esports and audiences leading to cheers through XR

The Internet is changing what entertainment and sports is.

The Internet is changing entertainment and sports.

American programmer and entrepreneur Gabe Logan Newell

Games that cross the virtual and real

Beat Saber, a VR-only rhythm game produced and distributed by Hyperbolic Magnetism in the Czech Republic, is a simple game in which, as the name suggests, you hold a lightsaber using a controller held in both hands and cut notes according to the rhythm. It is one of the most rated VR games. And the two games utilize XR technology. Examples of the most successful gamesshould always be evaluated as

Pokémon GO, launched in July 2016, is a game that uses augmented reality to catch or share Pokemon that appear in reality. As of November 2020, its cumulative sales amounted to about 4.2 billion dollars (about 4.8 trillion won). CNN's list of the most important Japanese inventions in video game history onewas also included in

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XR games are not just about moving characters, movement of the controller or body. It can also be used interactively. Astro Bot, produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), requires user's actions to enjoy a wider and deeper virtual world. It won the best AR/VR game award at The Game Awards 2018.

In this way, XR technology is applied directly It is also produced as a game for a smartphone or a head-mounted display (HMD), but in today's topic, e-sports, It can also be used indirectly. Today, I would like to talk about esports culture and XR technology.

e-Sports Broadcasting and XR Technology

a lot of games lately Relay using XR technology is in progress As a result, it is possible to deliver information in a more immersive way than the existing broadcasting while providing new attractions to the audience. Dota 2, which is famous in the AOS genre, also uses augmented reality to augment characters and maps used by players to show additional information.

or the studio complete virtual studioThere are times when e-sports broadcasting is carried out by making it. Below is a virtual studio concept video based on the design of Dota 2, where the pro gamer's information and characters are being augmented in the virtual space. It is noteworthy that it was designed in a space that fits the design of the game as much as possible.

XR technology is being used in various game competitions, not just the AOS genre. Below is a scene from the Counter-Strike competition, a first-person shooter (FPS) game. Overall, the game is fast-paced, and because of the structure in which several rounds are repeated, the game's map designThis is becoming very important, and AR is being used to communicate it effectively.

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XR technology and esports creating a flow

In this way, XR technology is used to directly create games and indirectly helps game broadcasting, but when XR technology and games meet, they become one. It also creates culture. The leading company in this game culture is Riot Games, which produced the world-famous game League of Legends.

They also promoted the game by making K/DA, an idol of the K-pop genre, using their own game characters. It has exceeded 100 million views on YouTube within one month of its debut, and it served as a basis for the popularity of virtual idols to be as high as, or even higher than, that of real idols.

So, Riot Games combined the trend of K-pop with its own game contents. A company that creates a new cultureI can say. The above is a behind-the-scenes video of the production of K/DA, and the efforts of the production team are included.

Even after that, at the 2018 League of Legends final stage, the opening stage was decorated using the participating singers who sang real songs and K/DA characters augmented with AR, and received a great response. It does not stop at creating characters and producing music, but presents a unique form of performance culture using new technologies.

concluding remarks

All games have rules. The rules in the game are made in the interaction of gamers, and this will not change in the future. However, games will change according to the needs of users and the trend of the times. And at the forefront will be XR technology. As Gabe Newell said, just as the Internet changed sports and entertainment, XR technology will change the game culture closely related to our lives.