Esports Bringing People Up Close and Personal With Virtual Reality Tech
*By Michael Teich*
Virtual reality will be revolutionary for esports, but the technology wont reach its full potential in gaming for awhile, said the VP and general manager of Intel's gaming division Frank Soqui.
“It’s very difficult to get VR into the hands of everyone to go use,” Soqui said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar.
Intel ($INTC) is bullish on the market for esports and has been an early supporter of professional gaming.
The company is the official technology partner of the NBA 2K League and has signed on for a multi-year sponsorship of the Overwatch League.
While Soqui thinks VR will continue to spread in the budding esports industry, he said exposing the tech to people first-hand will help them understand the full experience.
That's why Intel is depending on entertainment hubs like Dave & Buster's ($PLAY) to allow users to experience VR gaming.
“We’re looking for these location-based entertainment or destinations where people can go try out something," Soqui said.
“There’s a big audience draw for VR,” he added. “I think you’re going to see a new set of gamers get invited into this marketplace.”
Esports will have an estimated audience of 600 million by 2020, according to a [report by Deloitte](https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/industry/telecommunications/capitalizing-on-growth-of-esports-industry.html). The firm predicted that by that same year, the global esports market will generate $1.5 billion in annual revenue, largely driven by sponsorship and advertising.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/intel-bullish-on-vr-in-esports).
DroneUp is partnering with Walmart in a program to expand its drone delivery service to reach 4 million households. CEO Tom Walker joined Cheddar News to discuss the state of drone delivery regulations and the acceptance of the service so far. "I think they're going into this, there was obviously, and appropriately, some concerns of noise and, and the drones flying over, and the safety, and would it become an annoyance. And then on the retail side, would the customers really adopt this and embrace it as a new method for delivery," he said. "So we've seen really significant and positive embrace of this new delivery model."
The average city in California has a 38% higher cost of living than the average American city, according to a cost of living index. For many, the general minimum wage of $15/hour just doesn't cut it. Anti-poverty activist Joe Sanberg wants to get the minimum wage changed to $18/hour. He joins Cheddar News to discuss the Living Wage Act of 2022.
Coming off of their face masks endeavor, Jill Zarin of "The Real Housewives of New York City," and her daughter Ally Shapiro, CMO of JIll & Ally, join Cheddar News to discuss their latest product: crystal manifestation candles. "We have tigers eye, we have amethyst, we have lapis, and alone those could be almost the price of the candle," said Zarin. "We were really able to do it in an affordable way, and if you don't know how to manifest or what that even means, we do it for you on the candle." Zarin also dished on the new season of "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip."
One month after its launch, new streaming venture CNN+ announced it was shutting down. Seth Schachner, the managing director of StratAmericas and digital business executive, joined Cheddar News to talk about the high-profile media flop. "That's a really, really different beast than what HBO Max is, which is video streaming, entertainment features," he said. “It's a tough sell when you really look at these things in the cold light of day as to whether or not they actually fit together."
