Dedicated to competitive video gaming, or esports, these venues provide an immersive arena experience that can't be replicated at home. With an audience and revenue explosion, eSports is inspiring the development of dedicated spaces to accommodate these multibillion-dollar tournaments.
In partnership with SAP, designers at HOK explore the challenges and opportunities that this new category of venue presents. Among their insights: nontraditional geometries and a seamless melding of technology with the built environment.
Location
Esports, or competitive video gaming, are events where gamers compete as teams or individuals to play against other gamers. The best gamers have a skill level that rivals the professional players of traditional sports and their skills can be watched by millions of people online as they vie for the big prizes offered in major tournaments. These events are typically held at venues much like a sports arena, and these arenas have all the features you would expect to see at a sporting event such as bleachers for fans to sit in, merchandise stalls, food stations, and a stage where announcers can make the big announcements of the day.
A good eSports arena at gengtoto will have top-of-the-line technology to cater to the needs of the gamers, including comfortable seating and an area where the competitors can discuss strategy during their matches. They will also need an ultra-fast internet connection to ensure that they can keep up with the action. In addition to the gaming space, there should be a concourse where spectators can gather to watch the competition and take part in the excitement.
Some eSports events are open and anyone can join, while others require an invite-only process to ensure that the quality of the match is maintained and that only the best players are participating. The top players can earn thousands of dollars per year in a salary, which is often supplemented with additional income from sponsors and streaming donations.
Match Days
Many eSports events feature multiple matches that can run for up to 12 hours a day over three or four days. That means there’s a lot of downtime between the matches and, as a result, attendees tend to turn to their phones to entertain themselves during this time. Venues can offer this captive audience a chance to connect with one another in person by integrating their eSports arena into lighthearted social activities and offering an array of different games to choose from.
One example of this is Grand Canyon University, which has a dedicated eSports arena that offers an experience that is fully integrated with their student-led organization and intramural activities. It also features a lounge where students can mingle and enjoy lighthearted social entertainment. Providing this kind of onsite fan engagement opportunities will be a key to driving the success of any eSports arena, and it all starts with a great cellular network solution. That’s why fiber DAS is the ideal solution for these types of venues.
Seating
Esports refer to the world of competitive video gaming, which sees pro gamers compete with other players in games like League of Legends, Fortnite and Counter Strike. The competitors are typically watched by millions of fans who attend live events or tune in online, often with the aid of streaming services. These fans form fandoms around their favourite gamers, just as with football or athletic teams.
Virtual arenas allow players to step inside an immersive enclosure where they can enjoy the thrill of fast-paced gameplay. These virtual arenas typically feature a mix of seats and bleachers for fans to sit in as they watch the action. There are also usually merchandise stalls and concession stands to take advantage of.
While some esports games can be played one-on-one, the vast majority are played in team formats. This could involve two teams of four in Halo, or two teams of six in Overwatch. The rules for these teams vary from game to game, and the strategies used can differ too.
Virtual Arena
The concept of virtual arenas is relatively new, but a number of vendors are already creating the technology to make it a reality. For example, Zero Latency is a vendor that offers VR-based experiences that are likened to virtual laser tag, and it is currently in operation at the SEGA JOYPOLIS facility in Japan.
Another company that is developing a similar experience is ValoMotion, which has already launched a range of physical activity systems that incorporate virtual reality. The manufacturer recently introduced its 'ValoArena' system, which supports up to six players in a full MR arena and tracks their movements with computer vision. The system has been used for physically active entertainment, including a 'VR Dark Ride' at Knott’s Berry Farm and its parent company Cedar Fair.
The esports market is booming and it’s likely that virtual arenas will become more commonplace in the near future. They may even eventually rival traditional sports arenas in terms of size and scope, with the ability to hold huge crowds of spectators who are all immersed in a single game.
Concourses
As the eSports market expands, a range of virtual arena experiences have emerged that offer immersive sports simulations with a competitive element. While some of these games allow players to compete with other players online, others are played in physical locations and have a social component for spectators. The growing popularity of virtual sports has led to a number of tournaments and events, which bring together fans from all over the world to watch the competitions in person. These events also offer a chance for sponsors and advertisers to promote their products and engage with the audience.
One of the most popular virtual arenas is a platform called EVA, developed by Red Bull. EVA offers massive free-roam play spaces for eSports matches and is capable of streaming games to audiences all over the globe. The arenas are equipped with the latest VR headsets and allow participants to move around and interact with their virtual environment.
Another virtual arena experience is HADO, which is developed by Dutch company ValoMotion. The system uses a series of sensors to track players' movements in a full MR playground, and then shows them as avatars on the screen. The experience has a high energy level, with players running, ducking and jumping to beat the opponents. This active, physically-driven entertainment is highly attractive to the gaming audience.
Digital entertainment
While arcades have long embraced competitive digital entertainment, with the likes of Golden Tee Golf and Big Buck Hunter, this new technology is taking things to the next level. Developers such as Incredible Technologies and Play Mechanix have created dedicated, championship-style digital entertainment games that attract large audience numbers for the thrill of competing to win.
Virtual Reality games are now being combined with physical gameplay, and the combination is becoming increasingly popular. This type of interactive game has the potential to be the future of eSports, with the ability for fans to physically engage with the action on a grand scale.
At this year's major amusement trade event, Japanese manufacturer BANDAI NAMCO revealed a new VR ZONE attraction, combining immersive enclosures with an innovative gun interface that allows players to shoot targets with real bullets in a virtual environment. Powered by HTC hardware, this immersive gun system is being made available to amusement and leisure venues worldwide.
Social Spaces
In virtual arenas, fans can enjoy a variety of social experiences, whether they’re playing the games or simply watching them. Players can play with friends or compete against them, and they can also participate in social events like parties and concerts. This socialization opens up a whole new set of potential experiences that were previously impossible in traditional stadiums.
Esports, or electronic sports, have become a hugely popular spectator event, with tournaments featuring highly skilled gamers competing against each other to win prizes and recognition. These events have a very passionate community, with fans from all over the world cheering on their favorite teams and players in person and online. Now, eSports tournaments are starting to be held in VR arenas, which provide an even more immersive and exciting experience for the fans.
VR allows us to see the world in a completely different way than we ever could before, and this is particularly true for simulated arenas. The architecture of a virtual arena can be rendered in photorealistic quality, so users can walk around the concourse and see how it will look when completed. In addition, VR can give users a better understanding of 3D models than 2D photos.
This level of immersion is ideal for esports, as it gives fans the feeling that they’re part of the action and not just an outsider watching it from a TV screen or livestream. Virtual arenas will continue to grow in popularity, and they’re already being used by some of the most prestigious teams in the world.
EVA, for example, offers a dedicated VR arena in Europe and one in the United States. Its state-of-the-art arenas can accommodate up to 10 players who can battle each other in large free-roam VR gaming landscapes. With games such as the After-H Battle Arena and After-H Zombies, these arenas can create intense competition that evokes strong emotions. And with a range of gameplay options including skirmish, strategic dominance, and free for all, each arena provides a unique competitive environment.
This article was written in cooperation with AMRYTT MEDIA