TheGamingEconomy’s Daily Digest brings you the prevalent business stories in gaming. In today’s news: Tencent launches Twitch rival; Microsoft to close all physical retail outlets; and BS2 pivots sponsorship efforts to esports. Tencent launches Twitch rival Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent Holdings Ltd. has launched a mobile-focused video game streaming network in the United States, branded as Trovo Live, and will roll out a USD$30m (£24m) partnership programme for the nascent service from July until the close of 2021. Ostensibly, the platform is [...]

Esports organisation Gen.G has partnered with cosmetics specialist Benefit to deliver a an initiative targeting female gamers that will include a series of beauty routine videos staring women popular as streamers and players. The ‘Game Face’ video series continues Gen.G’s apparent effort to recognise, serve and encourage female presence in the esports player-base, industry, community and audience. Not all females that devote time to gaming will find interest in beauty videos, of course, but the move seemingly demonstrates the significance of [...]

For all its snowballing success, esports arguably has a perception problem. Say ‘esports’ to those both inside and beyond the worlds of games, brands, and marketing, and they will perhaps imagine something like a vast arena with sweeping spotlights passing over 20,000 cheering fans, as pro players in heavily branded athletics jerseys do battle in a game like League of Legends. Perhaps a commentator will be unleashing flurries of jargon as a team manager nervously paces back and forth near the [...]

eSports-orientated gaming hardware outfit HyperX has launched a new ad campaign running across TV, digital, and social under the ‘We’re All Gamers’ banner. In doing so, the established specialist in high-end gaming keyboards, mice, headphones, and more, has demonstrated that for all the technological advances in securing inventory, reaching audiences, and delivering ads in-game, many of the old conventions of successful video commercials still apply. HyperX has partnered with numerous stars, is targeting high-profile televised slots like those amidst mainstream sports [...]

You don’t need to be a devoted games industry observer to have noticed something of the recent rise of eSports. Organised competitive gaming has been around along time, of course. eSports’ nascent form was forged in the earliest arcade gaming tournaments in the 1970s, where players competed to win a patch declaring their prowess; presumably to be sewn onto an oversized distressed denim jacket. By the 1990s the notion of a ‘pro-gamer’ making money from prize winnings was established, but even then [...]

Which event had more people watching live in the stadium in 2017? The Superbowl? The FA Cup Final? Or the Intel Extreme Masters? Well, you might have guessed it (though you may never have heard of it) – it’s the Intel Extreme Masters! In fact, with over 173,000 fans in attendance, this event, which includes competitions in League of Legends, Starcraft II, and Counter-Strike, had more spectators come through its gates than the other two events combined (as well as a [...]