Fan events and experiences of all kinds are moving to the metaverse to take advantage of everything that virtual environments and web3 technology have to offer, and esports is no different. Ian Grieve, former director of Sony PlayStation, is at the forefront of this transition as the current Director of Interactive for ESTN, the largest metaverse esports platform.
He will also be presenting a session, Visit The New Metaverse, at next week’s free virtual XLIVE:Meta•Mersive event. XLIVE caught up with Grieve to discuss his work on ESTN and how the metaverse and web3 are poised to transform esports.
XLIVE: How did you get into the world of esports and the metaverse?
Ian Grieve: I have been working on multiple aspects of Web3 since 2017 — mostly Virtual Reality, Blockchain and Crypto. All aspects of the next generation have interested me deeply — having spent over 25 years in Development of interactive products (mostly video games!). The draw for me was irresistible — consequently, those who know me know what I am doing and word gets around... then other people's curiosity gets aroused! I like to share what I discover and I am never shy to talk about what I think is coming next (whether asked or not!).
One of those dear friends (who may or may not be presenting on this particular adventure), told me I needed to meet some guys - Robert Raff and Joe Karns, because they had something I needed and I had something they needed.Within 5 minutes it was clear that she was 100% accurate and the guys asked me to join them and flesh out the interactive side of things - so I did! I also brought some of my close associates to get involved as I thought they would enjoy what was evolving too... Snowballs have a habit of growing quickly as they continue to move forwards. Excellent!
XL: Can you share a bit of background on what ESTN is working on?
IG: ESTN is creating an end-to-end full service system relating to all aspects of eSports — from the smallest casual player to the large scale investment giants. The key feature is to provide a common metric to rank and establish status of all players of differing levels and abilities - the "UPR". This ensures maximum enjoyment of everyone involved and places the right people in the right competitions at the right time. Teams, individuals, groups, systems, networks — everything all connected and interconnected in real time. It covers eSports, Virtual Reality, Crypto backing and investment, Blockchain, NFTs — the ultimate execution of the whole range of Web3 and what it has to offer.
Who could resist that?
XL: What do you find most exciting about the potential that blockchain technology and NFTs offer to the world of esports?
IG: Accuracy, Veracity, Identity, Verification, Security, Attribution, Registration and sexiness - but not necessarily in that order!
XL: What do you see as one of the biggest challenges facing esports adoption in the metaverse?
IG: Unification of multiple products, people, teams and events in an easily understood and maintained manner, along with constant updates and the very latest information, data, metrics and scheduling. Of course, that is being solved as already discussed - see? I did say it was irresistible!
XL: What is your take on what the future of esports powered by blockchain tech will look like?
IG: Accuracy, Veracity, Identity, Verification, Security, Attribution, Registration and sexiness - but not necessarily in that order!