The Internet Wasn’t Built For Gaming
How To Create Infrastructure For The Future Of eSports
Gaming has become a large and growing business due in large part to optimized learning and global collaborative play. There are currently 2.9B players today. However, gaming hasn’t reached its full potential yet with the current market projected to surpass $1B in 2017. As Drew Breunig recently tweeted in reference to machine learning (ML), “New technologies only deliver incremental results until new infrastructure arrives and we learn how to imagine with it.” The same can be said about gaming. Existing infrastructure and imaginations will need to evolve to tackle unforeseen problems such as streaming technology platforms and continue to further progress.
One startup improving gaming infrastructure is Haste. Haste provides internet optimization for gamers that’s designed to reduce ping, packet loss and jitter. The result is a superior gaming experience, so you can stop worrying about lag and get back to gaming. Below are two other startups creating a better infrastructure while also improving the gaming experience:
Content Database Libraries
Microcoaching is an on-demand video game coaching marketplace. They help gamers improve by connecting them to experts in real-time through an innovative, proprietary web app. Microcoaching is tackling the challenge of making expert gaming advice available at the moment the player needs it with an expert coach. Although, they are satisfying a current need for on-demand coaching there might be a positive side effect of these sessions — content library. The library would essentially be aggregating digital assets and data into a collection, catalog or an information retrieval system of video game lessons. Microcoaching Co-founder, Emre Ruhi states:
“Developing a quality content library with consistently useful videos for gamers is one of our longer term goals. Organizing disorganized information is highly profitable and by solving the problems gamers have one at a time we’re steadily making that happen.” — Emre Ruhi
Many gamers share similar frustrations in particular games and by identifying excellent coaching moments that address those frustrations Microcoaching can build the content that gamers are looking for — and ultimately pay for.
There are a handful of coaching solutions in this space and many VCs aren’t sold on the opportunity for this business model quite yet. On the contrary, I believe the scalability is quite massive. VCs and potentially sports property owners will need to learn how to imagine beyond what they currently see as merely video game lessons.
Integrating AI Into eSports Broadcasting
The live broadcast experience of watching or playing games will soon be enhanced to a level like never before. There are a few startups using AI and ML to do just that. Esports One is one of the startups that have a high possibility of achieving this reality. The Founder, Matthew Gunnin, is pretty well known in the space and as you probably know, this is a rapidly growing market — especially with the NBA, MLB and other large groups frequently acquiring eSports startups.
Esports One is enhancing live stream viewing experience for eSports broadcast taken from platforms that incorporate live statistics, data driven overlays and event insights. Similar to what the UFC does on UFC.tv, Esports One engages the user in the broadcast by providing information that is derived from the game publishers API.
Imagine the yellow flag markers for first downs or a stat box that displays when watching NFL games on TV. That’s the statistical insight and enhanced viewing experience that Esports One will provide. This custom technology application captures and analyzes data in real time and provides a brand new platform for advertisers and corporate partners.
According to Mat Kaliski, “eSports infrastructure (broadcaster tools, analytics, league infrastructure, etc…) is still undeveloped — there is a risk of ruining the experience and alienating fans if they try to do too much before creating a stable infrastructure.” As gaming continues to gain greater worldwide adoption, new stable infrastructure will arrive and we’ll learn how to imagine with it. Introducing gaming and eSports to a mainstream audience will inevitably surface problems and basic organizational structures that will push us to envision new possibilities.
