Living Essentials Energizes ESports With Detroit Renegades

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Living Essentials, the makers of 5-hour Energy shots, has entered into eSports. The non-endemic brand has teamed up with the Detroit Renegades, a team owned by NBA player Jonas Jerebko. As part of the new sponsorship, the brand has been integrated into the official name of the Overwatch team, which is now officially called the Detroit Renegades 5-hour Energy Overwatch team. The Detroit Renegades also features professional eSports players and teams across Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Call of Duty and Super Smash Bros.

“ESports is a rapidly growing field that has a very dedicated fan base where we feel our product can make a big impact,” Melissa Skabich, director of communications at Living Essentials, told [a]listdaily.

Jerebko said in a statement that this sponsorship by Living Essentials epitomizes the shared values of hard work, innovative marketing and efficient operations. “As our first non-endemic sponsor, being headquartered in Michigan encourages a beneficial relationship to support our organization and players directly,” he said.

This is Living Essentials’ first eSports sponsorship using the 5-hour Energy brand. “We look at eSports as expanding on traditional sports marketing for a digital fan base,” Skabich said. “This means there are some similarities to sponsorships we’ve done in the past with racing and golf, but there is also a whole new world of content and consumer engagement with a new audience.”

Skabich discussed how having someone like Jerebko, with such a large voice in the athletic world, brings a sense of professionalism and experience to this sponsorship. “We take this space seriously as a professional sport, and we truly believe our product can positively contribute to the gaming industry, fans, players and pro teams,” she said. “Above all, we want to have a positive impact on the growth of eSports and the entire gameplay experience.”

According to Skabich, one of the things that drew the brand to the Renegades team was how engaging and collaborative they are on social media. The team, which was founded in 2015, has earned global recognition since Jerebko’s acquisition. “We have found their entire organization to be highly creative and enthusiastic when working with sponsors, so we are excited to team up with them on fun, engaging content for both their fans and ours,” Skabich said.

Living Essentials’ target demographic for 5-hour Energy is tired people. “We know that’s a broad spectrum, but gamers in particular are notorious for keeping odd hours and pushing themselves to grind for new gear, work towards that next level, or compete for the high score,” Skabich said. “5-hour Energy shots have an application in day-to-day work life, fitness, sports, etc., and gamers are a diverse group whose lives definitely overlap into these different areas.”

Jeff Zajac, the director of operations for the Renegades franchise, told [a]listdaily that 5-hour Energy not only provided the energy to stream, practice and perform in all aspects of gaming, but has been an inspiration to the team with its innovative strategies for eSports.

“Gamers need a healthy alternative to fuel them during their intense gameplay,” Zajac said. “Instead of having to rely on the high sugar and additive alternatives, they can turn to 5-hour Energy to provide them with long-lasting clean energy.”

ESports allows companies like Living Essentials to tap into a broad spectrum of gamers.

“Obviously the gaming sphere is a 24/7 place, so we know gamers are always looking for an energy boost to keep them feeling alert—whether streaming, during gameplay or for fan interaction,” Skabich said. “The small size of 5-hour Energy shots, compared to energy drinks, allows gamers to keep playing games without having to constantly sip on a large beverage.”

Learn everything you need to know to invest in today’s fastest-growing media channel—Competitive Gaming and eSports on 2.16.17 in Los Angeles. Go to alistsummit.com for more info.

Study: Mobile Gamers Aren’t Who You Think They Are

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Last year, mobile games brought in $40.6 billion worldwide—more than any other interactive entertainment medium, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be the next Candy Crush. Mobile monetization platform, Tapjoy has just released some data that can help marketers learn more about this lucrative audience. “The Changing Face of Mobile Gamers: What Brands Need to Know” reveals insights about mobile gaming behavior, such as how they view themselves, what kind of games they prefer and where the urge to play strikes the most (surprisingly, it’s not the bathroom).

Who plays mobile games? About 1.9 billion people, Tapjoy reports—but if you think most of those are teenagers, you’re wrong. The largest age group is made up of consumers 55 and over, followed by consumers ages 25-to-34 (21 percent) and 35-to-44 (19 percent). Children aged 13-to-17 only make up 8.05 percent of mobile gamers, while ages 18-to-24 was slightly higher at 13.56 percent, behind 25-to-34-year-olds at 20.7 percent.

Women represent the majority of mobile gamers, making up 63 percent of the total player base. Despite this revelation, 72 percent of the women surveyed said that they do not consider themselves a “gamer” even though 59 percent of women said they play games at least ten times per week. In fact, mobile gamers are extremely active, Tapjoy observed. The vast majority of them—69 percent—said they play at least three to five times per day, while 71 percent of respondents play for an hour or more every day, and 21 percent play for more than three hours a day.

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It turns out that to consumers, mobile gaming is about more than just killing time. Tapjoy asked consumers how they felt while playing mobile games compared to social apps and the differences are stark. At 59 percent, consumers are twice as likely to say they feel relaxed when playing mobile games than they are when using social apps like Facebook or Twitter. Users also said they feel more focused (35 percent vs 11 percent), happier (34 percent vs 21 percent), and more engaged (35 percent vs 20 percent) on gaming apps than social networking apps. Also, those status updates about your break-up aren’t as interesting as you may think—consumers are 2.4 times more likely to feel bored on social apps than gaming apps, and 60 percent more likely to feel stressed.

Tapjoy observed that the most popular mobile titles are more similar to board games than what you might find on a console. Case in point, the Shooting category was least popular among mobile gamers at just eight percent. Puzzle games are by far the most popular category, played by 59 percent of respondents, followed by Strategy (38 percent), Trivia (33 percent) and Casino/Card (27 percent). Among the least popular games were Player-vs.-Player (15 ) and Sports (11 percent).

If you had to guess where the most mobile gaming takes place, what would you say—the bathroom? The subway? Well, mobile gamers like to multitask, it seems, because 70 percent responded, “in front of the TV.” Just under TV time was “relaxing at home” at 67 percent (admittedly, that could include the bathroom) and 59 percent play “before bed.” Seventeen percent admit to playing at work . . . you know who you are.

“When designing their digital advertising strategies, it’s critical that brands take into consideration the activities that consumers are engaged in at the time and how they make them feel,” said Shannon Jessup, chief revenue officer of Tapjoy in the report. “There are nearly 2 billion mobile gamers in the world, and the unique state of mind consumers have when playing games on their smartphones or tablets represents an incredible opportunity for brands to truly connect with consumers.”

6 Technologies Impacting Marketers The Most

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Technology is always evolving, and marketers must evolve with it in order to ensure brand success. While there are many factors that affect marketers on a day-to-day basis such as social media, budgeting and reaching audiences on an emotional level, here are six of the top technologies are impacting marketing the most.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

“Okay, Google.” Gartner analysts predict that by 2020, 30 percent of web browsing sessions will be conducted without a screen. With the rise of voice-activated technology like Google Home and Amazon Echo, consumers will not be limited to traditional screen-based browsing, Gartner predicts, especially since web browsing will be extended to other areas of daily activities such as driving and exercising.

Artificial intelligence (AI) means more than another way to shop—it can help marketers make smart decisions. A May study conducted by the National Business Research Institute for Narrative Science found that 38 percent of US business executives considered this type of data crunching and predictive activity to be the most important solution provided by AI.

Similarly, research by The Economist Intelligence Unit last April found that 37 percent of global marketing executives believe big data and AI were among the technologies they expected to have the biggest impact on marketing companies by 2020. According to a survey of 150 senior executives by Weber Shandwick across five markets, 68 percent said their brand is currently selling, using or planning for business in the AI era. When gauging which types of marketing will greatly affect their world, 55 percent named AI over social media.

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AR/VR

By 2020, over a billion people worldwide will regularly access AR and VR content, according to predictions by research firm, IDC. In an attempt to reach this growing demographic, IDC predicts that 30 percent of consumer-facing companies in the Forbes Global 2000 will experiment with AR and VR as part of their marketing efforts in 2017. A large of part of this adoption will be via digital assistants (Amazon Echo and Google Home) with over 110 million consumer devices with embedded intelligent assistants installed in US households by 2019.

“Okay, Google . . . show me what such-n-such couch looks like in my living room,” may not be that far off. In fact, Gartner believes that by 2020, 100 million consumers will shop in augmented reality.

DeLoitte published a survey in August that found 88 percent of mid-market companies (firms with annual revenue of between $100 million and $1 billion) were using some form of virtual or augmented reality as part of their business, such as tourism or health care. Citi predicts hardware sales, specifically of headsets, will be the primary driver of the industry’s growth and the VR and AR market will be worth $692 billion by 2025, rising to more than a trillion by the following decade.

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Source: Advertiser Perceptions, Inc.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The IoT market is expected to grow to $151 billion by 2020, according to market researcher Research and Markets. That includes infrastructure, software, processors, sensors and other tech. The market is growing in part due to advances in technology, but also increasing areas of global internet accessibility. Gartner analysts predict IoT will save consumers and businesses $1 trillion a year in maintenance, services and consumables.

Of four emerging technologies—AR/VR, AI, Conversational and IoT, 79 percent of marketers deem IoT very or somewhat important, compared to 72 percent of agency executives. The survey, conducted online by Advertiser Perceptions Inc. in October with ad executives, found that 74 percent of respondents felt IoT was at least somewhat important, while 24 percent said it was very important. Only 6 percent said it was not important.

HTML5

As consumers turn to mobile for all their shopping and research needs, the IAB Technology Laboratory says brands should transition to HTML5 by this upcoming July. Why? HTML5 offers mobile abilities Flash does not and IAB’s research indicates that it has been shown to contribute to a 29.5 percent brand lift. Converting Flash to the new format won’t be easy, but to help, IAB has released “Transitioning Video Ads from Flash to HTML5/JS,” a guide for migrating digital video advertisements to HTML5 and JavaScript.

Programmatic Ad Purchasing

In 2016, US advertisers spent $6.18 billion for digital video ads purchased programmatically, up from three billion in 2015, according to an eMarketer report. That figure accounts for 60 percent of all digital video ad spending, compared to 39 percent last year. The research provider predicts that by 2018, programmatic digital video advertising will reach $10.65 billion, or 74 percent of total video ad expenditures, not including video advertising on social platforms.

Programmatic ad spending is growing in popularity and Zenith predicts that the method will grow 31 percent this year. “Programmatic buying of digital media has become the norm in major markets, and is aggressively following this path in smaller markets,” said Benoit Cacheux, global head of digital and innovation at Zenith.

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Ad Blocking

While ad blocking is on the rise, a study by AudienceProject found that while 26 percent of respondents in the UK and 23 percent in the US used an ad blocker on their desktops, only two percent in both countries use ad blocking tools on their smart phones. Among the ad blockers in UK, 34 percent say that their attitude toward ads would be affected in a positive way if the ads displayed relevant messages, with 44 percent feeling the same way in the US.

According to Juniper, ad blocking will continue to rise in popularity among consumers, resulting in a loss in revenue by 70.2 percent in the next few years. “Adoption (of ad blockers) is being driven by consumer concerns over mobile data usage and privacy,” noted Sam Barker, author of the research report. “They are also incentivized to adopt the technology in order to reduce page load times.”

The most important strategy is to be authentic and to understand the connected customer journey across all touch points. A new study by the Chief Marketing Officer Council reveals this to be one of the biggest challenges for marketers in 2017.

“Savvy CMOs don’t see digital as a destination for transformation but instead see the digital experience as a constantly moving evolution for both engagements and operations,” noted Liz Miller, senior vice president of marketing for the CMO Council. “The year ahead will represent a real turning point in the customer experience as marketers plan to turn their sights toward connecting, streamlining and measuring the entire journey.”

GDC State Of The Industry Survey Reveals Optimism For Nintendo Switch, HTC Vive and ESports

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Each year, Game Developers Conference (GDC) organizers conduct a survey to highlight some of the major trends in gaming and where the industry is headed. This year, 4,500 industry professionals responded to the State of the Industry Survey and they have some surprising attitudes toward the Nintendo Switch, the mid-cycle console upgrades, and the future of VR.

Based on the survey, mobile and PC gaming lead the way for game development. About 53 percent of respondents stated that they were currently developing games for the PC/Mac, and 38 percent said they were developing mobile games. For the first time, Android development is outpacing Apple’s iOS platform. Around 54 percent of participants said that they were currently making games for the Android platform while 51 percent were creating games for iOS. The State of the Industry survey notes that this is a small but significant shift from the previous year, and the fact that the survey was opened to countries outside of the North America may have impacted the results.

In comparison, 27 percent said they were developing a PlayStation 4 game and 22 percent were developing for Xbox One. These numbers closely match the survey from the previous year, except that a significantly higher number of developers (23 percent) said that they were developing games for VR platforms, outpacing Xbox One development. The previous survey showed that 16 percent of developers were making games for VR—a seven percent change.

High Optimism For Nintendo Switch

Although there is plenty that still needs to be revealed about Nintendo’s upcoming console, respondents are generally optimistic about the Switch’s success. About half believe that it will at least outsell the Wii U in its lifetime. However, given the disappointing sales of the Wii U, that might not be a very high bar for achievement. Fourteen percent didn’t believe that the Switch would outsell the Wii U and 37 percent were unsure.

However, respondents were less sure about the console’s major feature—the ability to change from a home console to a portable one. About 48 percent thought the feature might resonate with the public (although it would not be a world-changing), while only 19 percent gave a definite yes, agreeing that it was the right product for the right time.

HTC Vive Tops VR

Of the three premium VR headsets to release in 2016 (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR), the Vive won out as the most popular platform to develop for despite its high price point. This is tempered by the fact that 61 percent of respondents said that they weren’t developing for VR, but most of those that were favored the Vive. When asked what VR platform they were developing for, 24 percent named the Vive, 23 percent said Oculus Rift and 13 percent said PlayStation VR. The Vive and Oculus Rift may be very close in popularity, but this is a major change from the previous year, which showed 19 percent of respondents developing for the Rift while the Vive and PSVR got 6 percent each.

The HTC Vive also topped the survey in terms of developer interest. When asked which VR platform interested developers most, 45 percent said Vive. About 30 percent of respondents were interested in the Oculus Rift and 29 percent showed interest in the PSVR.

Additionally, the large majority of developers felt that the industry was trending towards mobile VR and AR—specifically augmented reality. When asked which they though would be the dominant platform for VR in five years, PC/consoles or mobile, 33 percent of respondents said mobile while 31 percent went with PC/consoles. Seventeen percent said that the platforms would be about equal in popularity, eight percent said neither would be important, and 12 percent said that they didn’t know.

Looking 20 years into the future, 43 percent of respondents said that AR would surpass VR in popularity. Meanwhile, 21 percent predicted that AR and VR would be about equal, and 19 percent chose VR as the future’s dominant reality technology. Furthermore, 12 percent admitted that they didn’t know and five percent said neither would be important in 20 years.

Developers Unsure About Mid-Cycle Console Upgrades

The PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S both debuted in 2016, and it should be noted that the survey was issued in November—the same month the PS4 Pro released. With that taken into consideration, the survey reveals that developers were unsure whether mid-cycle console updates, including Microsoft’s upcoming super console, Project Scorpio, was good for the industry. Forty-one percent of respondents were undecided, 36 percent said they were neutral on the matter, and 18 percent thought they were good for the industry.

Digital Storefronts Top Promotions

When asked to share what the most effective promotional methods were, a platform’s digital storefront (PlayStation Store, Steam, Xbox Live, etc.) topped responses, with 19 percent of respondents ranking it at #1, followed by community/fan social media, developers’ social media, and traditional press and bloggers.

Twitch streamers ranked last, with only 3 percent of respondents saying that it was the top way to promote their last projects. This statistic remains unchanged from the previous survey, but it’s also important to note that respondents did not rate all the methods because they did not try every form of game promotion.

ESports Still Going Strong

Above all, developers are extremely optimistic about the future of eSports. When asked whether they thought eSports was a sustainable business in the long-term, 90 percent of respondents said yes. That’s a two percent increase from the previous year’s survey.

One respondent wrote: “As long as you have a crowd that is big enough to support it, it will go well. We can see that for many years the interest in eSports is growing. And with more acceptance for video games in social, it could probably go as well as football someday.”

These Mobile Companion Apps Keep Console Players In The Game

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There are an estimated 207 million smartphone users in the US and 155 million Americans who play video games regularly, according to recent studies. Someday, it may be possible to enjoy your favorite console game on the go (a feat the Nintendo Switch will soon attempt), but for now, publishers are using companion apps to keep their fans engaged. Allowing players to access character statistics, unlock in-game bonuses and more from anywhere on their smartphones or tablets, these video game companion apps keep players engaged until they can pick up a controller once again.

Bethesda: Fallout Pip-Boy

Despite being released over a year ago, Fallout 4 is still going strong for Bethesda and came in at number five for premium PC video game revenues in 2016. Throughout the game series, user interfaces are accessed through the character’s Pip-Boy—a device worn on the wrist that offers a Geiger counter, health status, radio, map, journal, inventory list and more. The idea of a smart device that you take anywhere makes a natural translation to mobile through the Pip-Boy app, available on both Android and iOS.

Linking to a player’s game of Fallout 4 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or PC, this companion apps remembers their status and allows them to access in-game data, inventory, map, radio and even play mini-games.

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Bungie: Destiny

For the Guardian on the go, the Destiny companion app allows players to inspect their characters, check stats, access gear and view their Grimoire (book of spells). In addition, Bungie keeps fans connected through the app with forums, groups and private messaging through the app. Hardcore fans can read in-game lore and receive the latest developer updates, as well.

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EA Sports: FIFA 17 Companion

Sports is all about statistics, so viewing and managing one’s team while at work or on the subway is a natural fit for FIFA 17. EA’s companion app, as it did with FIFA 16, allows full management of a player’s FUT 17 Club. The app also offers new Squad Challenges, in which users build and exchange players for rewards. Fans can even access the Transfer Market, where they can bid on and offer players for use in-game.

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EA: Battlefield Companion

There is a lot going on in EA’s Battlefield 1, so a companion app is a great way to stay on top of things in between games. Through this complete overhaul of the Battlelog app, users can access statistics and customize their loadout, design an emblem and more for both Battlefield 4 and the newly released Battlefield 1. Users can also stay in the know with news and videos from Electronic Arts.

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Honorable Mentions

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed IV Companion app not only allows access to the game’s user interface, but acts as a second screen. Players can sync their games with the app (tablet recommended) to access a more in-depth map, real-time game happenings and interact with other players. EA has a very good habit of developing companion apps for its most popular titles, including Star Wars: Battlefront with a galaxy-sized list of things to do. EA’s Mirror’s Edge Companion gives players a 3D map of the game’s City of Glass and allows users to create challenges, view statistics, interact with friends and more. Both PlayStation and Xbox offer companion apps that allow gamers to access their profiles on the go, offering a multitude of options on Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus while out and about. I, for one, have fond memories of playing the Halo: Reach beta with my husband and checking my stats through Bungie’s Halo Waypoint app. The app is no longer available, but it has been revamped for the new games as Halo Channel.

CES 2017: LiquidSky Introduces Free Cloud-Based PC Gaming

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At CES 2017, LiquidSky offered a hands-on with its new cloud-based gaming platform that allows high-end PC games to be played on any Android, Mac, Linux and Windows devices. The company also unveiled a new free-to-play model that launches worldwide in March 2017.

Ian McLoughlin, founder and CEO of LiquidSky, told [a]listdaily that this ad-supported model offers gamers access to a free gaming SkyComputer that can be used to access game libraries across Steam, Origin, Battle.net, UPlay, and Windows Store.

“This is the first time anyone has ever made a free gaming PC,” McLoughlin said. “You still need a thin client to access it, but so many devices can plug into a TV through thin client today that it’s very accessible.”

LiquidSky will be launching its own think client hardware later this year, offering gamers another way to connect with its SkyComputer.

The ad-based business model lets gamers earn Sky Credits currency by watching commercials and they can use those credits to purchase time to access a cloud-based gaming PC. It takes watching six minutes of ads to earn 60 Sky Credits, which equates to an hour of time on the base service. McLoughlin said the exact currency exchange is still being tweaked.

“We don’t want the user to have to watch a bunch of ads to earn an hour,” McLoughlin said.

Gamers can earn up to three hours of free access per day plus 100GB of SkyStorage to save games in the cloud. Any unused Sky Credits roll over.

Over 1.1 million gamers have already signed up for the beta with the majority of sign-ups (75 percent) from word-of-mouth referrals. League of Legends, Battlefield 1 and Overwatch are among the most popular games on the service today.

McLoughlin said the ad-supported model works because of the large number of gamers that can concurrently play on a single server, thanks to the company’s proprietary technology. This will enable a traditional ad-supported model with spots earning eCPMs for companies that advertise to this gaming audience.

Gamers can also choose a pay-as-they-go model that starts at $4.99 per hour with 100GB of storage and monthly subscriptions begin at $9.99 with one terabyte of storage.

Users can play online with nearly no latency, which allows for a smooth gameplay experience. LiquidSky has built 14 data centers in 13 regions around the world, which circumvents an issue that OnLive ran into when they tried cloud gaming.

“People have said OnLive would have succeeded if it had the right games, but they featured mostly indie games and then ‘AAA’ games a year after release. On top of that, latency was always an issue. They were ahead of their time.”

One of the main reasons LiquidSky will remain in beta is to continue to get all aspects of the system working, including the advertising model and a safe ecosystem for game publishers and developers to deliver content. After all, LiquidSky is renting out a gaming PC, not the games themselves.

“We had to find a way to bridge to existing gaming content out there like Netflix did with DVDs to prove people would stay at home and then have online streaming,” McLouglin said. “Our bridge is Windows Server 2016, so you can get access to the cloud. It’s a persistent computer for each user.”

LiquidSky has also created a container service for developers to upload their game and have it protected on the back-end.

“There hasn’t been a single traditional DRM game that hasn’t been cracked completely,” McLoughlin said. “We want to help game developers. Our container is drag and drop and no code is exchanged. The game can be built for Linux, Android or Windows and we automatically put the game in a LiquidSky application. There’s complete protection because users can never access the binaries of the game. It’s also great for game companies because they don’t need to worry about download costs.”

The platform also supports open API, allowing game developers to push out instantaneous updates to users with the need to download anything.

“We can make it seamless across one platform and allow a lot more people access to the game beyond people who have hardware to run the game on the PC,” McLoughlin said.

McLoughlin said a lot of beta users are college students and they’re using the service on MacBook Airs.

“While college kids are the current beta audience, moving forward we want this to be a way to an actual gaming platform by making it easier to use and driving the cost of using this service so low that it’s more affordable than an Xbox or gaming PC,” McLoughlin said. “People are going to say we’re being too ambitious, but we’re hopeful we can some day take on the traditional console makers.”

Samsung, Nvidia, Microsoft and IBM are strategic partners for LiquidSky.

 

CES 2017: Razer Introduces Triple Display Portable Gaming

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At CES 2017, Razer is showcasing two new prototype technologies that are set to change the way consumers game. Project Valerie is the world’s first portable laptop with three built-in monitors. And Project Aria expands Razer Chroma technology to the entire room. Both concepts are expected to become reality at retail later this year.

Project Valerie features three 17.3-inch 4K IGZO displays equipped with Nvidia G-Sync technology that Hilmar Hahn, manager of product marketing of Razer peripherals, told [a]listdaily is capable of producing the smoothest possible frame rates and expansive 180-degree Nvidia surround view gaming.

Project Valerie uses an automatic deployment mechanism designed by Razer. Each display mechanically slides out of the side of the main screen and adjusts into place, making it easy for users to deploy.

“The extended displays are built into the chassis and the laptop has been built from the ground up to offer an immersive experience previously only available on desktops,” Hahn said.

The laptop also declutters the traditional three display desktop environment by eliminating all of the cables. The laptop, which has no official release date or price yet, opens up new opportunities for PC pro gamers, as well as streamers.

“It’s a great system for gaming,” Hahn said. “We’re seeing a lot of pro gamers streaming and practicing and this is a great set-up for both that they can take with them as they travel to tournaments around the world.”

This laptop will join Razer’s 14-inch Razer Blade and the 12.5-inch Razer Blade Stealth.

Also being shown at the Razer booth at CES is the expansion of Razer Chroma lighting technology to third-party partners, which ties into Project Ariana, the world’s first video projection system designed for total immersion gaming. Razer Chroma is the largest RGB platform for gaming with more than five million devices sold to date.

Vincent Chen, associate product marketing manager of systems at Razer, told [a]listdaily that Razer Chroma spans the length and breadth of keyboards, mice, headsets and monitors and is the  only technology where all devices communicate with each other in real time.

“Gamers can customize and personalize all products and they sync with each other,” Chen said. “Game developers have tapped into this with thousands of game and profile integrations.”

Games like Overwatch, Deus Ex, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and Shadow Warrior 2 have already integrated Razer Chroma lighting technology.

Chen said developers have added flashes of light to devices if ammo is low to give a visual cue to games.

“Game developers have changed the way input devices interact with games,” Chen said. “When we add smart lighting, the entire room started to flash in sync with the keyboard to take immersion to the next level to tell you to do various things in your game.”

A growing number of hardware partners are leveraging the Razer Chroma platform, including Lenovo, NZXT, Antec, Lian Li, Philips Hue, Looking Glass, Wicked Lasers and Nanoleaf. Entry into the Razer Chroma platform ecosystem, which features a palette of 16.8 million colors, is given through the Razer Chroma Module, a single hardware and software API available to partners.

Chen said Project Ariana takes the concept of RGB lighting into room projection and brings a whole new dimension to gaming.

“This results in solutions for gamers that range from peripherals to smart lighting and video projection, all working as one to provide a totally immersive gaming experience,” Chen said.

Project Ariana is a high-definition video projector that uses an ultra-wide fish eye lens and advanced processing capabilities to extend the gaming experience into an entire room. The system adapts the projection of in-game elements to the dimensions and features of the physical environment. A pair of 3D depth sensing cameras together with proprietary calibration software automatically calibrates itself to detect environmental factors such as furniture and room lighting, to provide the perfect display for any room.

“Our SDK gives developers the ability to communicate with all of the other devices coming into the ecosystem like smart lighting to bring the entire room into the gaming experience,” Chen said. “The projector has not been designed to replace the PC monitor. It’s meant to extend the experience into the entire room.”

No price has been announced, but Project Ariana will become a reality later in 2017.

VirZoom And Life Fitness Bring VSports To Health Clubs

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Virtual reality eSports, or vSports, have officially begun. Independent development studio VirZoom, which is made up of several former Harmonix developers, used CES 2017 to introduce vSports to approximately 50 media members in Las Vegas at the Venetian Spa Club on January 4.

The concept blends virtual reality and eSports in a new way. VirZoom has created its $400 exercise bike and developed VirZoom Arcade, a collection of games like Cycle, Tank and Pegasus that can be played with the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR. VSports allows gamers to put on a headset (HTC Vive is the official vSports partner) and compete against others for prizes. The initial roll[o]ut of tournaments will focus on leaderboard competition, but online multiplayer will be added later this year.

VirZoom has created a nationwide network of vSports Centers, which will allow gamers to gather for competitions and get hands-on experience with both the VirZoom bike and the HTC Vive. Initial locations will span 18 VR arcades, LAN Centers and entertainment centers. And consumers will be able to purchase VirZoom bikes and Vives (separately) if they like.

Spencer Honeyman, director of business development at Virzoom, told [a]listdaily that this network of locations will grow across the country and eventually around the globe. Gamers will be able to compete across these locations, and even from the comfort of their own homes—as long as they own a VirZoom bike.

“Leveraging VirZoom technology and games with Life Fitness equipment harnesses the users’ emotional response in VR and motivates them to move,” Honeyman said. “Using the pedal stroke to operate a car, tank, Pegasus and more motivates exercisers to move like never before—and enjoy themselves while they get a workout.”

Honeyman envisions amateur tournaments and leagues sprouting up over time as VirZoom adds new VR games to the mix and more consumers get hands-on time with the bikes.

There’s also another component to the emergence of vSports. VirZoom has partnered with Life Fitness, a global leader in commercial fitness equipment, to add high-end Discover SE3 exercise bikes to vSports competition. Beginning in Q1 2017, the first health clubs in the U.S. will offer VirZoom Arcade games for offline and tournament play.

“Down the road we’d love to host eSports competitions for players competing on Life Fitness bikes,” Honeyman said.

Amad Amin, product director of digital experience at Life Fitness, told [a]listdaily that virtual reality is directly in line with the immersive experience they want to create on their machines.

“We want exercisers to know that there’s much more they can do than just getting on a machine and hitting the ‘go’ button,” Amin said. “Our goal is to provide an unparalleled experience when an exerciser uses our product.  VR adds a new and exciting component that lets exercisers enter a completely different world and get lost in their workout—and the competitive gaming brings in that fun element that some exercisers prefer when they work out. The gaming element may incentivize people to work out harder and longer as their trying to win the game or reach a specific level—that’s a win-win for us and for the exerciser.”

Entertainment while working out has been a part of exercise for decades now, as it’s common to find TVs all over the gym. The evolution of that was TV screens that attached to the equipment so that each exerciser can choose their own programming.

“The latest products, like our Life Fitness Discover SE3 machines, have TVs built directly into the console, allow for streaming video content from popular content providers, and have 2D virtual reality courses built in,”

Amin believes vSports is a natural fit for guests who belong to health clubs and spas.

“VirZoom provides the ability for an exerciser to get lost in the excitement of being in a game while working out,” Amin said. “They’ve come up with solutions that keep you engaged, and let you have fun, all while getting you moving. The ability to partner with VirZoom speaks to our philosophy of having an open API environment. It allows us to partner with software/tech companies who can only enhance our exercisers experience. For example, we’re not experts in virtual reality, but we keep our doors open to those that are so we can collaborate and create great experiences on our products. VirZoom helps us bring the VR experience to Life Fitness.”

Over time, VirZoom will offer a wide array of VR games to compete in and different entry points into the leagues, tournaments and competition that Honeyman hopes will evolve  in this vSports ecosystem. As that happens, there will be plenty of opportunities for brands to step in and sponsor competition and even target health clubs or other vSports Centers to reach different audiences of gamers and fitness buffs.

Learn everything you need to know to invest in today’s fastest-growing media channel—Competitive Gaming and eSports on 2.16.17 in Los Angeles. Go to alistsummit.com for more info.

Three Great Reasons IoT Will Be An Even Bigger Thing In 2017

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Thanks to the internet, this world of ours is connected like never before—from smart clothing to cars that fix themselves. Analyst firm Gartner predicts that by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices. The technology began with ATMs in the 1970s and today makes science fiction possible with a new age of innovative convenience and “cool factor” for generations to come.

More Access Means More Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to grow to $151 billion by 2020, according to market researcher Research and Markets. That includes infrastructure, software, processors, sensors and other tech. The market is growing in part due to advances in technology, but also increasing areas of global internet accessibility.

While IoT may be all the rage, the biggest problem brands have faced is the sheer amount of data to process. Cloud storage technology has made IoT more feasible, but not without its challenges. In 2013, for example, Virgin Airlines announced a fleet of connected Boeing 787 aircraft designed to detect mechanical failures and prevent tragedies before they happen. The price of having everything from wing flaps to luggage on the network is processing half a terabyte of data each flight.

Tech Is “So Hot Right Now”

Today’s young consumers—millennials and Gen Z—are digital first and look favorably upon brands that utilize modern technology in their offerings. According to a recent study by Wikia, 66 percent of Gen Z’ers say technology makes them feel like anything is possible. Millennials like to keep things connected and simple when it comes to interacting with brands, too. Seventy percent of millennials feel good about chatbots, according to a recent study by Aspect and 54 percent prefer all customer interactions via electronic means.

More and more brands are happy to meet consumer demands for high-tech goodies. Mountain Dew, for example, partnered with youth-culture fashion brand VFILES to integrate media-based tech as part of their digital innovation program. The smart clothes collection, “Camo Out” includes a hat, Bluetooth jacket, solar-powered backpack and jackets and pants with built-in headphones—all debuted in November at the pop culture trade show ComplexCon in Los Angeles.

“When the brand is at its best, it’s constantly innovating, instigating and pushing the culture in a meaningful way for all of our fans—they expect it from us,” Stinson Parks, Mountain Dew’s digital marketing manager, told [a]listdaily. “The areas of tech and innovation are important for Dew and we are always pushing the boundaries as a digital instigator.”

Marketers Are Ready

IoT is now a reality and marketers have certainly taken notice. According to data published in November, 23 percent of US advertising and marketing executives identified the IoT as “very important” compared to AR/VR, conversational marketing and artificial intelligence at 14 percent each. In addition, a separate study by Deloitte found that in 2016, more than one third of executives said their companies were actively deploying IoT.

SensorTower: Games Dominate Mobile App Downloads Over Christmas

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Holidays are a perfect time to catch up with family and friends, snuggle up with a loved one, or play on your phone instead of listening to your aunt ask why you don’t have kids yet. While the world was decking the halls, opening presents and the like, a whole lot of consumers were downloading apps onto their mobile devices. Each year, data firm, SensorTower analyzes which apps perform the best from December 24 through 26, and it looks like Auntie was nagging more than usual, because app revenue grew 52 percent over 2015.

Global app revenue reached a whopping half billion dollars over Christmas, with approximately 87 percent ($439 million) generated by mobile games. In fact, the top five grossing apps on Christmas were all games. Mobile game gross revenue grew 52 percent over the same period in 2015.

The top five grossing mobile apps between December 24 and 26 were:

  1. Supercell’s Clash Royale
  2. Mixi’s Monster Strike
  3. Supercell’s Clash of Clans
  4. Niantic’s Pokémon GO
  5. Sony’s Fate/Grand Order

In the US, gross revenue for both the App Store and Google Play grew compared to the 2015 period, but Google Play outperformed Apple’s store at 66 percent versus 18 percent growth, SensorTower reported. US App Store gross revenue grew 18 percent year-over-year from approximately $83 million to $98 million. Google Play’s US gross revenue increased from approximately $38 million to $63 million, or about 66 percent.

holiday-app-revenue-2016-by-platform

Non-game gross revenue grew 48 percent to $61.2 million, compared to $41.3 million one year earlier. The top five grossing non-game apps worldwide were:

  1. LINE
  2. Netflix
  3. Tinder
  4. HBO NOW
  5. Pandora

Spotify, 2015’s top grossing non-game app dropped to number six this year. The top five apps reveal a trend for increased downloads of streaming video and music apps on major holidays. “As for Tinder, we can only assume that consumers turned to the convenience of the app to avoid spending the holidays alone,” noted SensorTower, “or perhaps to get a head start on a New Year’s resolution to find someone special in 2017.”