Thegaming industry is nowone of
the biggestmedia industries globally,
predictedto hit revenues of $180
billionby 2021. Onecontributing
factorto thatsuccess is the
phenomenon thatisesports, which
nowboasts around 450 million
followers worldwide.
However,the outdatedperception
of gaming hasn’t quitecaught up
with its mainstream success –the
stereotype ofagamer surrounded
by pizza boxesinadingy bedroom
or esports caféstill pr evails.
Tackling thatstereotype head-on
is theteam fromLondon’sfirstbar
and restaurant dedicatedtovideo
games and esports, Platform.There,
Guillaume Borkhataria andTomaso
Portunato areworking in partnership
with displaymanufacturer,iiyama,
to crea te agaming destination in the
heart ofLondon’strendy Shoreditch.
An entertainment hub designed
forall skill levels, it ’s aplacewhere
novicegamers andexpert gamers
alikecan socialise inalow-pressure
environment, playgames, eat
good pizza (thatwon’t linger in
abandonedtakea way boxesfor
weeks)and have afew drinks.
“Weare busyevery day, and it’s
lovely to see adiverserange of
people,fromgroups ofwomen
to officeworkers andeven three
generations ofafamily playing
games. And this isexactly the
inclusive, laid backatmosphere
we wantedto crea te,” says
Borkhataria, head of partnerships
and experienceatPlatform.It’s all in thetech
Afashionable location, good
food and drink, andafriendly
atmospherecan goalong wayto
making a
venture
likePlatform
work,
but great
equipment
and displays
arethe real
key to
its success.
Platform
is powered
by ahost
of high-
performance
PCs with
the latest
games and
peripherals,including the iiyama G-Master
gaming displays.
Conceptualised when iiyama
staff hobbygamersrealised many
peoplewere using itscommercial
displays fortournaments, the iiyama
G-Masterrangewasdesignedfor
everyone from the casualto the
professional gamer,acros sconsole
and PC.SteveKilroy,regional
managerforiiyama,explains: “Key
to developmentwasmaking surewe
did not go super high-end and high
in price. We neededagreat feature
set thatoffered super-fastresponse
times,arange ofresolutions,
easily customisable screen modes
and high quality deliveredat an
accessible pricepoint.”
This quality and flexibility
made iiyama the perfect fitfor
Platform.Thevenue needed a
high-performanceesports grade
displaywith highresolution, low
lag andfast response times, aswell
as larger screensforspectators
and social gaming. As Borkhataria
explains: “Wehavearesponsibility
to our customersto offer the best
experiencepossible and thatmeans
being ableto showoff the games
in the bestpossible light.”
Platform is designed so thatthe
spacecan function as anevents
stage withanumber of PCs linked upADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
The electronicscompany’s tech is poweringLondon
esportsvenue, Platform