A series of gaming events are promoting group play in local movie theaters Watch video
"Watch ouuutt!!"
"You killed the guy!! You killed 'em!"
"Behind you, behind you, behind you!!!!"
The exclamations coming from theater 16 at Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas on Saturday morning could have easily been mistaken for reactions to a horror movie. And the soundtrack that boomed from the speakers -- all melodramatic swells and epic-sounding strings -- had the hallmarks of an action saga.
While they sipped sodas and Icees like any other movie theater audience, this group was more concerned with their laptops than the big screen. And they weren't taking in a film. They were playing a game, together, for 90 minutes. Ranging in age from 6 to 16, these young devotees of Minecraft -- a computer game beloved among the tween and teen set -- were there to square off against each other in a social gaming experience designed to encourage interaction.
In doing so, these young gamers are upturning the idea that computer games has to mean spending hours in one's room.
Starting on Feb. 20, kids formed teams of 4 to 7 players each for the Minecraft competition, hosted by Super League, a recreational video game league. The league, which wraps up on March 12 at theaters nationwide -- including the Edgewater theater and Digiplex Rialto Westfield -- features a custom Minecraft game called Galactic Mission.
Super League began hosting events at movie theaters in 2015 with the aim of fostering a social gaming space, says Brett Morris, president of the Los Angeles-based league.
"Tennis has a tennis court and football has a football field -- what does gaming have?" Morris says.
Each player arrives with the game already installed on a laptop and has to log on to the Super League server. Tickets are $20 per week or $60 for four weeks. While traditional Minecraft play gives a first-person view, in this competition, players can see their avatars running around on a map up on the theater's big screen, creating a "second screen" experience for those in the seats.
"We created this custom view totally for the theater experience," Morris says.
Minecraft is a non-linear game for which building structures is a key feature. There's a battle phase where teams can face each other and a creative phase in which players build 3D structures. In Galactic Mission, players get a piece of land to create a structure from scratch, whether it's a space station or a volcano.
"They have to use critical thinking and team-building and communication," Morris says. It's the type of game that can foster social bonds, he says.
"A lot of these kids just never had the opportunity to play in a physical environment like this," Morris says. "We've seen kids exchange emails and make new friends."
The Super League Minecraft competition is over on March 12 but organizers expect there will be more dates down the road. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)The teams accrue points with each week of play. Kids playing at their local theater in New Jersey -- like the 38 registered in Edgewater -- can find themselves on a leaderboard alongside players in Alaska, Maryland, California and Washington -- hundreds of teams in 80 North American movie theaters.
The recreational league is a far cry from professional eSports competitions that draw sponsorship from major brands, for which players sometimes play in an arena, get millions in prize money and have their gameplay broadcasted in theaters. But the Super League team that racks up the most points gets to share a trophy and a $15,000 scholarship.
Plus, just like "soccer moms," parents of Minecraft kids tag along for the ride.
"There's this whole class of parent now called the Minecraft parent," Morris says.
Barbara Drasheff of Guttenberg is one. Her 12-year-old daughter, Zoe, has been playing Minecraft for three years.
"I thought it would be good for her to interact with other kids," Drasheff says. Her daughter usually either plays on her own or against others online.
"I normally don't know who I'm playing," Zoe says.
Where there are Minecraft kids there are also Minecraft parents. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Emma Agurto of Cliffside Park watched as her son Giovanni, 10, played alongside friends, their faces illuminated by the glow of their screens. He calls Minecraft "his most favorite game of all time," mostly because of the creative freedom it allows the player.
Carla Perez of Guttenberg came to the theater with her son Brandon, 11, and daughter Natasha, 8.
"They get to be with other kids," she says. "It's great for the imagination."
Though the Minecraft league is currently a weekly series that last for four weeks at a time, Super League, which also hosts events Canada, is looking to start offering more games throughout the week.
"The goal is to be in every theater, not just in the U.S. but worldwide," Morris says.
For more information about Super League events in New Jersey, visit superleague.com
Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.