33 ESPORTS & GAMING Insight TV
In a new doc series, 4K channel Insight TV takes viewers into the high-octane world of esports MODERN-DAY GLADIATORS Words by Neal Romanek
odern-day gladiators – that’s what the series produced by VICE Studios is calling the new generation of digital athletes.
The narrative also follows the now widely publicised story of 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf, who came out of relative obscurity to win the Fortnite solo final and a prize of $3 million. “We’re trying to find those inspirational stories,” says Maljaars. Modern Day Gladiators will be distributed in 4K UHD and HDR. The format may actually be able to convey the genuine excitement of watching an esports tournament. Sitting in a darkened stadium watching video gameplay on big screens is a hard experience to communicate and often ends up with “well, you had to be there”. “The tournament isn’t just about the gaming, it’s a big event where you can go to be entertained,” says Maljaars. Insight’s 4K programming already lends itself to storytelling around gaming since gameplay footage is already natively in 4K. In fact, 4K monitors first made headway in gaming before they made it to the family living room. REAL WORLD SKILLZ “People are queueing up to know more,” says Maljaars. “So we would like to do expand what we’re doing around gaming.” Insight TV is already looking at a series which will examine how the esports world applies to real world skills. They’re looking at stories like Nissan putting esports players in real cars to see if their digital racing skills transfer to the real world. The military too is using gaming environments for training, and there is a growing number of physical scenarios that might be able to exploit skills learned in the game world. The channel is also looking at the potential for live 4K broadcasting of future esports tournaments.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS AROUND RIGHT NOW IS ESPORTS; EVERYONE IS INVESTING IN IT their 40-million-dollar mansion in LA, and we see them as professional athletes. They have training facilities, massage therapists, gyms, people who look after their diet.” The show travels with the team on their private jet to New York, following their encounters with fans in the streets before the big competition at the Fortnite World Cup. Meanwhile, see the preparations of South Korea’s mighty Gen G team in Seoul, and one of the top teams in Brazil, where there’s a huge esports following.
Modern Day Gladiators airs in autumn on 4K UHD streaming channel Insight TV and tells the behind-the-scenes story of competitive gamers fighting to become top dog in the heady world of esports. “Our core audience is older millennials and a bit more male-skewed, and we’re starting to find out what topics they like,” says Arun Maljaars, Insight TV’s director of content and channels. “We’ve gone for football, cars, street art and music. But one of the biggest things around right now is esports; everyone is investing in it.” Gladiators treats esports as the serious global business it is, with real leagues, real athletes and real prize money. The series kicks off with the stories of top esports teams in the build-up to this summer’s Fortnite World Cup. “We see the players of FaZe Clan, one of the world’s top esports organisations, in TEENAGE MILLIONAIRES A four-episode series, Modern Day
IN THE RING Esports competitors battle it out in the arena in the new Modern Day Gladiators show
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