Eag Expo: esports in the arcades, but with training and connettivity

At the GiocoNews.it debate on videogames, organized within EAG, focus on training and connettivity.

London - The future of entertainment passes through the combination of electronic sports and arcades. This is what clearly emerges from the Eag Expo in London, the entertainment fair in progress at the ExCel exhibition center in the British capital, from the debate organized by GiocoNews.it, fully dedicated to esports and amusement. The meeting, entitled: "Competitive videogames in a competitive market", was attended by the managers of some leading companies in the segment, with direct experience in arcade activities, who illustrated the current developments and the trends that are emerging, showing however that, beyond the future, the union between these two worlds is already a reality and is giving great satisfaction to those who are investing in new technologies. For a decidedly cross-border phenomenon that is expanding, albeit at different rates, all over the world. Not by chance, three companies from very different countries such as Italy, Germany and the United States took part in the debate, through the proofs of Giovanni Antonioli Fantini, CEO of Vae Victis and partner of Tecnoplay, Robert Fankhaenel, co-founder by Hologate and Jan Goetgeluk, CEO and founder of the American Virtuix. In outlining their personal and business experiences on the various markets, some agreement emerged as regards some specific issues, such as the future of entertainment in the arcades (and not only) and the basic conditions that this type of activity needs in order to quickly and properly define itself. For everyone, what is needed is a change of approach by the operators of the arcades and the general entertainment industry, which in addition to having to invest in these new technologies must facilitate this new path by focusing on training and infrastructure. "The esports phenomenon, which is having a big success among young and very young people, has yet to be fully understood for several generations – Goetgeluk explains - for this reason it is necessary to spread a competitive gaming culture through an educational activity that doesn't concern only the players, to educate them to a reasonable consumption of the gaming and technology, but also the parents, who must not look at these activities with suspicion, but must enhance their educational and aggregation aspects, in addition to the entertainment operators, who must understand that the future now comes through here”. The Vituix manager, in reporting the US experience and telling what they are doing in territory such as Las Vegas, highlights how important it is to spread the knowledge of electronic sports among the general public and how it is useful in this sense the introduction of the Esports “subject” in university programs, in schools more generally but also in places of aggregation and worship. The Vituix manager, in reporting the US experience and telling what they are doing in areas such as Las Vegas, highlights how important it is to spread the knowledge of electronic sports among the general public and how it is useful in this sense the introduction of the esport “subject” in university programs, in schools more generally but also in meeting and worship places. While the other essential aspect for the affirmation of this new market is the investment in facilities: “Certainly, if virtual reality and the augmented one represent the main development drivers for gaming and entertainment, which will have a strong and directed impact also on esports, it is also clear that these technologies require investments not only in terms of product but also in terms of facilities", Fankhaenel explains. “It is therefore essential to have appropriate and above all stable connettivity. With 5G which certainly represents an opportunity but already today, current technologies allow us to offer advanced experiences, but they must be present in arcades". Fantini is also particularly sensitive about this subject: “It is important to highlight what the operators of gaming rooms must do at this stage to be able to assure a future: to propose new gaming forms it is necessary to have connected rooms and dedicated staff, who is able to create, develop and manage players communities, which are the basis of competitive gaming", the developer explains. "These requirements have never been necessary until today with the current forms of gaming for children, but from now on, taking into account the relationship of the very young with technology, they become essential because what young people of today and tomorrow expect are these evolved forms of gaming and no longer the traditional gaming. And the operators will have to be prepared." According to Ian Donegan, chief reporter for InterGame magazine and moderator of the debate: "There is no doubt that the future of amusement passes through this type of technology and competition. These phenomena are now part of the lives of young people and the entertainment industry can't ignore them. We already see it today with the success that products such as Escape Rooms and the various virtual reality experiences are having and with the boom in esports in general. It is therefore an opportunity that the sector can't miss out and we are already beginning to understand how they can be exploited".