This year, we connected with the creative minds behind major titles like Spider-Man 2 PS5, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, and Baldur’s Gate 3. Highlights of ESR’s Exclusive Interviews: Baldur’s Gate 3 Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, discussed the challenges and joys encountered while developing Baldur’s Gate 3. Addressing the recent layoffs in the gaming industry, Swen highlighted the importance of maintaining trust within the team. He believes that consistent and reliable leadership is crucial to building an exceptional team, rather than resorting to layoffs as a cost-saving measure.  Jason Latino, Cinematic Director told us that teamwork is the key to overcome the challenges they had faced in the making of Baldur’s Gate 3. Insights from Spider-Man 2 Developers We had the opportunity to speak with Robert Coddington and James Ham, developers behind Spider-Man 2. They discussed the innovative Quick Time Events (QTE) integrated into the game. Even when players fail a QTE, the game continues seamlessly with a sub-story. For instance, if a player fails to save someone in time, a second Spider-Man character steps in to save the day. This helped to keep the momentum going in the game without punishing players. Immersive UI in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Our conversation with Daanish Syed, art director at Bit Reactor, delved into the immersive UI design of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Daanish emphasized the importance of integrating UI into the gameplay to enhance player immersion. Instead of pausing the game to view a map, players can pull up a hologram, maintaining the flow of the game. Mapping out Hogwarts Legacy Stephen Dona, the Sr Tech Designer behind Hogwarts Legacy spoke with us about their process with mapping out systems and despite having previous knowledge before working with Avalanche.  It’s ultimately a never-ending learning process, but the team figured out a balance for the game to please both the Harry Potter fans and the hard-core gamers. Shifts in Focus: From Web3 to Core Gaming Last year, GDC had a noticeable focus on Web3 gaming. This year, however, the presence of Web3 was significantly reduced, with the conference placing greater emphasis on traditional game development and innovation. By attending GDC, ESR continues to stay at the forefront of gaming industry developments, bringing our audience the latest insights and trends from top developers around the world. You can watch more about GDC and our exclusive interviews with game devs on “Next Level Play!” Podcast, where we had ESR’s own creative director Chase Kuertz featured as a guest to discuss his time at the convention –https://youtube.com/watch?v=mxJ62tXz4lk%3Fsi%3DPRE-cNbYWWNuqb2L%26start%3D282   About ESR ESR is the first 24/7 Gaming TV Network in the USA. It features award-nominated exclusive gameshows, podcast, scripted comedy series, celebrity streamers, documentary-style coverage of Web2 and Web3 gaming events and major esports tournaments, including the biggest games and names in the world of gaming and Esports. ESR’s English and multi-language gaming channels are distributed in over 100 countries worldwide. ESR covers all top video games including Apex Legends, COD: Warzone, CS:GO, Dota2, FIFAe, For Honor, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Hero of the Storm, LOL, NBA 2K, Overwatch, PUBG, Rainbow Six, Rocket League, Smite, StarCraft, Super Smash Bro., Valorant, and WOW. ESR’s programming or live channels on XUMO TV, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Vizio, Pluto TV, Digicel, Alcom, DigitAlb, DNA, du, Elisa, Etisalat, KPN, Magenta, Omantel, Meo, MTS, MTN, STC, SKY TV, Telefonica, Telia, Tigo, O2, Orange, Proximus, Vodacom, Vodafone, Yettel, T-Mobile and many other platforms around the world.  Follow @esr_tv on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  For more information, visit https://www.esrevolution.com. About GDC Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games.  This year GDC has hosted nearly 30,000 registered attendees for five full days of inspiring sessions and networking opportunities with peers and leaders in the games industry.  GDC featured workshops and sessions led by some of the biggest names in the games and entertainment industry. Esteemed developers shared their insights into the creations of hit games including: Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Zelda: Tears of Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, and more. During GDC, there were several major reveals including Xreal’s live demonstrations of its Xreal Air 2 AR glasses, AMD’s announcement of AMD FSR 3.1 and Magmic’s unveiling of their Web3 MLB-licensed mobile and web game. Roblox, NVIDIA and Ubisoft also sparked interest with their AI reveals, where Roblox presented its AI-powered tools to boost 3D content creation, NVIDIA announced its AI B200 chip and Ubisoft unveiled its generative AI NEO NPCs. Lastly, Epic Games’ State of Unreal revealed news about its upcoming iOS and Android store debut, new Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra trailer, new Chrono Odyssey trailer, addition of MetaHumans to UEFN and expanded partnership with Lego Group. Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mxJ62tXz4lk%3Fsi%3DPRE-cNbYWWNuqb2L source: https://www.esrevolution.com/index.php/our-blog/63-esr-s-trip-to-gdc-highlights-and-insights

Here are the top 5 esports award shows that celebrate the best in competitive gaming: Esports has seen an incredible rise in popularity over the past few years, and with it, the recognition and appreciation for the industry’s top talent has increased. One way to show recognition is through awards shows: The Game Awards – Launched in 2014, The Game Awards is one of the largest and most prestigious awards shows in the gaming industry. It celebrates the best games, developers, and esports athletes from around the world, making it a must-watch event for gamers and esports fans. The Esports Awards – The Esports Awards has been around since 2016, recognizing the best players, teams, games, and organizations in the esports industry. From “Esports Game of the Year” to “Esports Coach of the Year”, this awards show covers a wide range of categories. The Tempest Awards – The Tempest Awards is a new awards show launched in 2022, focused on recognizing the best in esports. With categories ranging from best player to best documentary, ESR was nominated for best series via the Esports Time! series. The Golden Joystick Awards – With a history dating back to 1983, the Golden Joystick Awards is one of the longest-running awards shows in the gaming industry. In recent years, it has expanded to include esports and recognizes the best players, teams, and games in the world of competitive gaming. These awards shows are a great way to celebrate the hard work and achievements of those in the esports industry and to recognize the impact that esports has on the world. Whether you’re a fan of the games, players, or organizations, these awards shows are a must-watch for anyone interested. source: https://www.esrevolution.com/

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll highlight the top 5 free-to-play games that you can enjoy right now. Looking for some of the best free-to-play games? The gaming industry has experienced massive growth in recent years, and there are many fantastic games available to play without spending a single penny. Fortnite Battle Royale – Unironically good now Fortnite Battle Royale is one of the most popular games in recent times, offering a unique blend of building and shooting. This fast-paced, action-packed game can be played solo or with friends and has taken the gaming world by storm. In the past it was easy to roast Fortnite since nobody took it seriously, but over time the game has improved with every update. Have fun getting eliminated by Rick Grimes. Watch our partner “Prospering” play Fortnite every weekday at 3-4 am/pm EST via SlingTV Apex Legends – The overwatch of battle royale games Apex Legends is another popular battle royale game that focuses on character abilities and teamwork. With a large player base and regular new content, this must-play game offers a unique take on the battle royale genre. Checkout Gdolphnn and Gloriiuh from 10 – 11 am/pm EST via SlingTV Call of Duty Warzone 2- Call of Duty + Battle Royale = Fun Call of Duty Warzone is the latest addition to the Call of Duty franchise, offering intense battles and fast-paced gameplay. With the recent addition of proximity chat, players are given a chance to mess around with players and create hilarious memories. Watch streamers TreAndJ play warzone weekdays from 6 – 7 am/pm EST via SlingTV League of Legends – A Strategic, Team-Based Game League of Legends is one of the most popular games in the world and has been entertaining millions of players for over a decade. With a large community and constantly evolving gameplay, this game is a must-play for fans of strategic, team-based games. I have never been able to get good at this game so I tend to watch streamers play instead of playing it myself. You can check out OhBrooke play league of legends weekdays from 5 – 6 am/pm EST on SlingTV Overwatch 2 – Don’t queue while tilted Overwatch 2 is the highly-anticipated sequel to the popular Overwatch game, offering a unique blend of first-person shooting and hero-based gameplay. The game features new heroes, maps, and game modes, making it a must-play for fans of the first game and newcomers alike. Much like the first Overwatch, tilting is still a very prominent feature in the series. If I hadn’t sunk over 2,000 hours into the game, I would still be playing it myself but nowadays I prefer watching streamers play it instead. Streamers like Fareeha, and QueenE  2 – 2:30 EST via SlingTV source: https://www.esrevolution.com/

This year, Summer Game Fest returned to slightly less fanfare than the previous two events. In its first year, the event flourished out of necessity. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Events were canceled left and right — even E3. Months after the announcement of its cancellation, a digital event birthed itself from the ashes of the Electronic Entertainment Expo: Summer Game Fest. Sure, it wasn’t exactly what anyone wanted, but it was a welcome announcement. A modern digital showcase built for a then-broken world was an escape that the public craved. Throughout the years, SGF has changed from a developer-focused showcase to a consumer-oriented one — focusing on game reveals and hype rather than in-depth developer conversations. While 2023’s SGF left out some developer insight, it redeemed itself by showcasing some of the best reveals in the last 3 years. Easily one of the most puzzling moments of Summer Game Fest’s official opening stream occurred when famed actor Nicolas Cage showed up in Dead by Daylight and then strutted onstage a few minutes after. This wasn’t a particularly interesting reveal in terms of the game itself — the absurdity of it is what pushes it over the edge for me. Why Nicolas Cage? Why Dead By Daylight? I know he explains why he likes the game, but why put him in the game? It’s not like the addition of the Cage changes the game in any way, you can just… play as him. It’s one of the most utterly baffling gaming reveals in a long time. It’s almost as baffling as Kaz Hurai exclaiming “Riiiidge Racer!” at E3 2006 or John Vechey’s Peggle 2 Reveal at E3 2013. It was refreshing to see this flavor of awkward unfold live, and I’m here for it. As the kids say: We’re so back. It’s quite rare, especially in the modern age of gaming, for a new IP to show its face and immediately blow everyone’s mind. S-Game’s Phantom Blade 0 is a hack-and-slash game set somewhere called “Phantom World,” which is characterized by something called “kung fu punk,” according to Soulframe Liang, the founder and CEO of S-Game. What I find particularly interesting about S-Game is that they have no experience with 3D action/adventure titles. Their previous games are all side-scrolling action platformers. Sony has taken a little-known indie developer and strapped them to a triple-A project. This is an undeniably huge gamble, and it could either be the biggest success story since Shovel Knight or the biggest disappointment since Mighty Number 9. But as it stands now, this is easily one of the most exciting things to come out of Playstation’s showcase. The combat looks wildly interesting, featuring precise blade combat mixed with a cover system. The gameplay, visuals, and setpieces all harbor the makings of a truly promising experience. Unless you count Super Mario Run or Super Mario Maker 1 and 2, Nintendo hasn’t put out a proper 2D Mario game since New Super Mario Brothers U, and even then, that game wasn’t well received. It was derivative, visually monotonous, and mechanically obvious. At the end of their Direct, Nintendo announced Super Mario Bros. Wonder, an evolution of the classic 2D Mario formula. Rather than the typical New Super Mario Bros. formula, Wonder aims for a more stylistic approach. There’s not much else to say about the reveal except that this is the first time I’ve been excited about a 2D Mario game since the first time I played New Super Mario Bros at 8 years old. Before Destiny, Microsoft, and the Halo series, Bungie made a trilogy of games for MacOS called Marathon. It was an early first-person shooter with gameplay similar to Doom or Quake but made great strides with its multiplayer mode and its single-player campaign. Its multiplayer mode featured maps exclusive to multiplayer, and the latter entries of the game featured multiple game modes — something rarely included in multiplayer games at the time. Its single-player mode featured narrative content previously unseen in similar titles. Decades later, Bungie attempts to revive the franchise with a brand new, multiplayer-only entry in the franchise. Very little is known about the game itself other than that it is a PvP first-person shooter, its art style fuses elements of Westworld’s biomechanical future and Cyberpunk, and that it will not have a single-player campaign, which might be a bummer to fans of the original series. But because of Marathon’s focus on its PvP elements, the game could be a promising step for a post-Halo Bungie to revitalize itself in the esports scene. More than a decade after Payday 2’s release, we’re finally getting a sequel. We knew almost nothing other than the fact that it’s coming out, and now we know exactly when it’s coming out and what the game looks like. The visuals have been updated slightly while still keeping the art style of the other entries, and while the gameplay reveal trailer showcased more high-octane Payday 2 action, the game also includes a new heist phase revolving around stealth, which adds a new level of precision to the Payday formula. But despite this change, this looks like a return to the Payday we all know and love. Payday 3 launches on September 21st. The popular shooter Helldivers is making an ambitious comeback in 2023, but not in the way fans might think. Instead of being a top-down shooter like the 2015 game, Helldivers 2 is a prestige 3rd person shooter. This kind of dramatic change in gameplay style is exciting, but troubling, especially since Arrowhead Games — the developers behind Helldivers 2 — is a studio that has never made a 3rd person shooter before. While it’s exciting to see Helldivers make a triple-A return, the gameplay looks a little shoddy and soulless despite the creativity of the trailer’s cinematics. Hopefully, things will look better upon release, but since the release window is set for later this year, I have my doubts. Kraven, Venom, symbiote powers, a wingsuit, character switching — all of this and more was revealed at the end of Playstation’s showcase during a lengthy Spider-Man 2 gameplay reveal. On top of a slew of new gameplay mechanics, we were introduced to two new New York City boroughs that players will be able to explore in Spider-Man 2: Queens and Brooklyn. These are more low-to-the-ground areas for the webbed wonder, but players will likely enjoy a change of scenery from Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Manhattan. Spider-Man 2 is set to release on October 20th. In their most recent Direct, Nintendo announced a remake of Super Mario RPG, a spiritual successor to WarioWare: Smooth Moves, and re-releases of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, and Pikmin 1 and 2. This is highly uncharacteristic of Nintendo, who consistently strikes down fan-made ports of their games for modern emulators. Typically, the argument for emulating Nintendo games has been that they don’t port their own, therefore there is no way to play them without first buying an older console at a higher price or through emulation. Nintendo seems to be listening to these complaints. They’ve offered ports of a wide range of their classic games for Nintendo Switch Online members, including the NES, SNES, N64, GameBoy, and GameBoy Advance. They have also ported many of their titles from the WiiU era, as many fans missed out on those games. But despite this recent newfound love for their recent past, Nintendo is missing ports of almost all titles from the GameCube and Wii lineup. The impossible is possible again. Konami – who spent the last decade leaving their IPs untouched or using them to make slot machines – is now officially reviving their two most beloved franchises. A few months ago, it was Silent Hill. Now it’s Metal Gear. During the Playstation showcase, Konami announced a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — now titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater — and Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which includes re-releases of Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2 (both the MSX and NES versions), Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and several other rare goodies. However, despite Konami’s apparent newfound zeal for the Metal Gear franchise, Hideo Kojima — the creator of the franchise — will not be involved in either the MGS3 remake or the re-releases of the other Metal Gear entries. I’m a little skeptical of Metal Gear without Kojima, but I’m still looking forward to playing these classic games on newer consoles and seeing the new direction that the Metal Gear series takes. Final Fantasy’s first appearance at Summer Game Fest was pretty disappointing. It debuted with Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis — a mobile game that attempts to replicate Final Fantasy VII’s original turn-based gameplay mechanics. It looks fine, but it isn’t what anyone wanted to see at the moment, least of all Final Fantasy fans. Then, Geoff Keighley said the words “speaking of Final Fantasy…” as if to reveal something larger from the franchise. As everyone cheers in excitement, he quickly lowers everyone’s expectations and reveals a DoorDash tie-in with Final Fantasy XI, which was released later last month. This resulted in groans and laughter from the crowd. Geoff chuckled along with them. Then, at the very end of the show, an immediately-recognizable trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth — the long-awaited second part to Final Fantasy VII: Remake — drops. The crowd erupts, and murmurs about the game continue well after the trailer ends. The hype surrounding the fake-out alone made this the best reveal out of every showcase this year. source: https://www.esrevolution.com/index.php/our-blog/57-10-best-summer-game-fest-moments-of-2023

Traditional TV services powered by satellite may provide new opportunities for broadcasters New approaches to viewing services are attracting and captivating the millennial and Gen-Z generations post 2020. Channels powered by satellite are introducing new forms of entertainment through traditional TV, effectively expanding their viewership and gaining widespread appeal. Younger viewers are growing Traditional television has always been a mainstay for older generations. Most viewers of traditional television are from the baby boomer and Gen X generations, while streaming services have appealed to millennials and younger generations. However, the past two years have seen linear television viewership numbers growing across all ages. What’s more surprising is that linear viewership has increased when out of home viewing is taken into account. This growing subset of younger viewers does not indicate a complete shift away from streaming services such as Netflix but implies that these generations are adding linear TV viewing to their entertainment schedules. Part of the reason for this includes the number of live events being broadcast, such as sports channels and the likelihood of new and exciting content distributed through satellite. One such recent development that encapsulates both of these aspects is the recent addition of ESR 24/7 Esports Network, the first 24/7 linear video gaming channel in Europe. The network, which was previously only available in the United States, offers unique content consisting of competitive video games, gaming events and more. Through Eutelsat’s flagship 13° East HOTBIRD position, the European launch demonstrates linear TV services’ ability to reach younger generations with exciting new channels. A growing opportunity for new channel genres Satellite linear distribution continues to grow as a complementary means for new channels and genres to reach new markets. Many channels and content offerings use satellite to reach a broad audience and proof their channel concepts. Of course, satellite broadcasting offers many advantages, such as: However, the three primary reasons why satellite is such an ideal medium for groundbreaking channels is due to the unique advantages of greater exposure, enhanced accessibility and better scaling opportunities for new channels. Greater exposure and better reach Satellite remains unchallenged when it comes to its ability to reach vast amounts of viewers quickly and effectively. Unlike terrestrial-based solutions, satellite connectivity does not need extensive local infrastructure to operate, which means it can cover any area instantly. The satellite’s reach effectively enables broadcasters to access any region, country or continent, immediately and with no gaps. New channel genres and broadcasters can thus use satellite to gain the sentiment of large swathes of a population and proof their ideas based on popular demand without worrying about accessibility. Enhanced accessibility Distributing a channel through satellite connectivity increases a broadcaster’s ability to make their content accessible to operators worldwide. Satellite’s superior reach and reliable signal allow operators to pick up the digital feeds of broadcasters in different countries, enabling new channels without dedicated infrastructural support. Cost-effective, scalable and reliable Finally, satellite distribution offers flexibility to broadcasters in scaling up or down according to their bandwidth needs. Satellite solutions are incredibly cost-effective, as they maximize the route to market by delivering to all networks simultaneously, such as DTH, cable, DTT and IP. It further reinforces this advantage by not tying its cost with the number of expected viewers. At a threshold of around 50 000 viewers in the Western Europe market (according to Eutelsat analysis), a satellite becomes more cost-efficient than terrestrial networks in the long run. A view of the future Innovative TV channels such as the ESR 24/7 Esports Network only further promote satellite linear distribution for new channel genres. The coverage, reliability and cost-effective nature of Eutelsat’s 13° East HOTBIRD position enable new channels and content offerings to access broader markets and better distribute their content to operators worldwide. Satellite provides attractive opportunities for broadcasters and new channels to multiply and diversify their distribution. In the case of ESR, Eutelsat’s HOTBIRD gave them access to over 135 million TV households to better appeal to the 1.8 billion millennial and growing Gen Z consumer market. If you would like to find out more about the unique opportunities that satellite provides, or would like to find out more about Eutelsat’s satellite solutions for television broadcasters, visit our website, or contact us today. source: https://www.esrevolution.com/