Cardona Ruiz 1

Andres Cardona Ruiz

ENC 1102
Professor Jennifer Murray
December 6, 2014
Annotated Bibliography of Communication in League of Legends
This annotated bibliography is designed to give readers a comprehensive indication of
reading regarding the nature of the discourse community that is League of Legends. Those who
are curious as to how groups of people significant distances from each other can communicate,
set up processes, and work towards a common goal without physical contact would be intrigued
as to how genres can be the medium as to which everything comes together, and function. People
that are also intrigued by online communities, as well as those that are already involved with
League of Legends would be the audience that would be interested in reading this paper. Prior to
research, I approached the topic confounded on how I was going to be able to find sources that
are credible. Although the community is large, it is not necessarily a scholarly or an objective
group that seeks to change society, or gain recognition. I refined my topic, and research
questions as specific subjects in this field yielded no results. As a result, I broadened my research
and used the information that I had discovered, and connected it with my topic.
For example, I used general selection criteria while looking for sources, drawing from
academic articles, internet sources, and popular press dealing with the general topic of how genre
is essential to this specific discourse community. The selections in this annotated bibliography
represent the field of how communication is vital in order for a community to thrive and live.
Each reference aids in the portrayal of how genres are the communicative backbone that supports
the community, and assist in the communicative furtherance of its aims. Historically,

Cardona Ruiz 2

communities are smaller groups of people that are known and recognized by all members.
However, technological advances in the last few decades have aided in a non-physical,
anonymous, communication with people around the world. Communities now contain
anonymous groups of people with different forms of communication. However online seems to
be an effective and easily accessible vehicle of communication. Technology may have taken
away familiarity in communities, but it has helped connect people with similar interests. The
field of debate about multiplayer online battle arenas is whether or not people should participate
within those communities, and whether or not it is harmful or helpful to the people that actively
participate. I will expand on this gap in the existing conversation in the situated inquiry project
paper.
Annotated References
Alberti, John. The Game of Reading and Writing: How Video Games Reframe Our
Understanding of Literacy. Computers & Composition 25.3 (2008): 258-269. Print.
In this article Alberti argues that video games reveal how the reading and writing
process are inherent in order to fully participate and understand the game. Video game
players are simultaneously readers and writers as online video games are inherently
dialog discursive spaces (Alberti 2008). Video games give a visual form of writing as
communication, compared to the static quality of printed text. Online games are
discursive worlds that develop and evolve through text. Reading and writing are arenas
of socialization, communication, and ultimately, play. Texts are important genres in
video games as they help immerse the player into the online worlds and help give
meaning towards their actions.
The information in the article is both fair and accurate. Alberti is a professor of
English for Northern Kentucky University, with many publications and achievements.
The article lists its sources and was peer reviewed. Alberti argues that online games give
new pedagogical possibilities of digital writing, and can help reframe our understanding
of literacy. On the topic of communication in discourse communities, as video gamers are
the reader and the writers, without the form of texts online games would not function and
the communicative goals would be non-existent.

Cardona Ruiz 3

Hartman, Michael. "Better Communication For Winning in LoL." Altered Gamer. 17 Apr. 2012.
Onesearch.Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
This article gives tips on how to improve your communication in game. It
includes examples of the specific terminology
in the community, as well as a
background to the terms. Communication is vital for victory, and becoming familiar with
the terms that players use will allow you to understand what they are trying to convey.
The terminology also gives a shortcut in quickly exchanging information. Without
teamwork, you cannot win a team based online game. The article is short and does not
fully express all the terminology in the game, however, for those new the community this
could be a helpful first guide because it does not go that far in depth of the concepts. The
site and the links are maintained, and easily navigable. The information in this article is
consistent with other sources, as well as being unbiased.
Johnson, Matthew S.S. "Public Writing In Gaming Spaces." Computers & Composition 25.3
(2008): 270-283. Print.
Johnson argues within the article that the text/writing done in computer games
from players for their online communities are directed to a clear audience with specific
purposes. As well as having the potential to institute real change within gaming
communities. Textual exchange is self-motivated in online games, and impacts the
ecology of online games, as the text helps to define and facilitate the goals of the
community. Johnson states that gamers are agents who have the power, through writing,
to shape the electronic worlds (Johnson 273). Therefore meaning of words is set
publicly through the game community to shape the game.
Civic participation in gaming environments, such as publicly hosted websites, or
forums are the training grounds for active citizenry (Johnson 274). As gamers
participate in their communities, they affect the online game and are able to spread their
ideas/knowledge to other members in order to invoke change. All members affect the
community through the participation, and reciprocity occurs during the interaction.
Reciprocity is an essential element of the public writing in online games, as mutual
benefit aids in the aim of the communitys goals. Mathew Johnson is the Director of
First-Year Writing, and an associate professor of Southern Illinois University. The article
has the sources listed and is also peer reviewed.
Moberly, Kevin. Composition, Computer Games, and the Absence of Writing. Computers &
Composition 25.3 (2008): 284-299. Print.

Cardona Ruiz 4

Moberlys article gives examples as to how computer games can give

fundamental knowledge, and understanding of the compositional process. As Moberly
states, computer games fundamentally incorporate composition into their game play,
composition is thus incorporated through the use of symbols. Computer games require
players to read, and to make meaning from the symbols and words on the screen from the
game, and the players. However, computer games also require that the player writes and
modifies their actions in the game in relation to these symbols, and words.
The symbolic constructs which are the photo-realistic graphical environments
teach the compositional process and the larger socio-political structures which are
involved in said process (Moberly 2008). This helps students construct meaning, and
ultimately give their interpretation of these symbols. Communication through the process
of symbols and texts are how players and members of the League of Legends community
communicate, and thus work with one other. The genre allows the anonymous, nonphysical communication to thrive, and gives the members an adequate tool in order for
teamwork to come into place. Moberly is an associate professor for Old Dominion
University and the article is both peer reviewed and has the sources listed.
Niek. "Why Am I Here: A Guide to Roles and Lanes." Weblog post. League of Legends
Community RSS. N.p., 23 Feb. 2012. Onesearch. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
This is a guide that is intended for new players that effectively explains how to
play the game, what each role is, and understanding specific terminology. This guide
does a very effective job in going in depth, and explaining each aspect of the game. It
describes the five roles within the game, and what their overall objective is i.e., Support,
Marksman, Mid lane, Top lane, and Jungle. Supports babysits and protects the
Marksmans because it is the Marksmans job to deal high damage and kill enemy
players. Mid laners deal a lot of damage in team fights, and the top laner and jungler are
usually tanks to absorb all the damage and take the focus away from the teams damage
dealers.
The guide additionally talks about how to effectively earn gold, what to buy, what
to do during the different points of the game, and explains the terminology. This guide is
the best one that I have seen for learning how to understand the basics, and it is very
useful for background information. Niek also talks about how to communicate with your
team, and how large a role it plays throughout the game. The information is unbiased and
is consistent with other sources. The links are maintained, and the information is fair and
reliable.

Cardona Ruiz 5

Peterson, Mark. Learner Interaction in a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game
(MMORPG): A Sociocultural Discourse Analysis. ReCall 24.3 (2012): 361-380. Print.
This article had studies in which it investigated the linguistic and social
interaction of four intermediate EFL (English as a foreign language) learners during game
play in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (Peterson 2012). The
participants text chats were collected over a one-month period and were analyzed from a
sociocultural perspective. The research showed that EFL learners properly used
politeness involving greetings, informal language, small talk, humor, and leavetakings as a medium through which to support the operation of collaborative
interpersonal relationships (Peterson 2012). The analysis suggests that an online game
provides an environment that benefits the sociocultural account of language development
through social interaction and collaboration in the target language (Peterson 2012).
Peterson has a PhD in linguistics from the University of Edinburgh, and is an associate
professor for Kyoto University. The article is peer reviewed and has the sources listed.
Thorne, Steven L., Ingrid Fischer, and Xiaofei Lu. "The Semiotic Ecology And Linguistic
Complexity Of An Online Game World." Recall 24.3 (2012): 279-301. Print.
Multiplayer online games form complex semantic ecologies that include gamegenerated texts and websites that support communication inside and outside the game.
Text is very important in online games as they facilitate knowledge and give meaning to
the actions of players, and their surroundings. Texts of online games are complex
linguistically as texts contain lexical sophistication, lexical diversity, syntactic
complexity, and readability (Thorne 2012). Understanding the specific terminology is
vital, as members in the community use lexis in order to expedite the exchange of
knowledge.
Within the second language development research, the studies have described the
importance of linguistic structures, vocabulary, and genre-specific text conventions as
vital as they are key components in online game worlds (Thorne 2012). Texts are highly
relevant to the actions, decisions, and problem-solving that players face when they play
online games. The relationship between the organism (player) and the environment is
what makes online games so complex, as real time communication is mixed with the
complexity of the linguistics (Thorne 2012). Genres in online video games, whether in
game or externally, are the backbone that holds the entire community together. Thorne is
a professor at Portland State University. The article has the sources listed and is peer
reviewed.

Cardona Ruiz 6

Valkrin S3/S4 Challenger Jungle, Mid, and Support Main New Stream schedule 10am6pm EST . Web. 18/9/2014.
Valkrin is a former professional League of Legends player. He is an expert in the
field and has a lot of knowledge about the game. This stream was showing how to
effectively play the jungle role in the game, and how to communicate with your team in
order to win. Valkrin focuses on helping people improve their League of legends play
style. People watching the game can ask questions and he will try to answer some of
them. The chat system in the stream can be used to communicate with other people
watching and you can see what they are saying about his opinions, play style, and their
interpretations. Watching an analysis commentated by an expert in the field is very useful
in learning how to understand how to adapt and conform your play style into a more
effective one.
Worlds Group Stage1 Day1. Riot Games. 18/9/2014. Web. 18/9/2014.
This was a broadcast game between Star Horn Royal Club (SHRC) and Team
SoloMid (TSM). The broadcasters analyzed and commented on the gameplay of both
teams, and gave their own opinions. They analyzed how the communication on both
teams led to a one sided battle as one team was able to gather more information, and
work better as a team. The ping system that provides an audible and visual signal was a
form of communication that was used a great deal, and ended up giving one team the
advantage as they had more vision on the enemy team, and gave them the edge they
needed to take advantage of the enemy teams lack of organization and communication.
The information is reliable is sponsored from Riot Games, the company behind League of
Legends.
Dignitas Imaqtpie - ADC king imaqtpie, Top 20 Now Going For That Rank 1. 25/9/2014. Web.
Imaqtpie is a professional League of Legends player that is a member of the
professional gaming team named Team Dignitas. Imaqtpie is currently in the top 20
players of the North American server and is an active streamer that adds his commentary
of his gameplay and the gameplay of others. Imaqtpie voices his opinions; however they
are backed up by his own research of items, and updates on the game. Other professional
players respect his opinions and usually support his opinions and actions. Tens of
thousands of people watch him on a daily basis to try to expand their knowledge and
mechanical gameplay. Imaqtpie is a Marksman and his gameplay is helpful in learning
how to play one of the five roles in the game. The stream also includes a chat function
where people can ask questions, and commentate on the stream.