Could a proprietary live-streaming platform unlock key commercial opportunities in the esports domain? Dan Symonds reports.
Esports trailblazer ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) sent shockwaves through the sector at the end of February after announcing that it would reduce its workforce by roughly 15%.
Co-CEO’s Craig Levine and Niccolo (Nic) Maisto said that the difficult decision had been taken to “support EFG’s sustainable growth ambitions and profitability” and would ultimately “sharpen [the company’s] focus, and better equip [EFG] to navigate the dynamic esports and gaming landscape.”
While there’s no doubt that EFG is not alone in streamlining its business (one only needs to look to the mass M&E layoffs dominating the first quarter with the likes of Channel 4, Twitch/Amazon, and Paramount Global, among others), many had been surprised given EFG’s leading position in the market and the wealth of its parent company - Savvy Games Group, which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)...
You are not signed in.
Only registered users can view this article.
Contribution technology: Streaming protocols and the need to orchestrate
As broadcasters seek to provide more content with fewer resources, they are looking to IP streaming protocols within the production and contribution part of the workflow to deliver efficiencies.
Playout: Is full cloud migration really cost-effective?
Playout was one of the earliest broadcast functions to embrace the cloud, but cloud-based playout is still far from universal. The economic case for different technological solutions is still evolving.
Virtually untethered: V-Nova replicates game-like freedom for XR video
Volumetric video may hold the promise of revolutionising the way we consume live concerts and other events, but it could also transform consumption and interaction with pre-rendered video.
Finding our ethical true north on AI: Part II
Part two of our insight into AI ethics and regulation continues with observations on industry efforts around standards and best practices, and why human impact should be the guiding force. James McKeown reports.
Digital Catapult: AI innovations to supercharge the creative industries
Accelerated VFX workflows, video game characters you can converse with, and auto-generated visual experiences from sound for XR headsets are just some of the AI innovations devised by start-ups as part of a recent Digital Catapult programme. Adrian Pennington reports.