Overview
Esports athletes are leveraging data performance analytics and new technology tools to improve their skills.
The already growing esports landscape has risen in popularity since the onset of the novel coronavirus. As people stay at home and look for sports engagements in the digital world, esports is helping keep players and fans involved.
For budding esports amateurs and professional players alike, data analytics are helping them pinpoint performance areas that need improvement and also provide deeper understanding of how competitors are playing.
Analyzing Play by Play
In the same way that game analysts and coaches in traditional sports look at a large number of previous games to understand the trends of players and optimize techniques, so, too, do esports players and gamers.
Some games, like League of Legends, show players a dashboard after each match with detailed graphics of their stats and comparisons with past matches. By loading previous matches and game data into analytics platforms, players can glean insights into winning strategies and even dive into the techniques of opponents.
Hand in Hand with Other Tech
Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms — some self-improving by competing against themselves in these esports arenas — are creating a more competitive edge in the world of esports. AI collects data to provide actionable insights to teams about how different approaches have increased or decreased the odds of victory in various games.
Platforms like Mobalytics use in-game data available from game APIs and push it through machine learning algorithms to analyze player performance and coach their users through challenging matches.
Santa Monica Startup Tobii, whose eye-tracking devices can be used in medical and accessibility settings for people with traumatic brain injuries or muscle-movement loss, is working with Mobalytics to use its devices in the world of gaming.
The Eye Tracker 5, which includes a series of sensors and two cameras, is mounted to a monitor and registers the user’s gaze to calibrate. It then pairs with the Mobalytics platform to determine if the gamer is focused too long on the same spot and if they are aware of blind spots and surroundings. It then projects a bubble on the screen that reminds players of where to look.
From faster reaction times to more in-depth knowledge of opponents’ techniques, training enabled by data analytics tools can help even the most beginner-level players quickly compete.
Read more about the rise of esports during the COVID-19 outbreak.