by Jeremy Waxman on Jun 17, 2015
Special shout-out to Zork (from the title image.) It may not technically be part of this list, but was possibly the first game ever to make fun of video games, and deserves its own mention.
In a world of aggressive marketing, intense competition, and the need to always be on the cutting edge just to stay afloat, video game developers don’t always have an easy life. It can be difficult to maintain a positive attitude, and perhaps even tougher to remember that they shouldn’t take themselves too seriously. It’s with this in mind that I’d like to give credit to a few of the biggest names out there for making sure their fans know that no matter how successful these companies are, they haven’t forgotten where they come from.
Just for fun, here’s counting down the top 3 instances of developers poking fun at themselves inside of the eSports world.
“Rito pls” has been a long-standing (and overused) cry for attention from the League of Legends fanbase. Whether it’s asking for balance changes, or game modes, or a new client, or a replay system, or…well, for really anything, “Rito pls” has a long and rich history. Riot already has a track record for doing fun things on April Fool’s Day, and on that day last year, introduced us to Ultra Rapid Fire mode, or U.R.F. for short. While this is, in and of itself, an inside joke within the community, what was notable here was the ending of the announcement video. Every official Riot video always concludes with an animated version of their logo, but this one was just slightly different:
Despite not having the largest-ever team working on the game, Hearthstone may have set the record for the longest credits roll in the history of video games. Why? Well, you’ll just have to watch for yourself. However, it’s not simply a boring list of names scrolling past the screen. Blizzard took this opportunity to poke fun at themselves (or maybe at each other), using custom Hearthstone cards to perfectly capture the most amusing aspects of each of their personalities. Below are just some examples of what made these approximately 44 minute long credits (arguably) worth sitting through.
When making this list, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind as to what would occupy the #1 spot. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the SMITE Season 1 World Championships, and it was a fantastic experience. Through it all, there was one video in particular which debuted there that has stuck with me, for better or for worse. Cosplay is a huge part of video game culture, and Hi-Rez CEO Todd Harris wanted to make sure the SMITE community knew that he embraced this whole-heartedly. Hats off to you, Todd. Your courage is beyond that of most men.
That’ll wrap up this list, but it’s certainly not the extent of video game developers having some fun at their own expense. What are some of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below, I could use a good laugh!