ESA HEARTLAND SERIES: Q&A WITH SYNAPTIX-GAMES STUDIO DIRECTOR ROBERT
MADSEN
This month, ESA spoke with SynaptixGames Studio Director Robert Madsen about the company’s focus on Virtual Reality (VR), as well as its newly released science fiction VR game Day of Destruction. Read the Q&A.
Showcasing the geographic diversity of the video game industry, the Heartland Series features interviews with video game publishers, developers, and innovators from across America, highlighting the groundbreaking work and innovation they bring to every corner of the nation.
US VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY REVENUE REACHES $36 BILLION IN 2017
The US video game industry grew 18 percent in 2017, generating a record $36 billion in revenue, according to new data released by ESA and The NPD Group. Strong hardware and software sales both contributed to the impressive growth, closing the year with $6.9 billion and $29.1 billion in revenue, respectively. “The spectacular growth of our industry in 2017 proves video game developers, artists, and storytellers are the brightest lights in the US economy, finding more ways to delight the world’s 2.6 billion gamers each year,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of
ESA. “Congratulations to our industry’s brilliant creators on delivering another record year of remarkable entertainment that inspired the passion of gamers everywhere.” The US video game industry is one of America’s fastest growing economic sectors, accounting for more than 220,000 jobs and generating billions of dollars in revenue for communities across the country. To see the full geographic diversity of the industry and how the growth is playing out near you, visit www.areweinyourstate.org.
The Webby Awards added 17 video game categories this year, including nine general categories and eight feature categories. Winners will be announced at the May 14 award ceremony. (Source: Glixel)
UPSURGE OF ESPORTS CONTINUES WITH OVERWATCH LEAGUE, EMLS
A sellout crowd watches Overwatch League's inaugural season in the new Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California. (Photo credit: Overwatch League Twitter)
Less than a month into 2018, esports are leaving their mark on the new year. The first season of Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch League kicked off January 10 and just days later Electronic Arts (EA) and Major League Soccer (MLS) announced the new FIFA 18 league eMLS. Both leagues signal continued investment by traditional sports in rapidly growing esports, which are
projected to reach a worldwide audience of 590 million viewers by 2020. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Los Angeles Rams and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, and Sacramento Kings owner Andy Miller are just a few of the investors that paid $20 million apiece to buy a franchise in the new Overwatch League. “This is a business built on people under 30,” said Rob Moore, a former vice chairman of
Paramount Pictures and current general manager and president of Overwatch League’s Los Angeles Gladiators team. “You play basketball, you like to watch basketball, you like to talk about basketball. You play Overwatch, you like to watch Overwatch and see the best people play. It’s the same dynamic.” Partnering with EA for a FIFA 18 league makes MLS the second US sports league to announce its own competitive video game circuit – the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software last year announced the NBA 2k League. eMLS players will compete for the eMLS Cup at PAX East in April, and the
league will serve as the US and Canada qualifiers for the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs, which determine the 32 players who go on to the FIFA eWorld Cup. “This step forward into competitive gaming is a key component in our partnership with EA Sports to promote deeper engagement and connections between MLS supporters and millions of FIFA players around the world,” said MLS Business Ventures President and Managing Director Gary Stevenson.
MULTI-USER VR TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES CANCER RESEARCH
Scientists explore human cells with new virtual reality technology developed by the University of New South Wales. (Photo Credit: UNSW Press Release)
Groundbreaking, new virtual reality (VR) technology is advancing cancer research by allowing multiple scientists to simulate walking through the landscape of human cells. Created by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the technology fosters more interaction and collaboration between doctors in remote locations and enables them to more effectively analyze how cancer drugs work. The Journey to the Centre of the Cell project, now in its second phase, is a multi-disciplinary initiative led by UNSW Art and Design Associate Professor John McGhee and UNSW Medicine and Children’s Cancer Institute Professor Maria Kavallaris. Previously, McGhee’s work involved single VR headsets, allowing only one person to interact with data in a VR environment. But the technology
created through the Journey to the Centre of the Cell project allows multiple users from different parts of the world to view a cell at the same time, annotating and interacting with data collaboratively. “We have amazing gaming technology and we can use it to benefit patients and specialists,” said McGhee. “The inner workings of the body can often get lost in specialist data and this makes the process democratic.” The new VR technology also allows researchers to observe in real time the way drugs are internalized by cancer cells. Researchers believe real-time
observation will improve scientists’ understanding of how cancer drugs perform. “Our goal is to be able to see a drug enter into the tumour, so we can highlight the target for chemotherapy or radiotherapy and deploy a drug more accurately,” says McGhee. According to researchers, the technology could one day be used as an educational tool for both medical students and patients as well. Early testing shows students who use the technology to learn about cancer drug delivery perform better on exams, and it might make explaining treatment options to patients easier for doctors.
'MINECRAFT' POWERS UP EDUCATION EDITION WITH CHEMISTRY UPDATE
The ‘Minecraft: Education Edition’ chemistry update helps students learn chemistry concepts, build creative problem solving skills, and practice the scientific method.
(Source: Minecraft Education Twitter)
One of the most popular classroom video games in the world receives a free chemistry update this month, providing students a place to experiment and learn chemistry concepts. Used by tens of thousands of educators, Minecraft: Education Edition is introducing four new crafting tools that will allow teachers to introduce students to chemistry without expensive lab equipment. “Bringing chemistry to Minecraft … helps educators engage students in the scientific process,” said Director of Minecraft Education Neal Manegold. “Concepts like states of matter,
structure of atoms, and chemical reactions become accessible in Minecraft through the immersive world and these brand-new tools.” The four new crafting tools – element constructor, compound creator, lab table, and material reducer – give players new ways to combine and reduce materials in the game. By providing a place to experiment without expensive, real-world lab equipment, the update aims to make chemistry more accessible to students of all backgrounds. “Even the most basic concepts can be hard to learn without the freedom to experiment,” said Kate Biberdorf, Ph.D., public outreach director and chemistry lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin. “The best way to learn is to try and fail, and try again – and that’s what games
like Minecraft do best!” The chemistry update will be available to all users of Minecraft: Education Edition, along with ten chemistry lesson plans and the Teacher’s Lab Book. The Lab Book provides a reference guide for teachers on the update, complete with a visual glossary and explanations on how to use the new crafting tools.
Eight of 2017’s top 10 highest grossing mobile publishers are video game companies. (Source: gamesindustry.biz)
“Just like basketball, I’ve had a knack for video games since I was a kid. When I was 8 or 9, I used to amaze my uncle and all his friends by consistently beating them in all the sports games we’d play. And if I saw something cool while I was playing, I’d go outside and try it out on the court or the field. So in a way, sports and video games were always feeding off one another to me.” - Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Paul George (Source: USA Today
Sports)
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