V12.19 Patch Notes|

PHOTO: PHILADELPHIA FUSION V12.19 PATCH NOTES V12.19 | BOLD | BOLD SPRING/SUMMER SPRING/SUMMER

DECEMBER 2019 REPORT

DR DISRESPECT, STADIA AND MORE BIG TAKEAWAYS —―———→ PAGE 3 A quick summary of what stood out to us CONTENTS TRENDING —―—————→ PAGE 4 Trends we saw in the past month and the impact we expect them to have

BRAND ACTIVATIONS —―———→ PAGE 9 TABLE OF Interesting activations from some nonendemic brands

OTHER IMPORTANTS —―——→ PAGE 12 A hodgepodge of information from data to missteps

Page 2 BIG TA KEAWAYS

Cloud gaming is off to a slow start with Stadia stumbling out of the gate.

The battle for streaming talent continues as new platforms vie for top personalities.

More startups and venture capitalists are emerging DEC 2019 in hopes of striking esports gold. DEC 2019 The race for the perfect gaming venue is on, from major arenas to local lounges. PHOTO: THE VERGE DEC 2019 DEC 2019

Page 3 TRENDING NO.001 SECTION

Page 44

WHAT’S INCLUDED

A collection of new and interesting things that caught our attention last month.

PHOTO: PHILZILLA DR DISRESPECT WINS SOTY 001 —————―→ PHOTO: G FUEL NO.

WHAT HAPPENED WHY IT MATTERS

Dr Disrespect won his second Streamer of the Although Doc touts his two-time championship background, the reality is that his success Year award at the recent 2019 Esports Awards in is entirely driven by the persona he and his business partner created. At a time when most Arlington, TX. This adds to his already impressive of the popular streamers were being watched due to their exceptional skills, Guy Beahm resume as the larger-than-life personality has set (his actual name) used his experience as a community manager at Sledgehammer Games

record viewer numbers (400K concurrent last to learn what types of content resonated with viewers. The decision to put brand first has TRENDING February), has numerous sponsorships, launched proven to aspiring streamers that regardless of their skill level, they still have an opportunity his own personal clothing line and just recently to make a name for themselves as a streamer. And while Doc has now become quite skilled signed a TV deal with the creators of The Walking at games, it’s a model others will surely try to emulate. Dead.

PHOTO: THORSTEND BATTLE FOR

WHAT HAPPENED VENUES

With the rise in popularity of gaming and esports, more brands are looking to provide the best space for hosting competitions and facilitating gaming audience traffic. On a professional level, the Philadelphia Fusion are building a new $50 million arena capable of seating 3,500 fans, while WHY IT MATTERS smaller-scale partnerships like the one between Simon Malls and Allied Esports look to provide more local options for gamers. The first thing to keep in mind is that not all facilities are created with the same objectives in mind. Larger arenas are designed with the goal of validating teams and events in hopes of attracting larger fanbases and thus higher online viewership. Arenas like this do a good job of bringing in additional investors and give an organization credibility, especially when placed next to other professional stadiums, as is the case with the Fusion’s new complex. Smaller locations intend to cultivate consistent traffic and event participation. As more high schools and local communities begin to offer esports programs, the need for dedicated gaming spaces will only increase. Time will tell who is able to provide the optimal solution.

PHOTO: PHILADELPHIA FUSION

TRENDING NO. 002 —————―→ PHOTO: MARK MAKELA - REUTERS PHOTO: WELLS FARGO

Page 6 THE NEW BACHELOR PARTY

WHAT HAPPENED

The combination of gaming becoming more socially acceptable along with an increase in the average age of brides and grooms has resulted in a rise in gaming bachelor parties. More men are forgoing the traditional crazy night of debauchery and trading it for more activity-based evenings. Since gaming is one of the most popular activities for men and many of these men have been playing with their close friends for over a decade now, it’s not surprising that they’d opt for something more meaningful to their squad. 003 ———―→

P H O

T NO. WHY IT MATTERS O : B E N JA M I N CU Video games are increasingly becoming a normal way to socialize with friends. According to a recent RR IE survey of gamers, half of all respondents say that friendship is one of the main reasons they log on. What was once viewed (fairly or unfairly) as an isolating activity only enjoyed by basement dwellers and loners is now replacing traditional social networks as the primary form of communication among close friends. Just taking a quick poll around our offices, most of the regular gamers interact with their gaming companions via gameplay and Discord more frequently than they keep in touch with nongaming acquaintances. The fact of the matter is that ongoing shared experiences are becoming stronger catalysts for community, more so than the traditional alma mater or pen pal. TRENDING

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07. AOC Achieves Silver Status U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared on Instagram that she reached Silver IV in League of Legends. Though she’s still a bit behind Platinum- ALSO NOTEWORTHY ranked Representative Josh Harder. 08. Player Data Opportunities ALSO NOTEWORTHY More companies look to extract and utilize player data for both promotional and professional development. From game data to team trends, each data point ALSO NOTEWORTHY provides a wide array of opportunities.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY ——―—→ 09. Tencent Gets New Identity

PHOTO: MINECRAFT The leading provider of Internet-based games in China has a custom typeface thanks to Monotype, which created the new look as a way to deliver a consistent, recognizable brand voice worldwide.

04. Minecraft Earth Goes Live ——―—→ The massively popular game launched its real-world version after a lenghty beta test. Even though this initial release is just an early access period, it still racked up 1.2 million downloads in the first week.

05. Ewok Jumps to Mixer PHOTO: MONOTYPE Chalk another one up in the win column for the Microsoft streaming platform. Ewok, who recently made headlines by becoming the first female member of Faze Clan, announced she’s exclusively on Mixer.

06. Cavs New Esports Facility —-—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—―—→ The Cavs Legion Gaming Club will open a first-of-its- kind center in Northeast Ohio. The location will work as a training facility and destination for local esports competitions.

PHOTO: CAVS GAMING BRAND ACTIVATIONS NO.002 SECTION

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Nonendemic brands that decided to get in on the esports action last month.

PHOTO: ENGADGET PAIN GAMING PARTNERS WITH BMW

ACTIVATION NO. 001

WHAT HAPPENED PHOTO: PAIN GAMING

paiN Gaming added yet another nonendemic brand to its partner roster with the signing of BMW. The WHY IT MATTERS organization, which already has deals with Coca- Cola and Gillette, has made it a top priority to add nonendemic sponsorships as a way to expand its While this partnership might seem a little out of place for an auto manufacturer, the folks at BMW saw it as a way to reinforce the audience base and appeal to a broader range of idea of ultimate performance and success, which they have spent years advertising. Most nonendemic brands find it challenging to gamers and industries. enter the gaming and esports space due to the lack of perceived connection to the category or audience. However, like BMW, having a good understanding of your brand’s position and mission might surprise you with how much closer they actually are to esports. One of BMW’s new goals is to be seen by younger audiences as a technology-forward brand, rather than just a car company. Partnerships like this, especially if they’re able to do some interesting activations, could go a long way to validate that objective. Page 10 OTHER BRAND ACTIVATIONS

HERMAN MILLER INKS ACTIVATION 02 DEAL WITH COMPLEXITY

ACTIVATION 02 The company that brought us the Eames Lounge Chair is looking to evolve with its latest partnership. The furniture manufacturer will outfit Complexity Gaming’s new Texas headquarters with gaming chairs.

ACTIVATION 03 ACTIVATION 03

TREND NO. 002 ————―→ PHOTO: ENGADGET

PRINGLES CREATES

AUTOMATED HEADSET The chip maker recently developed a 3D-printed attachment —―→ NO. for gaming headsets that allows the gamer to snack without 003 having to use hands. As ridiculous as this device is and as unlikely as it is to ever go into production, the buzz generated PHOTO: COMPLEXITY GAMING from it seems to have done its intended job.

Page 11 Other importants NO.003 SECTION

WHAT’S INCLUDED

The other things we didn’t think deserved their own section, but do deserve your attention.

PHOTO: GOOGLE MISSTEPS HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT DIDN’T QUITE GO AS PLANNED LAST MONTH.

Google Stadia’s lag Riot reduces player salaries ―———―———―———―———―——— ―———―———―———―———―——— It isn’t ideal Pay(less)-to-play

Pokemon crashing Roku CS character ban ―———―———―———―———―——— ―———―———―———―———―——— Pika Pika So good, you can’t even see it

PHOTO: VALVE

Page 13 PHOTO: THE VERGE O

TWITCH MIXER

MOST WATCHED MOST WATCHED RIOT GAMES - 6.1 SHROUD - 2.1 BY THE NUMBERS XQC - 5 NINJA - 1.7 LOLTYLER1 - 4.2 MONSTERCAT - 1.3 ASMONGOLD - 3.2 PALADINSGAME - 0.6 LIRIK - 3.0 KINGGOTHALION - 0.4

YOUTUBE FACEBOOK

MOST WATCHED MOST WATCHED FREE FIRE - BRASIL - 8.6 CHIM SẺ ĐI NẮNG - 2.1 GARENA LIEN QUAN MBL - 7.3 NAM BLUE - 2.1 MBL LGDS: BB - 6.3 NINJO TV - 0.8 LOL ESPORTS - 5.1 GARENA LIEN QUAN MBL - 0.8 MBL LGDS: BB INDS - 2.5 NEXXUZHD - 0.6

NUMBERS ARE MILLIONS OF VIEWS DATA THROUGH 12.1 Page 14 ALL ABOUT DATA —————―→ ON THE HORIZON

AMAZON CLOUD GAMING It’s reported that Amazon might throw its hat into the cloud gaming ring next year. The tech giant that already owns Twitch might find it harder to pull off after other cloud services have started slowly.

NEW SONIC MOVIE After much controversy over the main character design, the new movie has a February launch date. Will this be a suprise sensation or suffer the same fate as many other games-gone-movies before it?

NEW HALF-LIFE VR The fan-favorite franchise is set to return, but this time in virtual reality. The new title, Half-Life: Alyx will launch on the Steam platform in March of next year.

Page 15 BOLD FUTURE COLLECTION 2019

THANK YOUA lookbook is a collection of photographs THANK YOUcompiled to show off a model, photographer, THANK YOU