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).
Stocks closed at session highs on the last trading day of the month, but the major indexes still ended up posting their worst months since the start of the pandemic. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both had their worst months since March 2020. Nancy Daoud, Private Wealth Advisor at Ameriprise Financial Services, joins Closing Bell to discuss today's close, her market predictions for the year, how the Federal Reserve's monetary policy will impact stocks, and more.
Rene Ritchie, independent tech analyst and co-founder of the Nebula Podcast, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down what investors will be looking for from Mark Zuckerberg this week and how the tech giants stack up when it comes to augmented reality and virtual reality products going forward.
According to multiple reports, President Biden's upcoming executive order for the crypto marke would assign some government entities to study cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and NFT's with the goal of developing a workable regulatory framework. Douglas Borthwick, Chief Business Officer at INX, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on what role the Biden administration would play under this order.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Is Spotify a platform for content creators, or is it a media company? The streaming giant may have to find an answer sooner rather than later amid a controversy involving its most popular podcast host, Joe Rogan. Rogan has hosted guests who have made false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, and in turn, some musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have removed their discographies from Spotify in protest. Rogan says he welcomes content advisories, and will balance out his guests going forward, but is it enough? And is Spotify liable in any way? John Freeman, Vice President of CFRA Research, joins Closing Bell to discuss Rogan's response to the controversy, whether Spotify should be considered a media company with responsibility for its content, and more.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Pax Labs, a leading electronic vaporizer company, plans to release its very first cannabis pod venture, of which different strands of cannabis will be available. COO Steven Jung spoke with Cheddar’s Chloe Aiello to talk about the release of the companies own line of 100 percent cannabis pods for use with its vaporizers. "I think this is the direction that most products are going," Jung noted. "If you look at the data, it would actually show you that most consumers are in fact looking for this kind of delivery mechanism in the product itself."
