E -sports, which is the abbreviation of electronic sports, is a form of competition in which video games are used.
E-sports is a form of multiplayer video game competitions, organized individually or in teams, especially between professional players. Although organized competitions have long been a part of video game culture, they were largely organized among amateurs, until the late 2000s, when professional gamers saw live participation in these events and a massive increase in audience popularity.
By the 2010s, e-sports was becoming a major factor in the video game industry, with many game developers actively designing and funding tournaments and other events.
The most common video game genres associated with esports are multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooter (FPS), fighting, card, battle royale, and real-time strategy (RTS) games. Popular esports series include League of Legends , Dota , Counter-Strike , Valorant , Overwatch , Street Fighter , Super Smash Bros. and StarCraft and others.
As the e-sports industry continues to grow and adopt new wearable technologies, players, teams, leagues and the professionals who advise them should carefully consider the pros and cons of using wearables.
Used correctly, wearable technologies can improve player performance and prolong careers, benefiting the industry as a whole.
WEARABLE GAMING TECHNOLOGY
GAMING MARKET OUTLOOK (2022-2032)
The gaming industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide.
The development in the industry has remained in line with current technology trends. Wearable gaming technology is one of the key innovations in the gaming industry that has taken market growth to new levels significantly.
The global wearable gaming technology market did not have a share of $19,560 million in 2022 and
is expected to exceed $76,421 million in 2032.
Projected growth reasons for wearable gaming technologies market:
• Technology provides consumers with an ultimate gaming experience by allowing them to engage in digital games intensely. The fully immersive experience created through virtual and augmented reality is the key driver of the growth of the wearable gaming technology market.
• The gaming industry is one of the most visible proofs of the rapid development of technology. Due to technological advances in gaming, the industry has shifted from handheld gaming devices to mobile devices. Game consoles are still advancing, and each new evolution of consoles welcomes an era of more advanced technology and capability.
• Wearable gaming technology makes games more useful. Most players are interested in technological developments. In this context, it creates an attractive target audience for the expanding and huge potential wearable gaming technology market.
• Wearable gaming technology allows players to immerse themselves in their favorite games and get up and navigate the game map. Wearable gaming technology combined with virtual reality and augmented reality creates an immersive experience similar to Halo decks.
PROS & CONS OF WEARABLES USED IN E-SPORTS:
Helping professionals monitor cognitive performance
HUMM has developed Edge, a new wearable headband for esports professionals. Edge tracks eye movement, heart rate, and cognitive patterns. HUMM's platform uses metrics collected by Edge to analyze players' focus and stress levels in real time and calculates the points where players' performance drops during gaming sessions. HUMM also announces that the headband will transmit electrical signals to the wearer's anterior cortex to improve cognitive performance, such as concentration and learning new skills, through electrical signals that amplify brain wave patterns.
HUMM continues to work with numerous esports organizations to support increased athlete performance. E-sports professionals using Edge should expect to be better equipped to prevent burnout and improve their cognitive performance. While the use of wearable technologies like Edge has benefits for esports professionals, teams and leagues, it also has its downsides.
Helping professionals and teams reduce burnout
Burnout; arguably the biggest challenge facing esports professionals. Unlike traditional athletes who usually play into their 30s and sometimes 40s, esports professionals are often forced to retire in their early 20s. These short careers are primarily the result of tough training schedules and fierce competition for limited roster spots.
Unlike athletes in traditional sports, whose practice time is indirectly limited due to physical limitations, esports professionals can probably study forever given that their sport does not require the same physical effort. This pressure causes teams like OWL's Shanghai Dragons to spend more than 12 hours a day, six days a week, to improve their skills.
Wearable technology like Edge can help address this issue by allowing teams and players to effectively monitor player fatigue and health.
Improving player health is a win-win situation for gamers and e-sports teams, as healthier, well-rested players can be expected to perform better. In addition, players can use data gathered from wearable technologies to help manage stress and evaluate performance, and teams can use the data as they discover new talent and create training programs for their existing players. Ultimately, wearable technology could benefit the e-sports industry as a whole by extending player careers.
Privacy concerns
The emergence of wearable technologies in traditional sports leagues is a net positive, but the highly personal nature of the data these technologies track also raises privacy concerns. As wearables begin to infiltrate the esports industry, players, teams and leagues must be aware of these concerns and be prepared to address them. For example, some teams in MLB and NBA hope that their players will wear a biometric tracking device, not only while playing or training, but also while they sleep, in order to ensure that their players have acquired healthy sleep habits. While information like this is useful for maximizing player performance, this type of 24-hour monitoring could also be considered a breach of privacy by an employer. In addition, in traditional sports leagues, disputes arise over whether the player or team owns the data collected by wearable devices. Therefore, when using wearable technologies, esports teams should consider the privacy concerns of their players.
Most worryingly, teams can exploit data from wearables during contract negotiations to the detriment of players.
For example, if a team in a traditional sports league has data that shows players are not putting in a full effort in practice or are particularly prone to long-term injuries, they can use that data to devalue the player. While the highest-paid esports professionals earn significantly less than elite athletes in traditional sports leagues, esports professionals should still be aware of this risk when considering whether or not to use wearables.
WEARABLES USED IN E-SPORTS
HUMM's Edge Header
Stimulates the Brain to Boost Memory and Speeds Up Your Learning Speed
San Francisco Bay area startup HUMM has launched a new headset called Edge, the first brain stimulating headband that activates the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. The wearable increases cognitive performance while you work, without the need for additional meditation or special diets.
Using tiny electrical signals (a technology similar to that used by the US military) that amplify brainwave patterns, the new device helps people learn faster and retain more information than ever before. Simply wear the headband-like headset for 15 minutes before a learning session and you'll instantly get a brainpower boost that lasts for at least an hour.
The Edge has two primers on the front of the headset that apply a barely perceptible transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to the front of the wearer's head. Research has shown that during the reinforcement session, many neurons in the prefrontal cortex adjust their electrical patterns to match the signal from the primaries. This strengthens the brain wave patterns responsible for enhanced information processing and working memory, so users achieve peak mental performance. Not only does the headset help boost brainpower, it monitors the user's cognitive status, provides alerts and recommendations, and reports on focus, fatigue, and stress over time.
Sub-Zero Glove
The Sub-Zero Glove by GamerTechTM addresses the post-game wrist and
forearm recovery needs of gamers. Using Advanced Phase Change Material (PCM), the Sub-Zero Glove applies targeted cryotherapy to
accelerate muscle recovery and reduce inflammation so gamers can get back in the game faster.
The Magma Glove
The GamerTechTM Magma Glove empowers gamers to impose their will on the playing field with improved precision and mobility. The glove uses clinically-tested thermotherapy tech and compression along with adaptive microclimate control to improve circulation in the forearm, amplify dexterity and alleviate chronic pain.
Chipsis SiME Smart Glasses
The SiME Smart Glasses provide real time information for anyone in any environment. With a touch interface and no requirements of other smart technology connections the SiME Smart Glasses is able to fully run on an Android operating system. It includes function of image recognition, smart connections and environment senescing which will allow an individual to increase their productivity, communication and information gathering while hands-free.
Microsoft HoloLens
A standalone, untethered, holographic wearable computing device that projects high-definition holograms directly into the user's field of vision. The HoloLens is the first attempt to bring augmented reality and holographic technology into the practical computing.
Sony PlayStation VR
The Sony Playstation VR is a virtual reality headset designed to work with the Playstation 4. It hosts a 5.7-inch 1080p OLED display with 100-degree field of view and a 120Hz refresh rate. This wearable device is the first Playstation dedicated VR headset.
Razer OSVR
The Razer OSVR Hacker Dev Kit is an open-source virtual reality headset kit, designed to encourage innovation in virtual reality gaming. The kit is entirely open-source, including hardware blueprints which are available for download via 3D printing. While the kits has been designed with affordability in mind, the headset is composed of high quality materials such as bamboo charcoal microfiber foam for added comfort, and optics which have been optimized for minimal distortion. As an open-source device, various components such as motion accessories can be paired with this headset, creating an even more advanced gaming experience.
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