Esports, or short for electronic sports, is a type of competition that makes use of video games. Esports is becoming increasingly popular across the globe. As a matter of fact, according to the website Exploding Topics, citing data from VentureBeat, there are an estimated 234 million esports enthusiasts today.
With this immeasurable number, the demand for esports is growing, and it is just right to build more venues where esports enthusiasts can play. So, some technology companies like HP and Intel are answering this call.
Recently, HP, Intel, and the University of Auckland in New Zealand have teamed up to inaugurate an esports arena that will cater to esports enthusiasts. Read on for more details about this news.
No facilities like this before
HP, Intel, and the University of Auckland have partnered to launch an esports arena in the country. The arena will accommodate the growing esports community at the University of Auckland, but it will also be open to anybody who wants to get involved with esports.
The upcoming esports arena will be equipped with Intel-powered HP OMEN desktops. HP OMEN desktops are regarded for their high-performance gaming prowesses. Some of their features are high-performance processors, dedicated graphics cards, advanced cooling systems, and gaming design aesthetics.
Sean Smith, Auckland University’s associate director of campus life, said they did not have facilities like this before.
“We’ve had very successful [esport] students but we had no facilities and no support, and that’s what formed this idea,” Smith said. “We’ve got industry-leading equipment and we’re able to launch an industry-leading tertiary esports program out of this facility.”
First step
In addition to promoting esports, this new esports arena from HP, Intel, and the University of Auckland is expected to foster a social connection among gamers since they now have a welcoming and diverse physical space for students who usually just play at home.
The esports arena is a first step to what esports can bring to the students, preparing them for their professional careers in the future. It is also bound to integrate students from various disciplines, such as marketing, the creative arts, broadcasting, event management, and more.
This venue is also expected to boost support for esports in New Zealand, as it is said to be slower in the country.
Long-term partnership
Oliver Hill, HP’s country manager, said the partnership of the company with the University of Auckland is an ongoing and long-term partnership, especially since, according to him, esports will have 475 million viewers this year and is slated to grow by 100 million in 2024, making it even larger than baseball.
“It’s one of the areas that HP and Intel are really keen to support,” Hill noted. “We support it globally by sponsoring some really significant teams and venues, and it’s fantastic to bring this to Aotearoa to help foster that here as well… It’s an ongoing partnership, and we want to keep supporting them over the long term.
