How important is the level of realism?
In any form of escapism such as television, films, music, video games, etc., customers always want a sense of realism for the activity to feel fully immersive. Having that connection to the real world adds a deeper level of engagement into the player’s journey, giving players a reason to relate.
More importantly, within virtual sports, one of the regular stumbling blocks to engaging with a player demographic that has never experienced this form of betting will be convincing the consumer to trust the process and concept of the game. Having that realism factor will allow the consumer to believe in the product and relate to it much more quickly.
What specific technologies do you employ to create your products? Is there a stage of the process that is more crucial than others?
s: e a d
Tere are two critical stages to creating a successful virtual sports product. Te first is the gameplay. Designing a game that is too complex or too simple, too long or too short, or one that doesn’t fit in with the target player’s journey is a sure way to create a product that will not perform well. We build our products to adapt to different player types in various geographies. Without completely re-engineering the product from scratch, we can quickly adjust the way that the game can be played.
Once the game mechanics are worked out, we create the virtual environments using pure CGI or part CGI, part real-life footage. Our ability to combine CGI elements with real-life backplates is one of the reasons why our products look so realistic. Tese skills were honed in the TV/film industry, where our BAFTA award-winning Animation team would be compositing CGI and live-action regularly, and the output would need to stand up to the highest level of scrutiny.
Has the last decade proven most influential in the development of virtual sports?
Most definitely. We started the business in 2000 and spent most of the first decade building the platform and the content portfolio that would form the foundation as we moved forward. Launching online and on mobile alongside sports betting massively changed the dynamic, as players could bet on the move in a straightforward way. While the technical side vastly improved throughout the 2010s, the main improvement we have seen in our industry is the overall perception of the concept of Virtual Sports, and it is becoming more of a household name.
Troughout the past 10 years, we have seen virtual sports becoming the norm within the sports industry. Te Virtual Grand National was broadcast to millions of viewers on television In the U.K. in 2020. It took the place of the actual Grand National, which elevated the awareness of virtual sports to another level.
What technology advancement has made the biggest impact in the virtuals market?
We’ve seen virtual grow from a niche product to “With the improvements of
technology and virtual sports becoming the norm within the entertainment industry, we can look at a bright future for any virtual format. The
introduction of the metaverse should revolutionise how virtual sports are used. If this concept is as successful as expected, the likes of our day- to-day activities from work, socialising with friends, and entertainment will all be performed within this new world.”
Steve Rogers
Steve Rogers, Chief Commercial Officer of Virtual Sports, Inspired Virtuals
“There are two critical stages
to creating a successful virtual sports product. The first is the gameplay. Designing a game that is too complex or too
simple, too long or too short, or one that doesn’t fit in with the target player’s journey is a
sure way to create a product that will not perform well. We build our products to adapt to different player types in
various geographies. Without
completely re-engineering the product from scratch, we can quickly adjust the way that the game can be played.” Steve Rogers
a global industry. Te main factor in this push has been the drive of player demand – for more sports, more innovation, more realism, and more betting options. As mentioned before, creating a realistic experience for the customers is a crucial building block to developing Virtual sports further. Tis objective has been made easier through the advancements in graphic engines and motion capture technologies that allow us to create life-like virtual avatars and environments for customers to immerse themselves in.
In a recent report it has been estimated that the full value of the gaming industry (video games, including esports) now exceeds US$300bn, more than the combined markets for movies and music. Has this been the source of any inspiration for the development of your products? What can be learned from this success to help drive virtual sports growth?
Of course, the gaming industry has been one of the dominant sources of entertainment for the past 20 years, from the old arcade games to the new generation consoles we see now.
Trough the advancement of technology available, the gaming industry has fully utilised its environment and tools to produce some of the most exhilarating games, providing next- gen graphics with captivating storytelling.
So, from our perspective, we want to try to emulate what can be achieved by gaming within the betting industry. We are not simply trying to create a generic game that can provide customers a five-minute experience; we are looking to revolutionise what people think when they see the words “virtual sports” and make it become a norm today, just like the gaming industry has achieved.
What does the future hold for virtuals and the technology that powers it?
With the improvements of technology and virtual sports becoming the norm within the entertainment industry, we can look at a bright future for any virtual format. Te introduction of the metaverse should revolutionise how virtual sports are used. If this concept is as successful as expected, the likes of our day-to-day activities from work, socialising with friends, and entertainment will all be performed within this new world.
What does this mean for virtual sports betting, though? Well, not only does it make our form of entertainment more acceptable within society, but it also takes us to the next step of our evolution. Customers will not only be simply experiencing the virtual realm by looking at content on screens or mobile devices, but they will also be living the experience in the virtual world.
We can easily envisage a metaverse where players can purchase and own virtual characters and watch and bet on their team playing sports or running a race. Te technology is there to create such an ecosystem; we are in the perfect position to take advantage of these new platforms to deliver an even more engaging player experience.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P113
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