eSports
British Esports Association collaborates with IBM and industry specialists to create a safer esports space for young people
The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation set up to promote and support grassroots esports, has revealed first details of its new membership platform.
The platform, scheduled to launch in spring 2021 initially for 12-19 year olds (with plans to expand to other age groups later on), will ensure users are verified at point of entry and that communication within the platform is reviewed to reduce toxicity and cyber threats.
The collaboration with IBM will explore how IBM Watson products can be used to enhance user experience, safety and wellbeing of young gamers.
The Association has also teamed up with safety technology provider GoBubble for real-time content moderation and will deliver accurate age verification using privacy preserving AI technology from Yoti to ensure age appropriate interactions.
Alongside the work of these partners, British Esports consulted with the NSPCC to ensure there are strong and consistent safeguarding procedures in the association.
Finally, British Esports, GoBubble and Yoti have been invited to test the platform within the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) Sandbox. This is a service developed by the ICO to support organisations who are creating products and services which utilise personal data in innovative and safe ways.
IBM is a global leader in hybrid cloud and AI. The intention is to use IBM Watson Assistant to engage gamers via a virtual assistant in the form of a gaming avatar. The assistant will also utilise IBM Watson Discovery to provide personalised content to enable the gamer to improve their skills, compete in tournaments and find the latest video from their favourite influencer.
The project partners will also explore how Red Hat OpenShift can enable the platform to scale to a global market and even potentially beyond the world of esports. The intention is to containerise the platform, enabling it to be deployed directly onto the cloud infrastructures of other esports bodies and potentially to any organisation that runs a digital community.
Yoti is the world’s leading identity platform with accurate age estimation technology providing a secure way of proving ages, without revealing any personal information. There’s no need for ID documents and images are deleted after the age check. The free Yoti app also enables people to prove their age with one tap, which is verified with a government ID and their unique facial biometrics. Yoti’s combination of AI technology, liveness anti-spoofing and ID document checks ensures businesses can be confident in the age of their customers.
GoBubble’s child-centred ecosystem helps developers safely scale and reduce the risk of children being exposed to anything inappropriate. GoBubbleWrap, GoBubble’s content moderation SaaS API, will be utilised to provide real-time text moderation across the platform to reduce toxicity and steer gamers towards more positive behaviour.
This creates an attractive proposition for parents and teachers looking for a safer space for their children and student gamers to play together.
Chester King, British Esports Association CEO and founder, commented: “Over the past few years we’ve worked hard to build a community of esports fans from schools and colleges across the UK.
“What’s been clear through feedback from parents and teachers is the need to ensure that young people know who they are playing and communicating with, and that where communication takes place, we must work hard to reduce toxicity in all its forms.
“When addressing these concerns, we also must keep in mind the experience for young people, so whilst we have a focus in a safer space, we want to ensure that the experience is relevant and exciting. This will be done through curated relevant content, exclusive offers, discounts and competitions and exciting esports tournaments taking place throughout the year.”
Kay Thompson, Media & Entertainment Industry lead at IBM, said “IBM is hugely excited to be working with the British Esports Association and its partners on this tech for good initiative to protect our children whilst gaming”.
Christian McMullen, Head of Professional Engagement at the NSPCC, said: “We have a mission to ensure every child is safe online and were delighted to be approached by the BEA with an exciting proposal to make the world of esports safer for children.
“The NSPCC worked with the BEA to strengthen their safeguarding procedures as well as develop a code of conduct and content for their safe gaming guidance for children and parents.
“By integrating safety by design into their new platform, the British Esports Association is demonstrating their intention to create a safer space for the gaming community that has the potential to improve young people’s safety in the world of esports.”
Julie Dawson, Director of Regulatory and Policy at Yoti, said: “Through the ICO Sandbox, Yoti, GoBubble and British Esports will develop privacy-preserving and ‘ethics by design’ systems that support under 13s age verification and associated parental consent. This same approach can support many other companies to comply in a friction-free way with the Age Appropriate Design Code and protect children.”
Henry Platten, GoBubble CEO and founder, added: “The dedication British Esports has to unite everyone in a single, safer, healthier and kinder community is inspiring. We’re honoured to help bring our experience and technology in creating safer, scalable and positive communities in 70 countries to benefit British Esports’ vision.”
Further launch information, pricing and other details are to be confirmed nearer the platform’s launch.
eSports
The World Esports Summit 2024 Is Here!
The IESF World Esports Summit returns this December to Busan, South Korea. Hosted at the Busan Esports Arena (BRENA) from December 5-6, the Summit will bring together prominent figures from Esports, global brands, government officials, and sports executives for a deep dive into the current Esports trends, its rapid transformations, and future challenges.
This year’s theme, “Building Bridges, Not Barriers, Through the Power of Esports,” will highlight the role of Esports in uniting cultures, ideas, and industries. Under the slogan “We Empower Success,” the
Summit provides a great platform for Esports experts to engage in meaningful discussions and sessions, sharing their insights on trends and presenting forward-looking ideas for our industry.
The event, strategically timed at the close of the competitive season, presents a perfect environment for reflection on the year’s biggest events, industry shifts, and the next steps for Esports. Attendees can follow the expert’s perspectives on topics like:
- (R)Evolution in Esports
- East Meets West
- Esports Integrity: The Role of Referees
- The Rise of International Esports Competitions
- (In Korean) Korea’s Secret Sauce etc.
Also, featured at this year’s event are the IESF World Esports Training Camp and the World Esports Referee Academy.
These are very important IESF programs that are aimed at advancing the skills and professional standards of the next generation of Esports leaders.
Join us in Busan for two days designed to inspire, connect, and empower the international Esports community.
Registration for the World Esports Summit is free and open to all interested attendees.
To register, please complete our online registration form: iesf.formstack.com/forms/wes2024_participation_registration
See you in Busan!
eSports
Akhil Sarin CMO at Easygo named as key note at ICE Esports Conference
Clarion Gaming has confirmed that Akhil Sarin CMO at Easygo, the technology powerhouse behind the success of global brands Stake and Kick will headline the Esports & Games Conference (EGC) taking place on 21 January as part of the ICE Barcelona experience. As a key member of the executive team, Akhil Sarin has been instrumental in securing the high-profile partnerships that have accelerated Stake’s growth, including the Stake F1 team, UFC, Drake, and Premier League Everton FC.
Through these strategic alliances he has amplified Stake’s brand presence at the same time as creating unique, immersive player experiences, in the process setting new industry benchmarks.
Announcing the high profile speaker Will Harding, Head of Esports at Clarion Gaming said: “Securing Akhil Sarin as EGC key note at ICE Barcelona represents a remarkable opportunity for our attendees to gain invaluable insight into cutting-edge strategies in digital and influencer marketing .
“Akhil’s expertise with Stake and Kick.com embodies the forward-thinking, innovative approach that defines the digital marketing landscapes. His participation underscores the calibre of knowledge-sharing that we are committed to delivering at ICE and he is sure to both inspire our attendees and elevate their strategic perspective.”
Looking ahead to ICE Barcelona, Akhil Sarin stated: “Collaborating with Clarion Gaming at ICE Barcelona is an exciting opportunity to showcase Stake’s journey and continued focus on bold partnerships and creative marketing strategies that resonate with audiences.”
He added “The EGC is a vital platform for exchanging transformative ideas and shaping the future of gaming and entertainment. I look forward to discussing Stake’s vision and collaborating with industry leaders to inspire growth and innovation across the sector.”
eSports
WEC24 Complete: Indonesia Crowned Overall Champion!
WEC24 Complete: Indonesia Crowned Overall Champion! Busan, South Korea (November 20, 2024) – After nine days of exciting competition, the 16th World Esports Championship (WEC24) has come to a conclusion.
From epic plays to unforgettable moments, the championship closed out with the Dota 2 and MLBB Women’s finals. The ultimate victory and the biggest moment of the night belonged to Indonesia, as they won their second title as the WEC24 Overall Champions.
This prestigious trophy is awarded to the nation that excels across all of the game titles. Turkey secured one gold and one bronze medal also, however, Indonesia’s consistency and performance across the other game titles gave them the edge to secure their victory. Congratulations to Indonesia for this remarkable achievement!
WEC24 started on November 11 at the spectacular SEF Arena in Riyadh, bringing together athletes from around the world to compete across six tournaments: PUBG MOBILE, CS2 (Women’s and Open), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Open and Women’s), and Dota 2. Each competition delivered its special charm, giving us new champions and a WEC to remember.
Medalists:
PUBG MOBILE:
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Brazil
CS2 Women’s:
- Poland
- France
- Portugal
CS2 Open:
- Romania
- Portugal
- Serbia
MLBB Open:
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Indonesia
MLBB Women’s:
- Indonesia
- Cambodia
- Egypt
Dota 2:
- Greece
- Sweden
- Turkey
This year’s WEC broke records and set new milestones: the largest CS2 Women’s tournament with a $160,000 prize pool, the debut of the MLBB Women’s category, and a marathon Dota 2 bronze match that won’t be forgotten. Over 480 athletes gave it their all, leaving behind moments that will define the Esports scene for years.
As WEC24 comes to an end, we are thankful to every athlete, national federation, fan, and Esports enthusiast who traveled with us on the Road to Riyadh.
GG once again to Indonesia, our WEC24 Overall Champion! Thank you, Riyadh, for hosting an unforgettable championship. Until next time, see you on the next World Esports Championship journey!
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