Refract Technologies, Init Esports, and the World Freestyle Football Association will showcase the pioneering power of Active Esports during inaugural #CEC2022
The Global Esports Federation has revealed that the forthcoming Commonwealth Esports Championships will feature a dedicated Innovation Showcase area, shining light on powerful Active Esports technologies that are leading in the convergence of esports and sport.
Three key presenting partners – Refract Technologies, Init Esports, and the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) – have been confirmed for the Innovation Showcase, which will run during the #CEC2022 in Birmingham from 5-7 August 2022.
“The Innovation Showcase at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championships will provide a live, interactive opportunity for these leading partners to share their technology and innovations with the athletes and ticket holders. The Global Esports Federation is proud to provide this opportunity and forum to connect, discuss and share these innovations,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF. “Esports and its related sectors are built around communities, and we are proud to collaborate with leading innovators like Refract, Init Esports and the WFFA.”
Refract Technologies, GEF’s Global Partner for Interactive Technology, is a Singapore-based group of engineers, game producers, artists, and entrepreneurs with a deep passion for, and experience in the gaming and technology industries.
Refract will demonstrate AXIS, a proprietary real-time, full-body, motion-tracking solution offering untethered freedom of movement, turning the body into a real-time game controller. Players can use this to play FreeStriker, a first-person fighting game in a futuristic virtual arena. Refract will also be showcasing Tic Tac Bow, a new mobile archery game.
“Refract is thrilled to have this opportunity to showcase AXIS, our proprietary active gaming technology, as well as our game titles, at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championships,” said Michael Chng, CEO of Refract Technologies. “We are proud to partner with the GEF. Besides directly engaging with games fans and esports spectators through our Live exhibit, we also hope to inspire more developers and content creators around the world to join us in redefining game experiences and extending human experience beyond reality.”
Init Esports is a woman-led startup that focuses on sim racing special events and motorcycle esports tournaments, bringing esports content to fans and sponsorship opportunities to brands. At the Innovation Showcase they will demonstrate Sim Racing experience by Init Esports, using the market-leading game Assetto Corsa Competizione.
"Sim racing creates a direct line into the real world,” said Stefy Bau, CEO of Init Esports, three-time motocross World Champion. “Current F1 and NASCAR race car drivers practice their skills on simulators, and gamers perfect their talent to have a chance to fill a seat in an F1 car or become a digital esports sim racing champion. It’s so interconnected. Motorsports and gaming tend to be heavy on the male side and sim racing can provide a relatable and less threatening way for everyone interested in both industries. The possibility to make mistakes while playing is also very important because it can shape one individual life to keep trying and learning. Proud for this collaboration with the GEF. During the #CEC2022 everyone new to esports – should come and try a sim – and for the experts to show the public how engaging it is.”
The WFFA is the international body of Freestyle Football. It will showcase – in real life – what is captured on top football titles such as eFootball™ series and FIFA. Freestyle Football is positioned at the heart of street culture worldwide and our simple call to action, ‘All you need is a ball’, represents the opportunity to promote and gamify active, healthy lifestyles anywhere.
“The participants and audience of Freestyle Football are entirely representative and relative to that of esports,” said Dan Wood, Co-founder and Head of Partnerships at the WFFA. “We adore the esports community and our strategy for the future is to integrate even more with esports by hosting IRL events inside game titles. We are working on Active Esports gamified innovations to create a healthy balance lifestyle for athletes to enjoy. This showcase at the CEC 2022 will allow us to publicly demonstrate our synergies with esports and reach some wider audiences at the same time. We are very excited, grateful to the GEF and truly honored to have this opportunity.”