste, was das Spiel überhaupt ist“, erinnert er sich. „Sie meinte dann so: ,Oh, der ist gut, weil er einen Rückwärtssalto gemacht hat und sauber auf seinen Füßen gelandet ist. Ah, der da taugt nichts, weil er auf den Hintern gefallen ist.‘ Sie konnte das Spiel genießen, ohne mit den Regeln vertraut zu sein.“

Diese Charakteristiken des Spiels – dass es sofort zugänglich, verständlich und spaßig ist – sind nicht nur für das Gameplay wichtig, sondern auch für die Tatsache, dass es kostenlos spielbar ist. Malou merkt an, dass Roller Champions auf den ersten Blick vielleicht kompliziert wirken mag, da es einen völlig neuen Sport einführt und Spieler erst einmal alles lernen müssen.

„Unsere Stärke jedoch“, führt er fort, „liegt im sofortigen Spaß, den die Leute haben, wenn sie den Controller in die Hand nehmen, um es auszuprobieren.“ Ein Preisschild stellt eine Einstiegshürde dar, meint Malou, doch bei einem kostenlosen Spiel „lassen sich die Leute darauf ein, wenn sie es ausprobieren“.

Zwar ist das Spiel sofort verständlich und macht von Anfang an Spaß, jedoch bedeutet das keinesfalls, dass es simpel ist. Das grundlegende Konzept – den Ball aufbeben, eine Runde damit drehen und einen Punkt erzielen – wird durch Moves erweitert, die miteinander kombiniert werden können, um exponentielle Möglichkeiten zu erschaffen.

„Der Komboaspekt hat für eine Menge an Vielfalt gesorgt“, sagt Malou. „Direkt nach einem Sprung treten, einen zweiten Sprung machen, wenn man bereits in der Luft ist, zweimal hintereinander ausweichen, einen Pass ausführen, nachdem man gestürzt ist …“

Dasselbe Kombokonzept findet auch bei den vielen Spielmodi Anwendung, die das Team testet. „Zum Beispiel ,Hot Potato‘ (Heiße Kartoffel)“, erklärt Malou. „Es ist exakt das gleiche Spiel, aber wenn man nach fünf Sekunden keinen Pass mit dem Ball macht, explodiert er in den eigenen Händen. Und diesen Spielmodus kann man perfekt mit dem 2-gegen-2-Modus kombinieren.

„Jedes Mal, wenn wir weitere Spielmodi hinzufügen, steigert sich die Anzahl möglicher Kombinationen exponentiell“, sagt Malou.

Die Superstars

Zwar hat das Entwicklerteam mit anderen Kombinationen experimentiert, doch der Hauptspielmodus wird immer 3-gegen-3 sein. „Wir möchten, dass sich die Spieler wie Superstars fühlen“, erläutert Malou, „damit jeder mal im Rampenlicht stehen, einen Moment des Ruhms erleben und angefeuert werden kann. Hinsichtlich der Anzahl an Spielern möchten wir es so innig wie möglich halten.“

Um den Aspekt hervorzuheben, dass die Spieler bekannte Stars sind, gibt es keine Klassen im Spiel. Jeder erhält die gleiche Ausrüstung und damit auch die gleichen Chancen. „Die Spieler selbst haben ihre eigenen Geschichten und Fähigkeiten“, merkt Malou an, „wenn ihr also einen guten Verteidiger in eurem Team wollt, solltet ihr einen Spieler rekrutieren, der gut verteidigen kann. Die Spieler selbst sind die Champions, nicht ihre Charaktere.“

Das Kartendesign ist eine weitere Gameplay-Entscheidung, die den Fokus auf die Spieler legt. „Das Spiel hat keine riesigen Karten mit Hunderten von Spielern. Stattdessen ist es sehr intim“, meint Malou. Was den Effekt der geringen Größe verstärkt, ist die Tatsache, dass die Karte komplett einsehbar ist; die Wand in der Mitte ist transparent, damit die Zuschauer jederzeit die Champions im Auge behalten können.

Um sicherzustellen, dass alle Zuschauer das gleiche Erlebnis haben können, hat das Team zudem die Anzahl subjektiver Elemente so gut wie möglich reduziert. Spieler werden das gegnerische Team nicht etwa rot markiert sehen. Stattdessen tragen die Teams als neutrale Farben Gelb und Blau. Indem das Entwicklerteam solche visuellen Konkurrenzelemente entfernt hat, wird sichergestellt, dass das Publikum größeres Augenmerk auf die Fähigkeiten der Spieler als auf den Kampf zwischen den Teams setzt.

„Alles wurde mit dem Gedanken im Hinterkopf gestaltet, dass die Zuschauer alle das Gleiche sehen können sollen, damit das Erlebnis für alle gleich ist“, sagt Malou. „Das führt zu einem Gemeinschaftsgefühl, da alle zur selben Zeit über dieselbe Sache sprechen.“

Roller Champions erscheint am 25. Mai kostenlos spielbar für PS4 und ist via Abwärtskompatibilität auf PS5 spielbar. Macht euch bereit, schnallt eure Skates fest und rast zum Ruhm – werdet die neuen Superstars!

Website: LINK

23/05/2022
How the Roller Champions devs invented a new spectator sport

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Reading Time: 6 minutes
Roller Champions is coming to PS4 (and PS5 via backwards compatibility) on May 25, offering fast-paced, competitive, free-to-play matches in which you can rise to sports-legend glory. Its roller-skate arena action is based on three simple rules: catch the ball, do a lap while keeping it in your team’s possession, and score!

To better understand the game, its origins, and its gameplay decisions, we spoke with Gauthier Malou, Roller Champions’ creative director.

Gladiatorial beginnings

“Blending is at the core of Roller Champions,” says Malou, and that’s especially true when it comes to its origins, which combine inspirations as diverse as arcade games and a dystopian movie from the ‘70s. Before Roller Champions, Malou was part of a small team at Ubisoft tasked with two missions: create free mobile games, and keep an eye on the market to observe its trends. It was during this time that his team noticed that “the market was moving more and more towards interaction between players, spectators, and organizers,” he recalls, citing examples like Twitch and esports competitions.

“Streamers are like a Roman emperor who has to entertain the crowd,” says Malou, “and the more fun the game is to watch, the more viewers will ask the streamers to replay that game. So, at first, we thought of a classic gladiator game with swords.”

But the team wanted to approach the idea in a unique way, and that’s when Malou had a flash of inspiration: Rollerball, one of his favorite movies from the ‘70s. Depicting a dystopian world in which corporations take over and create spectacles to satiate the masses, the film is violent and dark – but that’s not what attracted him to it.

“The fact that this movie had gladiators on roller skates in a circular arena, like Ben-Hur, that’s an original approach,” he says. “Roller skates are based on physics and inertia – it gives us fun gameplay where we’re going to push each other, knock each other down.”

Of course, the colorful and dynamic Roller Champions bears no resemblance to the dark and cruel world of Rollerball. Instead, the team set to work creating a prototype in a roller-skating arena that put competition at the center of the game while still remaining fun and inclusive.

By combining soccer, basketball, handball, roller derby, and a handful of other sports, the team created a totally unique sport. With no guns, cars, or power contests, Malou explains that Roller Champions is a game that’s “not gendered, not filled with testosterone, and that’s also, in my opinion, ultra-modern, because roller skates are an environmentally friendly way to reclaim concrete cities.”

But competition is still a core part of it. “We’ve always believed in the power that comes from confrontation. It’s in us, we’re competitive,” says Malou. “And to have confrontation with good values and fair play, we created a sport.”

As fun to watch as it is to play

While working on the details of this new sport, the team followed one clear, central guideline: the game should be as fun to watch as it is to play, and someone who doesn’t know the rules of the game should be able to enjoy the action just by watching the players move on the track.

During development, Malou found innovative ways to test whether the game was on the right track. “I showed my mom a match when she didn’t even know what the game was,” he recounts. “She was like, ‘Oh, he’s good because he does a backflip and falls nicely on his feet. Ah, he sucks because he fell on his butt.’ Without understanding the rules, she was able to enjoy the game.”

These characteristics of the game – being instantly accessible, understandable, and fun – are important not only for the gameplay, but also for the fact that the game is free. Malou notes that Roller Champions may seem complicated at first; the game presents a completely new sport, and players will need to learn everything.

“Our strength, though,” he says, “is the instant fun that comes once people pick up the controller to try it.” A price tag creates a barrier to entry, Malou says, but being free means that “to try it is to embrace it.”

But while the game is immediately understandable and fun, that doesn’t mean it’s simple. The basic concept – pick up the ball, do a lap with it, and score – is amplified by moves that can be combined to create exponential possibilities.

“What brought a lot of variety was the combo aspect,” Malou says. “Kicking right after you jump, jumping again when you’re already in the air, doing a double dodge, making a pass when you’ve just fallen.”

The same concept of combos also applies to the many game modes the team is testing. “For example: hot potato,” says Malou. “It’s the exact same game, but if you don’t make a pass after five seconds, the ball explodes in your hands. And that game mode can be perfectly combined with the 2v2 game mode.

“Every time we add more game modes, the number of possible combinations is going to be exponential,” says Malou.

The superstars

Although the development team has been experimenting with other combinations, the main game mode will always be 3v3. “We want players to feel like superstars,” says Malou, “so that everyone has a chance to shine, to have their moment of glory, to be cheered on. We’re keeping it as intimate as possible in terms of the number of players.”

To emphasize the idea that the players are celebrities, there are no classes in the game; everyone gets the same equipment and the same chances. “It’s really the players who have their stories and their abilities,” Malou notes, “so if you want a good defender on your team, you recruit a player who is a good defender. The players are the champions, not their characters.”

The map design is another gameplay decision that puts the focus on the players. “The game doesn’t have big maps with hundreds of players. Instead, it’s very intimate,” Malou says. To add to the effect of its small size, the map is also fully visible; its center wall is transparent to keep the audience’s attention on the champions at all times.

To ensure that the audience shares the same experience, the team also reduced the number of subjective elements in the game as much as possible. Players won’t see their enemy team as red, for instance; the teams are neutral colors, yellow and blue. By removing this element of opposition, the development team can ensure that the audience appreciates the players’ skills more than the clashes between the teams.

“Everything’s conceived so that the audience sees the same thing, because then they share the same experience,” says Malou. “There’s a sense of community, because they’re talking about the same thing at the same time.”

Roller Champions launches for free on May 25 for PS4, and is playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility. Get ready to strap on your skates and roll up to glory – superstardom awaits!

Website: LINK

19/05/2022
How the Roller Champions devs invented a new spectator sport

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Reading Time: 6 minutes
Roller Champions is coming to PS4 (and PS5 via backwards compatibility) on May 25, offering fast-paced, competitive, free-to-play matches in which you can rise to sports-legend glory. Its roller-skate arena action is based on three simple rules: catch the ball, do a lap while keeping it in your team’s possession, and score!

To better understand the game, its origins, and its gameplay decisions, we spoke with Gauthier Malou, Roller Champions’ creative director.

Gladiatorial beginnings

“Blending is at the core of Roller Champions,” says Malou, and that’s especially true when it comes to its origins, which combine inspirations as diverse as arcade games and a dystopian movie from the ‘70s. Before Roller Champions, Malou was part of a small team at Ubisoft tasked with two missions: create free mobile games, and keep an eye on the market to observe its trends. It was during this time that his team noticed that “the market was moving more and more towards interaction between players, spectators, and organizers,” he recalls, citing examples like Twitch and esports competitions.

“Streamers are like a Roman emperor who has to entertain the crowd,” says Malou, “and the more fun the game is to watch, the more viewers will ask the streamers to replay that game. So, at first, we thought of a classic gladiator game with swords.”

But the team wanted to approach the idea in a unique way, and that’s when Malou had a flash of inspiration: Rollerball, one of his favorite movies from the ‘70s. Depicting a dystopian world in which corporations take over and create spectacles to satiate the masses, the film is violent and dark – but that’s not what attracted him to it.

“The fact that this movie had gladiators on roller skates in a circular arena, like Ben-Hur, that’s an original approach,” he says. “Roller skates are based on physics and inertia – it gives us fun gameplay where we’re going to push each other, knock each other down.”

Of course, the colorful and dynamic Roller Champions bears no resemblance to the dark and cruel world of Rollerball. Instead, the team set to work creating a prototype in a roller-skating arena that put competition at the center of the game while still remaining fun and inclusive.

By combining soccer, basketball, handball, roller derby, and a handful of other sports, the team created a totally unique sport. With no guns, cars, or power contests, Malou explains that Roller Champions is a game that’s “not gendered, not filled with testosterone, and that’s also, in my opinion, ultra-modern, because roller skates are an environmentally friendly way to reclaim concrete cities.”

But competition is still a core part of it. “We’ve always believed in the power that comes from confrontation. It’s in us, we’re competitive,” says Malou. “And to have confrontation with good values and fair play, we created a sport.”

As fun to watch as it is to play

While working on the details of this new sport, the team followed one clear, central guideline: the game should be as fun to watch as it is to play, and someone who doesn’t know the rules of the game should be able to enjoy the action just by watching the players move on the track.

During development, Malou found innovative ways to test whether the game was on the right track. “I showed my mom a match when she didn’t even know what the game was,” he recounts. “She was like, ‘Oh, he’s good because he does a backflip and falls nicely on his feet. Ah, he sucks because he fell on his butt.’ Without understanding the rules, she was able to enjoy the game.”

These characteristics of the game – being instantly accessible, understandable, and fun – are important not only for the gameplay, but also for the fact that the game is free. Malou notes that Roller Champions may seem complicated at first; the game presents a completely new sport, and players will need to learn everything.

“Our strength, though,” he says, “is the instant fun that comes once people pick up the controller to try it.” A price tag creates a barrier to entry, Malou says, but being free means that “to try it is to embrace it.”

But while the game is immediately understandable and fun, that doesn’t mean it’s simple. The basic concept – pick up the ball, do a lap with it, and score – is amplified by moves that can be combined to create exponential possibilities.

“What brought a lot of variety was the combo aspect,” Malou says. “Kicking right after you jump, jumping again when you’re already in the air, doing a double dodge, making a pass when you’ve just fallen.”

The same concept of combos also applies to the many game modes the team is testing. “For example: hot potato,” says Malou. “It’s the exact same game, but if you don’t make a pass after five seconds, the ball explodes in your hands. And that game mode can be perfectly combined with the 2v2 game mode.

“Every time we add more game modes, the number of possible combinations is going to be exponential,” says Malou.

The superstars

Although the development team has been experimenting with other combinations, the main game mode will always be 3v3. “We want players to feel like superstars,” says Malou, “so that everyone has a chance to shine, to have their moment of glory, to be cheered on. We’re keeping it as intimate as possible in terms of the number of players.”

To emphasize the idea that the players are celebrities, there are no classes in the game; everyone gets the same equipment and the same chances. “It’s really the players who have their stories and their abilities,” Malou notes, “so if you want a good defender on your team, you recruit a player who is a good defender. The players are the champions, not their characters.”

The map design is another gameplay decision that puts the focus on the players. “The game doesn’t have big maps with hundreds of players. Instead, it’s very intimate,” Malou says. To add to the effect of its small size, the map is also fully visible; its center wall is transparent to keep the audience’s attention on the champions at all times.

To ensure that the audience shares the same experience, the team also reduced the number of subjective elements in the game as much as possible. Players won’t see their enemy team as red, for instance; the teams are neutral colors, yellow and blue. By removing this element of opposition, the development team can ensure that the audience appreciates the players’ skills more than the clashes between the teams.

“Everything’s conceived so that the audience sees the same thing, because then they share the same experience,” says Malou. “There’s a sense of community, because they’re talking about the same thing at the same time.”

Roller Champions launches for free on May 25 for PS4, and is playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility. Get ready to strap on your skates and roll up to glory – superstardom awaits!

Website: LINK

19/05/2022
Roller Champions Closed Beta is coming to PS4 on February 17 in select European countries

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Reading Time: 4 minutes
Greetings Champions! We are excited to announce that Roller Champions, an upcoming free-to-play title from Ubisoft Montreal, will be coming to PS4 starting with its European* Closed Beta from February 17 6pm CET to March 1 10pm CET.

Visit our website to sign up for a chance to participate!

*More specifically, the Closed Beta will only be available in: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

About Roller Champions

Roller Champions is a new competitive sports game where you compete in fast-paced 3v3 matches! Skate and glide from wall-to-wall in fan-packed arenas while dodging, passing, and tackling other players to score goals.

Once you have created your very own champion, you will have to put your skills to the test by competing in 3 maps with a variety of game modes: quick match, custom match, and ranked mode with more special and time-limited modes on the way!

The fundamentals

The rules are simple: grab the ball and make laps around the rink with the ball in your team’s possession to score goals!

While completing one lap will allow you to score 1 point, you can also keep rolling around the rink (at your own risk! 😀) to try to gain more points once you score. 2 laps will give you 3 points, and 3 laps will give you 5 points, instantly winning the match.

Controls are simple and are designed for you to be able to build momentum quickly. Holding the left stick will allow you to accelerate. You can also use the “Pump Move” to build speed while sliding down the walls of the arena.

Teamwork makes the dreamwork

Teamwork and communication are key once in the rink, players must work together if they wish to win the match!

When you are close to a teammate, you can grab onto them by pressing the “L1” button. Once connected, pressing the “Cross” button will allow you to leap off the back of your teammate and soar higher through the air than a normal jump would, allowing for higher vertical play. You can also release ‘’L1’’ while connected with a teammate, which will whip you forward with a speed boost.

Take advantage of these Team Moves to create winning strategies!

Create your own sports legend

In the rink all players are equal, there are no classes or special abilities. This means you can create your own champion and show your identity through your character and unique playstyle.

Create your own character using a variety of skin tones, face types, and body shapes while unlocking new customization items as you play!

From Zero to Hero

In Roller Champions, your fans are your XP, and you will be able to earn more with every pass, goal, and tackle you make in the arena. Just like with real sporting events, you will be able to see your fans (and those of your teammates) filling in the seats around the arena allowing you to see your progress, even more so as you gain access to bigger stadiums.

Choose a mode to fit your playstyle

Roller Champions is a game for everyone, so you’ll be able to choose between a variety of game modes depending on how you want to play!

Choose the Quick Match to swiftly jump into the arena with equally skilled opponents or try the more competitive Ranked Mode if you want to climb the leaderboards.

None of these game modes fit your style? Well, we’ve got you covered! With the Custom Match mode, you can create a match with your friends and pick the arena you want to play in!

Want to take a break from the competition? Jump into the freestyle Skatepark, where you can practice, participate in activities and minigames, or just hang out with your friends!

See you in the Rink!

We’re very excited to welcome PS4 players to Roller Champions and can’t wait for you to play!

The Roller Champions Closed Beta will be available in selected European countries. Sign up now for a chance to participate and get ready to roll up to glory!

Website: LINK

27/01/2021