*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).

Share:
More In Business
Amazon Warehouse in Alabama to Begin Second Union Election
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are set to begin voting to unionize for a second time after workers at the facility in the town of Bessemer overwhelmingly voted against forming a union during an election early last year; but in November, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the vote, upholding a union challenge of the results which argued that Amazon undermined the conditions for a fair election. Another round of ballots will now be mailed out to works at the warehouse for a so-called re-run election. Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University John Logan and National Field Director for Our Revolution Mike Oles joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Stocks Close Near Session Highs, Driven by Corporate Earnings
Stocks closed near session highs Tuesday as investors eyed more strong corporate earnings reports, and prepped for Thursday CPI data which will give an idea of how hot inflation may still be running. Hugh Johnson, Chairman and Chief Economist of Hugh Johnson Economics, joined Closing Bell to discuss today's close, earnings season so far, predictions about the Federal Reserve's plan to raise interest rates, and more.
Youth Sports Coaching App MOJO Partners With MLB to Make Sports Fun for Kids
Youth sports coaching service MOJO has partnered with Major League Baseball, named the "trusted grassroots coaching app" of the MLB. The app provides content for parents and coaches to help young players grow their skills. Ben Sherwood, founder & CEO of MOJO joined Cheddar News to talk about how his app works to improve coaching to keep players interested. "The number one reason that kids drop out of sports and all of the surveys is that sports aren't fun, and one of the big reasons that sports aren't fun is that the coach doesn't know what she or he is doing," he said. "We think there's a great coach in everyone, and we just have to have the right resources and tools and inspiration."
Big Tech Firms Like Amazon, Google Accused of Exaggerating Climate Actions
Big tech companies such as Amazon and Google are garnering criticism for failing at their proposed climate pledges, most of which rely on carbon offsets — a potential loophole where companies pay others to address their omissions. Gilles Dufrasne, policy officer at Carbon Market Watch, joined Cheddar News to explain the organization's negative evaluation. "The objective here is not to bash companies and say everybody is doing the wrong thing," he said. "The objective is to also provide lessons, and there are some companies that are doing the right thing."
Load More