BLACKMAGIC DESIGN – WATCH THIS SPACE
A Dubai gaming powerhouse is producing content for big brands and global tournaments
“It made sense for us to take that leap and build our own studio – where we could combine offices, studio, warehouse and almost all our equipment into one, unified space,” says Jonsson. SPACE TO GROW PLG moved into its new studio in December 2020. Over the following year – even with Covid-19 raging around the world – it was occupied for 323 days out of 365. “Gaming and esports exploded during the pandemic. Brands we had been working with, who had dipped their toes into gaming, went into it full force. But the beauty of content creation was that we could evolve and adapt, according to what was dictated by the pandemic.” The new 10,000 sq ft production facility is home to a flexible virtual studio with multiple green screen and presenter stages, allowing rapid turnaround between productions. Audio, video and graphics solutions were delivered with support from regional systems integrator UBMS, who provided product training and workflow consultancy, too. At the heart of the production suite are the ATEM Constellation 8K production switcher and ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panels. “Going into a larger studio, we quickly realised a substantial upgrade was required. As soon as we entered, our technical director and I made a plan. We went with the ATEM Constellation 8K in order to get the brain needed for the operation. We started with a three-camera set-up that was easily scalable to larger productions, not having to rent anything other than additional camera channels.” PLG needed flexible solutions that could cater to the wide variety of requirements across titles.
he esports industry in the MENA region is younger than the US or European markets, but has been
rapidly growing for the past few years,” explains Arnor Jonsson, product and production director at Dubai-based Power League Gaming (PLG). In fact, digital youth culture has been booming throughout the region, with Dubai hosting POPC Live! festival this spring, celebrating esports, gaming and YouTube. Launching in 2013 as an esports operator with five employees, PLG is now the lead gaming agency in the region, providing a 360 turnkey content production solution for global fashion, food and retail brands. Those clients are looking to particularly target youth audiences through branded content, and boost community engagement. As PLG grew, it began moving away from the event business, and increasingly into the spheres of content creation and esports tournament streaming. The company had previously been outsourcing studio space and venues across the UAE, as well as equipment.
IN THE ZONE Arnor Jonsson is hopeful about the future of gaming in MENA
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WATCH THE PLG ESPORTS HIGHLIGHT REEL!
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