Yahoo Launches Android App Devoted To ESports

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Last month, Yahoo launched a new eSports channel, which covers tournaments and events in great depth with reports, blogs, video commentary and more. Now, it’s taking that coverage to the next level with a new mobile app that will enable fans to watch the action on the go.

The company announced the introduction of the Android app on its blog page, explaining how it will let fans to “use the schedule to find upcoming matches and set reminders, easily see live stats on our match pages, watch live or past games, and much more.”

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In addition, the app will feature content from personalities such as Andrea Rene, Travis Gafford and Dylan Walker, who will discuss upcoming eSports events and results. All of it is accessible through an easy-to-use menu system so that fans can get quickly to the tournament coverage they want.

iOS owners won’t be left out in the cold, as Yahoo confirmed that the eSports app will be available for that platform at a later time.

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This is a strong move for Yahoo’s eSports initiative, and it helps the company bolster a larger audience through mobile devices.

NPD Numbers For March Reveal Dominance By ‘The Division’

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The NPD Group has released the video game sales numbers for March 2016, and while it showed some decrease over last year, there were still plenty of highlights—especially for those who enjoy Ubisoft’s latest release, Tom Clancy’s The Division.

Total video game sales for the month reached $964.1 million, which is a slight drop-off from last year’s $968.4 million. However, physical software saw a huge jump to $425.8 million, an eight percent increase from 2015’s $395.4 million.

Part of that success was due to The Division, which released in the earlier part of the month and became March’s most successful title. Ubisoft also took the second-place spot with its first-person adventure Far Cry: Primal, while Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD remake took third. Rounding out the top five are Grand Theft Auto V and EA Sports UFC 2.

The NPD Group’s Liam Callahan provided plenty of other insight from the report:

“Tom Clancy’s The Division had the best launch month for any Tom Clancy title to date, having sold 40 percent more than the next best-selling Tom Clancy title, March 2008’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (when adjusted for number of days sold within the month).”

He added, “Stemming from strong launches of Tom Clancy’s The Division and Far Cry: Primal, Ubisoft is the number-one software publisher for Q1 2016, with a unit sales increase close to 130 percent, and a dollar sales increase of over 200 percent.”

Callahan also noted a 36 percent growth in software unit sales for consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. He also points out the popularity of both accessories and digital cards.

“On a dollar basis, March 2016 video game accessory sales rose by nine percent over March 2015, making March 2016 the highest-selling March on record for video game accessory sales.

Three types of accessories continue to propel overall accessory sales in 2016: Video Game Cards, Gamepads and Headsets/Headphones; all experienced double-digit growth in March 2016 vs. March 2015, and have sold $82 M more in Q1 ’16 versus Q1 ’15,” he added. “March 2016 marked the best March on record for Video Game Cards for both units and dollars, exceeding last March (the second-best March ever) by 20 percent in units and 16 percent in dollars.”

Callahan noted that, as a whole, “Combined sales across hardware, physical software and accessories in March 2016 were flat to last March as growth in physical software and accessories offset the 19 percent decline in hardware sales.”

Although March numbers were flat, sales are likely to see a rise over the next couple of months, with big titles like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Doom and Mirror’s Edge Catalyst set to arrive in May.

Newzoo: ‘Clash Royale’ Becomes World’s Top-Grossing Mobile Game

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Supercell, developers of the popular free-to-play game Clash of Clans, has had a splendid 2015. It brought in $2.3 billion in revenue last year — a 35 percent increase year-over-year, and the game’s success isn’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon, especially with last month’s release of Clash Royale.

Newzoo recently published a report detailing Clash Royale‘s tremendous success, and even named it as the top-grossing mobile game in the world for March. The game amassed $80 million in revenue across both iOS and Android platforms last month, with a total revenue of $110 million worldwide before both Apple and Google took their respective 30-percent cuts.

iOS appears to be the most popular platform for the game, and the numbers are expected to rise even further when Clash Royale releases for Android in China sometime in the near future. What’s surprising is how much business has kept up for Clash of Clans, even with Royale‘s release. The game only saw a single-digit decline for the month of March.

The reason for Clash Royale‘s success is easy to spot, as the game includes both multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) titles and card collecting (à la Hearthstone) elements to create a unique gameplay experience that’s easy for everyone to pick up. It’s also a free-to-play title, meaning players don’t need to make an investment to be involved. However, gold and chests are available for purchase for those that want to maximize their performance and gain certain advantages. Purchasing gold enables players to unlock new cards, as well as upgrade current ones already in their hand.

Royale‘s biggest fans come from North America, where 33 percent of the game’s overall revenue comes from. Close behind is Asia Pacific with 31 percent and Europe with 23 percent.

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Keep in mind that this is all before the Android version hits China, where it’s likely to gain even more revenues. Newzoo should have a follow-up on its debut and sales in the weeks ahead.

The release of Royale continues to show Supercell’s strength in the mobile market, indicating that it can adapt to popular trends quickly and deliver gaming experiences that will keep players coming back.

Mike Sepso Talks About Activision Blizzard’s Huge Success In ESports

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Ever since Activision purchased Major League Gaming, many have wondered if the investment would pay off. The publisher recently put all speculation to rest with a decisive “yes,” as it reported that the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship (also known as CS:GO Major), held at the Nationwide Arena, has set a new record for viewership. The broadcast, which aired earlier this month, has managed to generate 71 million video views, with fans tuning in to a record-breaking 45 million hours of live broadcast. It also maintained a steady amount of concurrent viewers, with 1.6 million watching the proceedings.

These numbers break the previous CS:GO Major record of 34 million hours viewed and 1.3 million concurrent viewers gained last year.

“Last year, more than 225 million people watched competitive gaming, and the passion, engagement and size of this audience only continues to grow,” said Mike Sepso, senior vice president of Activision Blizzard Media Networks and Major League Gaming, in a press statement. “As this year’s CS:GO Major numbers show, Activision Blizzard Media Networks’ commitment to broadcasting premium content and creating incredible events is resonating with players and fans around the world.”

This could be the beginning of big things for Activision’s eSports division. To gain more insight, [a]listdaily spoke with Sepso regarding the results of the Major tournament, as well as what fans can expect next.

Mike_SepsoWhat do these numbers say about Activision Blizzard’s investment in Major League Gaming and the company’s prospects for its eSports division?

We’re incredibly proud of the record-breaking numbers from the CS:GO Major in Columbus, and I think it reinforces that the investment was an important step toward our goal of bringing eSports into the mainstream through premium broadcasts, organizing world class events, and expanding our distribution platforms. The eSports audience is estimated to be bigger than audiences for many professional sports leagues in a few years, and I think the Media Networks division is uniquely positioned to strengthen Activision Blizzard’s leadership in the space.

What do you think the biggest draw was regarding the CS:GO Major championship? 

There were a number of great storylines leading up to this specific event. It was the first North American Major, it had the most North American teams to ever qualify going up against eight legendary teams, and it wound up being won by an underdog in Luminosity Gaming from Brazil. I think a lot of the continued success CS has seen over the years is also a testament to Valve creating a great game for eSports, and driving community interaction via unique souvenir drops and skins for the events.

What factors do you think will tie in with the future of eSports? Will Activision Blizzard Media Networks be following these every step of the way?

Activision Blizzard has a rich history in eSports, and now we’ve added the additional support of Major League Gaming’s experts and technology to help guide the way forward with the ultimate goal of making eSports more mainstream. I think there will be shifts in the way broadcasts are presented, the organization of global league play, and how that data is organized and used to create the best-in-class fan experiences. Social media created a seismic shift in the industry, and in some respects, it’s made our jobs easier because we can quickly and transparently communicate with the community as events are happening to make adjustments to the broadcast or the schedule that better the experience.

Nielsen Report Details How ESports And Virtual Reality Improve Engagement

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Nielsen has released a new report, Nielsen 360 Gaming Report: Mobile, eSports and VR Expand and Increase Engagement, which analyzes gaming trends and explains how they appeal to a broad range of players across different age groups.

“The definition of ‘gaming’ continues to evolve, and mobile gaming is playing a large role in broadening traditional perspectives,” states the report. “While many consider ‘gamers’ to be a niche group of PC and console players, the rise of mobile gaming has expanded the definition to a much wider group. While gamers from yesterday might have been more likely to be teenagers playing Halo down the street, mobile gaming apps have made the activity more accessible to the masses–even the grandmother next door.”

The first statistic the report broke down talks about how mobile gaming is just as appealing to women as it is to men, especially in comparison to other forms of play. 51 percent of men and 49 percent of women ages 13 and up love to play video games. Over on consoles, 65 percent of the general gaming audience are men.

With mobile gaming, the general player is aged at 36, while console players (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) are between 31-34 years of age.

The report also touches on eSports, explaining how roughly 10 percent of the population show interest in these competitions, with fans more likely to be male (by 81 percent) and in the millennial group (51 percent). Fans also come from a higher average income group, making at least $69,000 — making tournaments a huge draw for marketing partners.

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Virtual reality and augmented reality were also covered in the report. Though Nielsen states that only 16 percent of gamers are aware of its availability, they will eventually “change the way consumers game as well as the way people consume other forms of entertainment,” noted the report.

But the big focus went towards how marketers can reach out to gamers. While some campaigns have proven effective with TV and online advertising, the biggest draw to both console and mobile games seems to be word-of-mouth. 42 percent of players learn more about their favorite Xbox One/PS4 games in this way, while 35 percent of mobile users tell their friends about their experiences. Other popular choices include app stores, social networking, and TV commercials.

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GQ’s Second Season Of ‘The Grind’ Takes On ESports

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ESports have grown impressively over the past few years, including tournaments that provide millions of dollars worth of prizes, online promotions through livestreaming, and large-scale partnerships. What’s really impressive is how many mainstream companies such as ESPN and Yahoo Sports have begun to take eSports seriously with their coverage.

Now it’s GQ’s turn. The popular lifestyle magazine has debuted the second season of its show The Grind, which focuses on the lives of athletes. However, this time around, the show is looking towards eSports by focusing on legendary players as they arrive for the Summit DOTA 2 Tournament in Los Angeles, each gunning for a prize of $250,000.

Although eSports tournaments are usually quite a spectacle, this one has a unique twist. Instead of holding the tournament at a jam-packed venue, it’s being hosted from a house, with the commentators sitting in easy chairs as they watch the action go down.

The series is known for tackling the hardships of athletes over the course of their careers, and eSports players are no exception. Facing their own share of ups-and-downs, these athletes compete for fame and cash prizes. It will continue to debut new episodes over the course of the season, covering the tournament and how these players take a part in it.

Episodes and other videos from the series can be found here, and they include everything from explaining eSports careers to parents to watching rivals go at it in heated match-ups.

The Internet Of Things Is Shaking Up Retail

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While having a refrigerator connected to the Internet may have sounded silly once, networked appliances are becoming more of a common idea these days, contributing to the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices utilize tools to perform different tasks, from item management to creating new ways to conduct eCommerce, and they now appear to be picking up quite a bit at retail.

A new eMarketer report titled, The Internet of Retail Things: What Marketers Need to Know, explains how retail is benefitting from IoT using numbers provided by Retail Systems Research. The report shows that 54 percent of retailers with good-level sales growth feel that the Internet of Things could change the way that they’ll be doing business over the next few years.

According to a survey, 42 percent of respondents feel strongly that IoT devices will change the way companies do business, while 38 percent generally agree. Meanwhile, 80 percent (39 percent strongly, 41 percent generally) of companies believe IoT will have a dramatic effect on the market.

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Investments in these devices are being made for a number of reasons, particularly with supply-chain monitoring, inventory management, payment processing and asset tracking, according to the report. Even though adoption hasn’t fully caught on yet, it’s definitely getting there.

Out of all the markets interested in the Internet of Things, retail seems to be the strongest at 56 percent, followed by manufacturing (53 percent), professional services (45 percent) and finance and transportation (43 percent apiece).

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Further information from Juniper Research also indicates that by 2020, retailers will be spending an incredible $2.5 billion on IoT-based hardware, including beacons, RFID tags and other technology. That’s a huge leap from the $670 million reported last year, by almost four times over. Another report from MarketsandMarkets points out that the global market size for IoT will grow from last year’s $14.28 billion to $35.64 billion by 2020.

Familiarity with these devices still has yet to catch on with some manufacturers, but there’s definitely an interest in the IoT market, and it’ll be just a few short years before it really takes off.

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Consumer Awareness Of Virtual Reality On The Low Side

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The virtual reality era has officially begun, with both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift now shipping and PlayStation VR set to launch this October. That’s in addition to the heavy promotional pushes for mobile VR viewers like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard seen last fall. But, according to a new report from Nielsen, not all consumers may be aware of their availability.

The company’s “360 Gaming Report” indicates that 37 percent of all U.S. gamers have heard of at least one virtual reality or augmented reality device. However, that’s a rather low number, especially considering the millions of dollars that Oculus, Sony and HTC have poured into developing the technology.

Based on the numbers, the most recognizable brand is Oculus Rift, which is owned by Facebook, but even that is a low figure at 22 percent. Google Cardboard takes a close second with 18 percent, while Samsung Gear VR is third with 14 percent.

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“Education will be an important factor for these companies to get the word out. However, this type of experience doesn’t really lend itself to traditional marketing driven education. A lot of the education will likely be organic through buzz/word of mouth and come from early adopters,” Nielsen Games general manager Michael Flamberg said, per GamesIndustry.biz. “This reinforces the importance of social influence in the development of these devices and content to foster a spirit of experience sharing so that early adopters can more easily advocate for VR. The early adopters, tech enthusiasts and social influencers can then cascade their influence to the masses.

“These are also devices that will require some investment from consumers and will be an immersive experience so for gaming, content available on the devices will be another key driver. [VR headsets] also have the potential to do a lot more than just gaming. Viewing other forms of content (live events, movies, TV) and engaging with a broader set of categories and functions will also help the devices in time (product development/engineering, health care, training, etc.)”

Income plays a big part, as a majority of that 37 percent showing interest in the tech are young people with an annual income of nearly $63,000 and a monthly video game spend of $20. On an interesting note, male gamers have more of an interest than female gamers, but not by much.

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On a side note, the report also discussed eSports, explaining how 51 percent of viewers are in the millennial group, with an income of nearly $69,000.

 

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“ESports fans are a valuable audience for the category and for brands. ESports attract fans for its entertainment value, particularly the drama of competition and the relevance of gaming to their own leisure time. To grow further, eSports will need to be easier to engage with, and both more social and interactive. More local events and increased mainstream coverage will also be key. To be successful in the space, brand fit and sponsorship execution will be important for sponsors/advertisers, who should pursue eSports as one part of a broader brand strategy,” Flamberg added.

“However, we have seen in our eSports research (released late 2015) that Twitch is definitely the destination for eSports fans as Twitch is the top destination for eSports content/programming well ahead of YouTube and other gaming sites like GameSpot and IGN. This could have implications for marketing—do you reach the majority of viewers/consumers just by being on Site A, or do you really need to get your content on all the different sites?”

Those interested in receiving a free copy of the report can send a request to peter.roithmayr@nielsen.com.

Place Taco Bell Orders Through Slack Using TacoBot

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Hungry for Mexican food? Well, don’t worry about sitting in the drive-thru, because Slack now has a “TacoBot” to help feed that craving from wherever you are.

The popular communication service has teamed up with fast food chain Taco Bell to create a new program that processes and arranges food order pick-ups, according to The Drum. With the help of the so-called TacoBot, users can utilize artificial intelligence to place single or group orders from their nearby restaurant.

Although the TacoBot is still in beta and hasn’t been introduced program-wide yet, it could lead the way for other companies to offer similar programs in the future.

The process is simple, and lets users change their order however they see fit before placing it. All they have to do is type instructions like “Can I get one soft taco with beef?” to TacoBot and then customize the order before it’s finalized with the command “check out.”

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So far, the program has been met with positive response, with one company noting that “there’s a cool factor and novelty to it” and “it’s very genuine to their brand in how it operates/works.”

Lawrence Kim, Taco Bell’s director of digital innovation and on demand, noted, “The TacoBot Slack integration is the latest step on our journey to make the brand more accessible wherever and whenever our fans want it. Taco Bell is about food tailor-made for social consumption with friends, and that’s why integrating with a social communications platform like Slack makes perfect sense.”

Taco Bell previously attempted its own take on the popular emoji characters in an effort to become more social with its audience.

It’ll be interesting to see how this program takes effect in the future and what companies will come on board to give it a try. One thing is for certain, it gets you hungry for tacos and burritos.

Why Mobile Gamers Spend A Lot Of Money

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Free-to-play mobile game developers are always striving to catch those whales who will spend big money on in-app purchases. But how much can a game make? A new report by Slice Intelligence reveals that players generally like to spend an average of $87 on in-app purchases. That’s only $5 behind what console and PC players pay, including for downloadable content.

However, some games are bigger draws than others—a lot bigger. “The mobile game with the largest average in-app spend is Game of War, where players spend an average of $550 to ensure their army conquers the competition. What do Game of War gamers buy? Crates of gold, with the average item price hovering at $52, the company said.

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Other notable games that have high in-app spending per player include Summoners War ($272.41), Big Fish Casino: Free Slots ($232.67), Castle Clash ($202.26) and Brave Frontier ($156.20).

That adds up to a lot of big business for mobile developers. Minecraft, which is at the bottom of the list, brings in $6.50 per player. That’s still significant revenue, considering how there are millions of people playing it.

Slice also discusses “whales” in the free-to-play market, which comprises 10 percent of players, but makes up 90 percent of overall sales. “Further listening to the statistical sonar reveals that the top one percent, the ‘white whales,’ of mobile gamers account for an astonishing 58 percent of the mobile gaming revenue from in-app purchases,” the company noted. “This trend doesn’t occur among traditional games, where roughly 28 percent of the audience accounts for 90 percent of game sales.”

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As shown in the chart, mobile game spending almost matches with the traditional game industry, with about $86.50 on average compared to $91.58. It’s very likely mobile spending could surpass traditional games in about a year or two.

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The report also shows how consumers are spread across three different categories:

  • 43 percent of gamers only buy mobile games.
  • 37.8 percent only purchase traditional console and PC games.
  • 19.2 percent buy games for mobile, console and PC platforms.