How to make an eSports Arena
How to make an eSports ARENA
As the eSports gain in popularity(over 256 million people watching at least once in 2017), the demand for quality venues will rise accordingly. Already, many eSports arenas are popping up in Europe, Asia, and the United States. As much as online streams have boosted the popularity of eSports, watching in the crowd beats seating in front of a computer screen. Of course, the attraction drives major crowds to stadiums and other locales, but specialized arenas are offering much more entertainment value for the spectators compared to traditional venues. eSports are similar to professional sports in many aspects, and yet some of the characteristics can still be professionalized because eSports are so unique in other regards that creating a proper arena requires more than simply erecting the stands and a stage.
Hosting a tournament in the eSports arena is always preferable to playing in a computer club. After all, the players and the fans alike want to release and generate emotions, and doing that is so much better at a proper venue. An eSports arena does not have to be particularly large, a venue capable of hosting 5,000-15,000 is sufficient in most cases and will not be either overwhelmed with crowds or downtrodden by empty seats. Of course, as eSports evolve, larger arenas will be necessary, some, perhaps, rivaling major stadiums in size. Managing the stands, the main stage, and the exits are of major importance and should be in chief consideration.
But what are the elements which make eSports arenas unique? What must be inserted to ensure a high level of comfort and a competitive atmosphere? Well, a central stage, a large screen, lighting, a concessions room, a media room, players’ lounge, training rooms, press room, press lounge, entertainment zone, and of course, eSports Machine.
CENTRAL STAGE
Central stage is where all of the excitement of battle collide with fame and glory. A dozen of contestants pitted against each other in frenzy of battle. Having a proper central stage is of utmost importance, complete with informational screens, eSports Machines, and an overhead display. The details on how it is to be accomplished are best left to the owners, but the general idea should remain the same.
TRAINING ROOMS
As any player will tell, preparation is key. Having a set of training rooms that could be used by teams immediately before competition or during the training cycle could be of great benefit to the arena and to the players. The arenas can rent out these rooms during the week and provide access during competitions. The teams will be able to prepare in a professional environment and before games, have a chance to iron out last-minute kinks.
PLAYERS LOUNGE
The arena is built for the entertainment of the fans, but one must not forget about the players. The players’ lounge can be a great place to relax before, during, and after the games, mingle with other participants, and observe the competition. Couches, TV’s, computers, food and drinks are all included.
PRESS ROOM
eSports is a worldwide phenomenon, with millions of viewers and thousands of gamers. This naturally has attracted the interest of the media. To that end, every arena should have press accommodation, complete with the press lounge and a media room. The press lounge should have regular amenities, with the added benefit of eSports Machines with a dual-arm setup, for the purposes of adding a laptop and connecting it to the display. Blogger and the media would take advantage of the rooms and would be attracted to the amenities. The media room is necessary because the eSports are growing massively, and having a room for the interviews and press conferences, prior and post events is beneficial for the arena.
PRODUCTION ROOM
Production aspect is what largely makes eSports unique, and having a dedicated space for production purposes inside an arena is excellent news for interested parties. Imagine popular streamers attending and doing a live stream directly from the event. This means more exposure for the arena and this space can also be rented out for individuals and companies looking for a similar arrangement.
CONCESSIONS
Any sporting event is incomplete without food, and every eSports arena should have concession stands for food, drink, and merchandise. Having these amenities will drive more traffic when there are no games, or attract people that want a break.
VIP ZONE
As eSports become more mainstream, having VIP accommodations will become a necessity. At the moment, a dedicated lounge, in an elevated position, if possible, is the preferred method of attracting high-paying clientele. In addition, a VIP zone is a good way of attracting crowds.
ENTERTAINMENT ZONE
eSports arenas can longer be stands with a stage—they must be centers of gravity for other entertainment. eSports arenas compete with malls, stadiums, movie theaters, and must do more. Having a dedicated entertainment zone is a neat solution. Having games or other fun activities is a great way to attract children, and in turn, families. Creating these sorts of plans for the future is essential for long-term survival of the arena.
ESPORTS MACHINE
The last and most important component of a great eSports Arena is the iCTABLE eSports Machine. Striking modular design, beautiful aesthetic, this eSports Machine looks more like an expensive sports car rather than a simple desk. Having an eSports Machine in the arena is sure to attract more people and elevate the level of professionalism because it is a specialized solution and the standard for the entire eSports world. Because computers are housed within the machine, the risk of damage and theft is minimized, modular design means more opportunities for customization, and a large surface area offers many options for product placement. In addition, the light yet durable construction and a small footprint mean that the eSports Machine can be used to create small to medium scale pop-up tournament under the arena branding. In short, the opportunities are endless.
MAINTENANCE ROOM
In a place with so many mechanical and electronic components, something is bound to falter at one point or another. This is why it is prudent to include a technician’s room with repair tools and spare parts. Of course, upgrading and changing PC is much easier with iCTABLE eSports Machine and its TKON. But for all other problems, this room will be the solution. Changing eSports Machines’ fuselage? No problem. Changing the PCs? No problem. Fixing a screen? No problem. Whatever the possible issue, this room is important. It can even become another side business, repairing PCs for gamers and users, and even selling some pre-built computers and spare parts. Whatever the final scenario, having such a space inside eSports arena is a smart move.
There are many complexities involved in the construction, maintenance, and operation of the eSports arena, but there are also ways on how to make it an attractive destination for fans and families, teams and players, sponsors and the media. This is but a small guide that hopefully can help inspire the formation of better eSports arenas built for a new age.
Great investment – high-quality products will enable a good liquidity on the market in case of selling the facility or units. Also, it will serve a lifetime with limited to no maintenance needed.
High-level of usability: it is specifically designed for hardcore use and with the modular design, practically all of the internal and external components can easily be hot swapped. For example, on a regular desk, the replacement of the top panel is either impossible (requiring a full replacement) or will take a lot of time, while the replacing the top on the iCTABLE eSports Machines will take at most 10 minutes. The same goes for any other component of the iCTABLE – any individual component can be replaced or upgraded at any time , while a normal desk might require a full replacement.
Maintenance and Preparation: iCTABLE is not a desk, it is a Machine with an integrated computer. The installation of a motherboard on a regular desktop, takes an hour, when the same procedure in iCTABLE takes around 15-20 minutes with the use of the TKON Universal Holder. Similarly, in a regular desktop, a fan replacement would take around 30 minutes while in iCTABLE that would take 7 . Top surface dust cleaning of each unit would take around 2 minutes on normal desks while it takes at most 15 seconds to dust clean the top of the iCTABLE eSports Machines. Preparing 124 normal desks would take 2-3 hours while preparing 124 eSports Machines would take at most 30 minutes.
Low-risk of damage or theft of computer components.
Because all the PC components are integrated and are installed inside of the eSports Machines body, a user would not be able to damage or meddle with the components or steal components easily.