Esports, Influencers and New Media Changing the World PG Connects Digital #2

welcoming back because he's been joining us throughout the week we've got Moe faddle here who's going to be talking all about esports influences and new media changing the world so again just how eSports is helping to develop and grow our our gaming ecosystem hi moe how are you I'm good thanks thank you for being back with us again I watched you talk I think it was yesterday wasn't it it was was it the day before in four it was a Monday yo is really interesting about how you're opening up there you know Mena regions and opening up yeah growing that gaming ecosystem like I've been talking about and have to say just now watching this talk of Jameses get so many correlation connections in regard oh especially for MENA region our diversity changing gender equality all of this coming

together I think it's a great moment actually you bring it up and share experience what games have did amazing really really great yeah exactly yeah so I mean I'm looking forward to seeing your talk how are you are you ready to go thanks a lot Thanks so hello everyone welcome and thanks for having me for yeah my second talk and this probably gamer Kinect digital number two as well a second talk what we do now or what I will talk to the next few minutes is influence of new media changing this is something more now I will do a bit a step back share some data around the key platforms how the team in the last few years which I worked with and for identified them looked at such daters from this year in regards of twitch or YouTube how we interpreted them and how we transform them into strategies and tactics which refracted certain games if it's from

wargaming with the leaked eSports leak or influencer campaigns or even outright games with the Nordic specially and the launch of a new game so very brief about myself mafada recently joined as well as a sense of games the CEO very happy to share some insight we gather over the last 16 years well work for different companies including blizzards ncsoft six years for wargaming well the head of global competitive gaming which had one arm was eSports one arm was the actual planned journey adaptation whose development changes and one almost more like how do we transparent and comm campaigns in regards of marketing and publishing initiatives and recent three years before my joining me joining now a sense of games and Riot Games head of eSports first and help publishing for the Nordics and I will share now the next few slides our learnings and how we read data and why some data triggered some good feelings knows right from data

reflected on a second we should change maybe how we engage with eSports over influences accordingly let's start so first of all we all love data yes we do and these are we're but not liter driven very good motor for everyone something very brief and sorry these are now we just caught out of our internal reports and reportedly it from the industry as well look some numbers we can share which are public as well which we look at internal our own internal tools which are reflecting very very similar to these data as I can share here this example wise is a very basic average growth fields which nothing new everyone saw it a billion times okay we saw in the beginning 100,000 viewers now an average but your yours 1.4 plus million a good growth makes sense but when we looked at this internal as well especially acquired in wargaming before we looked at one point most once the actual influence of slash content creators test go back in comparison okay

I take these few examples switch them over to YouTube why was the force very important to understand that they are more influences coming into those platforms and something very important to understand that with more influencers actually we have way more content diversity meaning in regards of not only games lifestyle LaShawn is by far right now is one of the biggest genres or group in in twitch people watching other influences of collaborators painting dancing playing chess playing board games and the interact there the more content Raiders they are the better it is even if the numbers are not correlated to this immigrant viewership because you can see if you ship before is steady here we have even a higher increase of new content graders this is good because this reflects we will be the next one two years the the viewers will increase as well because we are more diverse content which is what getting different users and audiences

this being reflect as well we can see in [Music] the Hyun year increase in twitch viewers especially now that I took the slide for certain reason because in the end of the presentation I got to talk about one of the recent activities where was part of with Riot Games and veteran to certainly be wherever can share March 2020 something big happen as well at which which we'll talk in a moment but you can see the growth and behavior wise and you can see there was it go in numbers go down end of November in 2019 which you would see in a graph in a moment as well but I would explain why there was some key things happening which changed this through influencers and momentum in the industry and same time just to be very fair and equal as well so excited YouTube these are science you can find anywhere but when we looked at them we're looking for them a very key elements here something very important for us to understand YouTube yes with YouTube VOD and YouTube live like YouTube games it's great but this is not

the most important part from my perspective with YouTube YouTube is the most part is the social platform element it has a meaning it allows users to engage through comments they influence to come and create as often asked here please leave a comment so this is already one element it's not very advanced to be very transparent but it's a path which becomes a very intimate experience for the viewers at home I become an active part of the content not this mu D but the next one which in greater grades or this dream and when I checked with them so as a social media platform YouTube is performing amazingly well we look at the US alone eighty percent of the adults who are on those platforms have an account there to share their voice to like this like connected to the behavior to their their favor to their searches to their the probability as well which they use for YouTube in regards of content they like which is reflected as well if you look at it actual comparing to all these social media platforms when YouTube is

in compression Sochi last years and this is something which is important for us to understand if we engage as a game developers or content creators whose influences that we see it's not only that we won't have X or show like games on this platform like YouTube it's very important that create content which allows the users to engage in a social innovator with commenting B maybe create content which allows them to respond to it to ask questions reflect on it build a storyline just to make one piece specially on be released or streaming one piece we close it this we will talking more next time especially regards X or if you buy influencers which is something which we will talk as well which is not always the best approach to people's the biggest one for certain reasons because the biggest influences of content creators are often not the ones you want you often want the smaller influences the B and C level above several thousand followers but were way more loyal to the

actual content creators then the big superstars who are just it moment right now but on this a bit more later something this slide especially the right one is very important for us to understand YouTube is right now the second biggest platform Agha's been tamed after Netflix in regarding a digesting of content but it's number one in regarding of platform which allows X so this is something as well to keep in mind again X being displayed on YouTube primarily but it comes down to the audience to talk to based on generations and segmentations users have F blockers on especially the next generation which is not then experience for them to see X would have these tools on the system which blocks all the ads so you just burn more or less your only money because if you a campaign you offer here for a certain stepping point but you burn your time if you create ads and you target audience which is a bit interested to see s we will not even penetrate them there's often way smarter

to create ads with the content creators in an endemic way not only say hey I play this game are being paid for blah blah blah this is well not what we mean you have to find ways that you can create of whose be level and sea-level influences way easier and youtubers streamers and Duty creators to become a part of their identity that you merge with them as partners you don't see them as just an outlet these old-school traditional marketing campaigns do not work with influencers anymore make them a part of your team make them a part of your system and not just like this is something where the industry has to adapt very very fast as change hey I pay 80% of you a 10% influencers and 5% out of bread this has to die and will die but ideally you change before it dies and damage your own reputation and DeMarco spendings very fast Goodin time still again sorry a lot of slides just a data and when we looked at data for our site at wargaming and it

why from my perspective head of publishing we relocated how we read them this was a very interesting one we saw the new platforms coming in as well and Google gained YouTube games doubling down as well at the same time and you could see that viewers behaviors and your time spent is changing economy especially we create between YouTube and twitch right now you see mixer on the bottom they're more like almost a flat line because there's a steady increase mix I made some big things as you may know last year q4 you got off PR campaigns activities and you can see there was a big spike happening naturally well a lot of influences content creators started to create channels on mixer because if that one is going to be the next thing and it jumped on it but when you see it back home back and so on the the viewership therefore with the community did not make this massive jump so it's not that easy if you have like through three big influences joining somewhere suddenly you recreate it

complete new platform no this is a battle between those platforms dough still on King Kong which is for the long run and the one who really make the first big change of these platforms in regard not only of influencer systems this is key content creators need a good system for these platforms which focus make sure that your content creator can sustain they can have an ink making folks or doin a loss making content for these platforms second thing which all of these platforms still struggling is to make an actual interactive experience we are in a time now where games because games are the main driver of active entertainment creation the content I create as a player active I created Netflix I passively still even if it's made for me but I passionately just digest it even YouTube and twitch a digest more passively I like become part check maybe or I give some likes and dislikes this technology whoever fixes these things and tunes of the next years to come

we'll have a massive tremendous advantage compared to all other platforms industry and doesn't mean the festive element of the big ones most likely would be a newcomer coming in smart fast nimble with a new cool feature which suddenly makes the audience say wow this is cool all it takes then is that there are B and C level influences are jumping to this platform and we see a big revolution happening there based on this would like just briefly talk about one slight technology war Phoenix our own experience there's one company and many technology companies but one especially which are very fond of over the last few years I met many many times was Christopher kadali for Gen width and his team and I see what they created something which always resonated very strongly with the team of myself they take streaming your game stream they dismantle it more or less from the system the actual elements and put it together with the overlay which offers then in their actual channels where the user the viewers a very unique experience based on the individual user

imagine I'm watching my favorite streamer but I want to watch a different viewer a different team member of his team such technology allows me to jump without big infrastructure we riot recently we have the same with this as well with twitch which adapted now this technology to a certain degree that you can see different angles different players and different system they have technologies already out there which didn't on a way more immersive and way more frequent faster level then the big platforms to try to adapt so as a player I get away I experienced to this on top a lot of influences and eSports teams especially have had a hard time to position test sponsors not when they play in the big leagues specially the big eSports teams when they train when you see a faker doing these streams he has sponsors if you can put the sponsors in as well in a relevant way to his actual gameplay to feel make them a part of the gaming experience without alienating the game itself this is something where technology companies

like gentlemen are working on to cheerlead even more and something to like a lot this is some some when I talk about how the big platforms have to change to make experience actually an interactive active experience for the users this is something where such technologies generally than others who work on it allowing me as a player to make me reward my favorite streamer when it blame with enough pings with enough lights with enough actions we can maybe spawn something in the game naturally it comes down to the balancing as James Bond before if it's eSports actually you want to limit it to maybe just cheering that you players see how many people are going crazy on sort moves being reflected within the gameplay at least on the screen you know that you create hype like a stadium but if you have influence and well my most hunted happens on a day to day basis not an eSports week's it's happened on day to day streams where all the interactions 95% of content is being created through influencers today day stream there you have way more freedom to create different experience around entertainment which are to entertain

entertain the audience entertain your players and make them an immersive in the fin experience of the game and this something technology like generate is creating right now and others too which would be a game-changer soon a platform makes this as part of an a normal experience with a good system for influencer coming traders there will be a massive change in regards of numbers and shifting power very brief now learnings from past experience wargaming and there's something for all developers out there and wargaming which rides to create eSports based on the norm 2012 we sit with the team we want to create esports esports at this time was five versus five mainly certain color certain style one of things was a 15 vs. 15 game completely disconnected from esports anything the audience the game was made for was the older audience but we wanted to eSports because it as well appeal and we had a dedicated team and willfully passionate so he created a moat within the game

which turned into eSports 7 vs. 7 and next year we realized we have to change the map the next thing we have to change cut checkpoints to be fair so no one has the advantage its compound to skill so over the years we moved more and more away from the core gameplay and created in eSports experience but the big issue was as soon the player went through the game and want to show what they saw the pros are doing like na VI boots for example or hill racers they experienced something very different they suddenly saw a game which was nothing like Esprit sports stream was 15 vs. 15 and different Maps even layouts the capture points were not the same and there was a big disconnection happening and when we made all service it wasn't a dry it or at wargaming or blazer any you sorry dude asked by us when they watch influences on eSports I want to watch because I want to get better it something entertaining when I get better and follow they are their idols so naturally if we had a very big issue there that we didn't offer this

transition that you can actually what you see you can put into the game so based on this we had a change of strategy again completely there's something more game we did over the last few years as well moving away from this hat for eSports disconnected from the core gameplay and moving back to influences and sorry it's the Hollywood crop from quickie baby the picture quickie baby example it's one of the strong big influences in Europe and he makes very endemic full content base in the core gameplay he makes previews of things he is trusted source of the community who grow rules wargaming from 2011 onwards where were a small influence are to move one of the big ones with sarah hyland viewers procession we even tried to use a pretty baby to turn into esports but even a pretty baby influence it could not turn a game across disconnect for the core gameplay this was experienced into the actual game so in the end we move back to the original games wargaming then move back to clan wars to 15 vs. 15 and focusing DoubleDown influences to

reflect this gameplay with high skill and playing with certain pro players who passed to live this momentum one but in a very normal game playing with any player would experience and this is well reflected very strongly the first tournament then afterwards after three months done this happening or three hundred thousand participants worldwide in a tournament from World of Tanks anticipating when the curtain will suddenly created in a way more natural game played for evening instead of forced eSports so very very important don't force eSports as James said before it's not for everyone eSports it has to fit your game and your audience last but not least very briefly let's talk about riots riot your North East was riot is the definition I had a chance last few years working with one of the most talented and experienced teams in the world apart of riots learning a lot how the right philosophy in culture we made this movement for them from an eSports perspective creating a game was a sport for generations as core gameplay with

nothing changed transformed into a sport and entertainment the game experience which should last generations and you can see levered up then the world's became a brand for itself the biggest eSports in the world but right it brilliantly there that was down in creating brands styles music working with artists imagine dragon example rice video and we get goosebumps even if you don't play it you watch this video my friends have family who are not famous at all they listen to it they feel hey this is a cool anime this is a cool story this is something which touches me on a level which by the human core which there's a story there's a hero he or she they beat everyone they beat the odds they overcome it and this is something which fight trade tremendously well with eSports and mixing was influencer lately to create a cultural movement which catapulted them from just game eSports publisher to entertainment company for the future

just recently as well as Akane announcing a Netflix now going out of the streaming life to YouTube to now Netflix but from from an endemic part with the content because their audience which is now on Netflix grew up ten years ago with in play they are aware of what happens they have some touch points because riot was Leo legend was always there on all those platforms in a very big way either eSports or 3m filters or through music and this is something just recently reflected very well with the latest launch and finally the s and right games came as well with valor and the big one and this is something where riot created something very unique regarding of technology using right use the technology which was there before widths which offered his well-being before when players wanted to have like he's bacon off megabyte or alpha key they receive this this was a picture of a lot of people disliked mark and explained a very new system which in the end is not perfect but it was a new element which

allowed us to work with influences and not paying millions at all of nothing because influences know their business better than anyone else if you said that was influences what we did as well specially in the Nordic so is driving a lot of a B and C level influences telling them we got to launch a new game me apart help us playing they played early on testing they become a part of improving the game during velopment even and then when we launched it we're gonna do it over twitch you would be the one who's streaming you and a few others key selected ones will be the one streaming and keys will only go out through this system so naturally influence I knew they don't care about a patient they care about a game they love which resonates with them plus they knew they would create content which is unique and the companies incentivize in my channel my brand to bro because only through these few channels you get a key to the game you want to play so badly and then this beginning remember we started the peak in March one of the key initiative was run around and the initiatives around

streaming and play a start to watch because they wanted this message in the top right you got a drop you got a key and they'll be wrong it's not the best system there's a lot of things to be improved there was a out firebot a lot of bots people watching without watching it's true but this is not the reason why you should not do it this is the reason why you should do it and improve it do it better this is what we're good at we should not be behind the generation in regards of how we engage with our viewers right now we still are of marketing tools were using inking we're too slow to adapt to the market and this is something is an opportunity for you all of us now take the learnings from riot special iguana ramps with the drops take it improve it look at logical forms out there which do an amazing job integrate them and make influence as a core beat of your game and you can do something amazing was very little thank you made in time no yeah no don't worry

we've got time and no better time for some questions as well if you're up for some questions always because it's an interesting topic and we rent a lot of data I showed a lot of data for purpose just to understand how we add more gaming riots and myself look with data read them and transform them into actions especially regarding influencer management to see hey this is something where we don't have to pay a hundred million for launch complain you pay nearly nothing but you paid travel get influences in relationship from the get-go this was a very big game-changer yeah exactly yeah I mean so one of the first questions we've got is am with the new reality created by covert do you think there will be an adaption in eSports and influencer markets as well I before that would say yes the only issue which is limiting is the mindset of industry and that being there on a sadly we are dinosaurs we are dinosaurs and behaving in adaptation the the technology is

evolving faster than we the industry can catch up the generation how they engage with the technology when I see my kids and they're like 10 years old you know for them is a completely normal but us in regards of industry marketing and managing it we are at least 10 years behind we every now and then we have like this oh I found a pearl like now element did recently with us new tools technology software so the answer the question it will change the good thing about if you can say anything good about it this situation is we are forced into a world where people said you can never work from home now suddenly oh it's possible yeah and now people said you can never use influences meld and 10% your marketing campaigns now they're realizing oh you can so it will change will happen for sure yeah no and Markus is asked hey youtubers can be a double-edged sword on the one on the one hand they can become a very good influencer and free advertisers but if they are disappointed they might spread

bad and like a bad influence how can you know basically what they're sort of saying is yeah how can you manage that situation funny and there was another mark as well in the war gaming who is my fear the communal strategy using influence especially quickly baby I created it and this person asked me the same question but what if this person goes back and said yes this is the risk this is true and this is the beauty about it as well because we always talk about we are gamers we true to ourselves but we only want the nice PR marketing if we truly care about gamers and we treat them as gamers influences we should have you create them as who they are influencers with a good and brand wise the back but in the end I prefer to have an influence hotels me honestly because they care in the community this is shift mode you should changes be ashamed of yourself because it's the truth then yeah that makes sense and then one question I had though some genius of all the different things that you mentioned in all the different ways

that we can get involved do you see like one sort of default platform or you know idea that's gonna sort of rise above the rest in terms of create taking eSports to critical mass this is I want to say a platform because there's so many cool platforms Sivaji platforms coming Java and in the streaming platforms which adapt to take all the learning from the big ones I believe really it goes back with James said if we find a way to make eSports appealing to play and digest on these next devices those small ones which were far from we have two bags of doing it then it feels a cool experience to see and to participate when the company will do this with their first game fully then I believe it doesn't matter if it's YouTube twitch mixer they all will adapt very fast the whole system so it fits on the according to the product I think this is going to be the begin to injure with the

first game who actually does this in proper way many tribes many failed certainly doesn't want to say failed they learned of the unaired yeah well fantastic yes oh well thank you so much and obviously like I've been saying throughout the rest of the days you know I'm sure people might have some other questions and they can all continue the chat through the discord and all the different areas but thank you for joining us again another fascinating talk so thank you so much see you tea thank you