Kill Feed (Concept)

Kill Feed

CONCEPT

A standard in nearly all competitive online shooters, the Kill Feed is the live on-screen update of the kills in an multiplayer game, providing updates as to whom is killing whom, as well as other important events.

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Overview

The Kill Feed is the real time updates found during multiplayer games that keeps players informed of the action. It usually displays two names (the killer and the killed) and will usually include the weapon used. Some games also display kill streaks, flag captures, or other important information in the kill feed.

The kill feed is designed to be an unobtrusive way for players to stay up on the action without distracting from the gameplay. Kill Feeds tend to be displayed off to the side of the screen, giving a quick visual representation of the action, but on some games the kill feed can be later reviewed as a log of the game.

Features

Killer/Killed

These are the names of the people who were involved. Generally, the killer is the first name listed, as in "Player A killed Player B." In the Call of Duty (Franchise) series, the killers name is displayed in front of the killed, with a symbol for the weapon used between the two.

Weapon

Almost all kill feeds, especially those for first person shooters, display the name of the weapon used. In the Call of Duty series, there are outlines or symbols for each weapon. Other games use text, as in "Player A killed Player B with the pistol."

Game Updates

Many kill feeds also display important game updates. When the match is almost over, the kill feed will sometimes display the amount of time remaining. In objective based games, the kill feed might note the area to be captured, or if the flag has been taken.

Kill Streaks

Kill streaks commonly appear in kill feeds as well. This can be information detailing simply the number of kills a player has, or it could feature the kill streak rewards earned.

Player Updates

Many games with persistent leveling systems display information about players when they gain levels or unlock new items.

Chat Integration

Many PC based games integrate the global and team chat into the kill feed. In these games, the kill feed is often an overall message center for game updates, kills, chat, and ammo pickups. On consoles, where voice chat is more common, the kill feeds tend to stick to kills and closely related information.

Games with Notable Kill Feeds

Starsiege: Tribes had a notable kill feed for its custom messages. Each weapon had a unique message associated with it, such as "Player A blasts Player B with the Spinfusor" or "Player C sniped Player D with the laser rifle." Additionally, Tribes was later modded to display custom kill feed information, such as the total number of kills achieved with each weapon. "Player E got his 13,043 kill with the Mortar."

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