A place where gamers Belong
The roots of this initiative are based in a strategic investment made by Sport Direct in 2017 when it bought a 25.8% stake in GAME Digital, parent company of GAME retail. This deal also included a further £3.2m for a 50% share of Belong, the eSports division of GAME.
Belong started out in July 2016 when a section of the Trafford Centre GAME store in Manchester was converted into a gaming arena. It proved a success and has since seen the idea expanded to several other stores across the country. Now gamers regularly congregate in locations such as Milton Keynes, Glasgow, and Plymouth to take part in official competitions or just enjoy taking on local rivals in a game of Tekken, Call of Duty, Overwatch, or another popular title.
Game Digital states that “The arenas provide dedicated space for both PC and console gamers to play with friends, compete in tournaments, enjoy gaming nights, celebrate new games and technology launches, and share game themed events and experiences.”
Belong spaces are available for hire on an hourly basis, with the idea to foster communities of local gamers. The company states that “Belong aims to be a place where every gamer can come and feel part of something bigger.”
The brand has capitalised on this by also introduced various regional ‘Tribes’ which players can join or cheer along at regular matches. These official teams take part in Arena Clash events, which are broadcast on Twitch, and have seasons that take place in Spring, Summer, and Winter. The Grand Finals see the best teams face off in live matches, which this year take place at the Birmingham NEC.
Initially there were seven teams – the London Lionhearts, Bristol Smugglers, Manchester Swarm, Tyneside Guardians, Humber Hunters, MK Enigmas, and Portsmouth Pirates – but this has quickly grown to nineteen as both Belong and the regional clashes have become increasingly popular.
Now, with the investment from Sports Direct, Belong has the opportunity to bring its success to even more parts of the UK.
‘As more consumer focus and spend moves to experiences’ Martyn Gibbs, GAME Digital’s CEO, told MCV, ‘we are well advanced in delivering unique, world class gaming at both local and national level. Having launched the BELONG brand just over a year ago, we have now opened 19 arenas and are very encouraged by the popularity and performance of these locations. We look forward to collaborating with Sports Direct to increase the availability and scale of BELONG and to capitalise on the increasing overlap between sports and esports fans by bringing this unique experience to a wider consumer base.’
Red Bull raises the game
The concept of public arenas is not just the province of GAME and its Belong initiative. London’s Shoreditch is now the home to the UK’s largest eSports venue, thanks to the recently opened Red Bull Gaming Sphere.
This follows on from the success Red Bull had with a similar arena in Tokyo that opened in March 2018.
At the London venue there will be regular tournaments in the form of Friday Night Brawls which feature different games each week. Alongside this there will be workshops held by eSports professionals, where players can pick up tactics and playing techniques from some of top stars in gaming.
These can then be put to good use on the in-house leaderboards, where local players battle their way to fame and try to eclipse the efforts of even the pros.
‘I think it boosts the publicity of eSports in the UK,’ Ryan Pessoa, aka professional FIFA player Hashtag Ryan, told the Daily Mail. ‘The UK gaming scene is quite big, but hasn’t been as big competitively as other nations. It’s starting to grow fast over the past couple of months though. This is a huge step forward for the UK.’
Red Bull has ensured the venue is comfortable, has huge screens for audiences to enjoy watching matches, and is stocked with the latest hardware so that all players have access to the best experience on each game.
‘With ASUS PCs, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch consoles,’ the official site states, ‘plus VR headsets, Fanatec racing wheels, Sim-Lab racing chassis and Noblechairs gaming seats, it’s packed with all the kit that gamers and eSports pros need to thrive.’
The eSports economy
Arenas such as Belong and the Red Bull Gaming Sphere are a strong indicator of the rising popularity of eSports in the UK. According to industry analyst NewZoo, the global worth of the market is now expected to be worth around £640m by the end of 2018, which is a year-on-year increase of nearly 40%.
Sponsorship is still the largest proportion of revenue in eSports, with many companies eager to promote their brands to the audience of an estimated 380m people around the world.
‘As a consumer phenomenon, eSports continues to grow its huge base of passionate fans across the globe’ state NewZoo CEO Peter Warman. ‘As a business, esports is now entering a new and critical phase toward maturity. Big investments have been made, new league structures have been launched, sponsorship budgets have moved from experimental to continuous, and international media rights trade is starting to heat up.’
Moving to the mainstream
With non-gaming retailers such as Sports Direct now beginning to embrace the possibilities of competitive gaming, while also associating it with more traditional sporting pursuits, 2018 could prove the breakout year for the industry.
As eSports starts to be seen on the high street, public awareness is almost certain to grow at a rapid rate. This will prove beneficial for retail, with increased demand for pro-level keyboards, mice, monitors, PCs and consoles as gamers look to improve their skills at home before heading out to the public square.
The localised nature of play arenas also provides an opportunity for brands to sponsor tournaments, host similar gaming events, or even compete with their own teams. Games might be going online, but it seems that the communities around them will be more in the physical realm than ever before.
For more details on how Exertis can help you take advantage of eSports, talk to your representative today.