Introducing Streaming Gaze Overlay
At Tobii, we spend a lot of time thinking about all the ways that we can work with developers to enhance games and player experiences by helping them to add eye tracking support and features to as many games as possible. Today, there 89 games with eye tracking integrations featured on tobiigaming.com, and that number is growing every day!
We also develop tools and software for content creators and broadcasters.
However, our commitment to bringing compelling eye tracking features to games is just one part of the story. We also develop tools and software for content creators and broadcasters. If you create content and want to use eye tracking to provide your audience with insight into where you are looking at a key moment, or if you want a way to review footage from your games and understand ways to become more competitive, then you are in the right place!
The Tobii software that enables audiences to understand where attention is being focused is called Tobii Streaming Gaze Overlay (SGO). SGO is free and can be used by anyone with a Tobii Eye Tracker, whether you plan to create and share content, or just experience the features for private use.
To better explain some of the ways that SGO can be used, here are three examples.
Fenn3r | Overwatch
“It definitely works well though, like, it’s super easy to set up and it’s very very accurate, surprisingly.” — Fenn3r
In this first video, Fenn3r is using SGO to give his live viewers a sense of where he is looking as he plays Overwatch. In this example, viewers see the SGO reticle on the screen, but Fenn3r does not. He also takes advantage of the gaze overlay to demonstrate to specific viewers that he is paying attention to their activity and comments.
WackyJacky |PUBG
“When reviewing this footage, I noticed how I am looking at the mini map too much.” — WackyJacky
In this example, WackyJacky is using SGO in a video intended to provide viewers with tips and hints on how to improve their performance in the last stages of a PUBG match. The cool thing here is that when reviewing the footage, WackyJacky notices that he may be looking at the mini-map too often, analyzing something about his performance in a video designed to teach others.
ELEAGUE featuring Shox | CS:GO
“This is what you have to be looking at as a Counter-Strike Pro, guys.” — Richard Lewis, commentator on ELEAGUE
Finally, the ELEAGUE getting technical segment above is a fantastic example of the way that broadcasters and eSports leagues are using tools like SGO to provide amazing insights into the play styles and winning tactics of some of the world’s most competitive players.
New features
While these three examples show just a few of the possibilities that are available for using SGO to engage with your audience, the options are endless. In fact, we are continually updating the software to offer new ways to highlight gaze and focus for your viewers.
The latest version of SGO has been updated to include heat maps, decay rates (for heat map only), and a new hotkey option to enable and disable the overlay while in use.
This means that in addition to the traditional solid or bubble reticle options for showing your viewers what you are looking at, now you can also use a heat map view that not only indicates where you are looking but also shows your fixation on a certain point. The heat map feature is intended to provide you with a helpful tool for game analysis.
There is a lot more to do and see with SGO, but why read when you can download the software and start playing around with it? All you need is a Tobii Eye Tracker.
IF you do plan to create videos or live stream, we have created some tutorial videos to get you started. We are very excited to see how the community will use SGO in new and creative ways!
If you’re using a 2 PC set up, one PC for streaming and one for gaming, we’ve got you covered. Check out the tutorial below. You can also read more here.
Most importantly, we want to hear from YOU about new features and enhancements that you think would make SGO even more useful and entertaining.
Don’t forget that we have a Discord server and we’d love for you to join us! Just click on the Discord invitation icon below to join.
