blog 2021 4 min read
Giving esports the edge with xR: Claim your ebook guide
The world’s fastest-growing global live entertainment sector, esports, counts a viewership of almost 500 million with events that sell out arenas and drive intense online engagement.
Competitive gaming fans expect more from esports today than ever before. They crave immersive live experiences fuelled by the rise of real-time graphics and AR/VR deployed by other live event sectors, including music and broadcast.
disguise xR (extended reality) is a product of industry-wide collaboration and innovation, seamlessly integrating with various technologies to deliver a truly unique and immersive visual experience for audiences. Our ebook, 'Five Reasons Why xR Will Take esports Events to the Next Level', explores the potential of xR technology to revolutionise live production for esports. A taste of how xR is changing the game for esports is outlined in this blog.
Download the xR and esports ebook
Five ways xR can power-up esports
1. Grab the attention of gamers
xR allows esports producers to enhance audience engagement while creating dynamic, attention-grabbing coverage under the real-time pressures of a tournament. On top of capturing action players see from their characters’ perspective, by using disguise xR, producers can build an AR reconstruction of the game map and display it on the LED stage; a powerful tool for revealing details usually only seen by players. xR unlocks the potential for entirely new experiences that can be broadcast on existing channels – no need for VR headsets or other tech to see right into the game and follow the action.
2. Put players into their own games
Our xR workflow can give the illusion that talent on stage is standing in the game itself. Players too can stand in the LED space, watch and comment upon replays of the game. Camera tracking technology and game engine rendering in both the LED and virtual worlds allow players to see themselves in the game, follow their characters and react to their gameplay. AR layers in the workflow also mean talent can interact with foreground 3D objects providing exciting, dimensional experiences for viewers.
3. Build worlds from small spaces
The most straightforward xR studio setups combine just two LED panels with camera tracking to create these boundless virtual worlds. Inside them, the camera perceives incredible depth, parallax and vanishing points – as in real life – due to 3D content being rendered in real-time from the camera’s perspective. This means esports producers don’t have to choose between the quality of the experience and the production cost: They can save money on location size without compromising the broadcast’s scale.
4. Transition between content
Our xR solution supports a wide range of dynamic environments, from photo-realistic spaces to all manner of abstract and highly imaginative scenes. We can teleport people from one environment to another without leaving the confines of the stage and change the LED backdrop at the touch of a button to show those on stage in different parts of the game when replaying scenes. Since all content playing off the LED screens is real-time generated, xR allows everyone on the team to see the content as it unfolds and make creative visual decisions in real-time.
Implemented early in the production pipeline, the disguise platform allows all programming, testing and sequencing to be done ahead of time without physical access to the stage, leaving enough time for troubleshooting on site. In addition, the workflow is fully integrated with third-party systems (lighting, tracking, automation), which can be controlled by our proprietary software. Game engine agnostic, it supports industry-leading generative content engines like Notch and Unreal, to unlock collaboration across all systems.
See disguise xR in action in HP OMEN Challenge case study
We’re trusted to boost awareness and engagement, drive demand and grow loyalty by delivering xR experiences for the world’s leading artists, enterprise businesses and film and television productions. Our technology platform can supercharge your xR journey enabling creative and technical professionals to imagine, create and deliver spectacular live visual experiences at the highest level.
