How Iiyama’s monitors are helping to transform social gaming

The gaming industry is now one of the biggest media industries globally, predicted to hit revenues of $180 billion by 2021. One contributing factor to that success is the phenomenon that is esports, which now boasts around 450 million followers worldwide.

However, the outdated perception of gaming hasn’t quite caught up with its mainstream success – the stereotype of a gamer surrounded by pizza boxes in a dingy bedroom or esports café still prevails.

Tackling that stereotype head-on is the team from London’s first bar and restaurant dedicated to video games and esports, Platform. There, Guillaume Borkhataria and Tomaso Portunato are working in partnership with display manufacturer, Iiyama, to create an accessible and fun gaming atmosphere in the heart of London’s trendy Shoreditch.

An entertainment hub designed for all skill levels, it’s a place where novice gamers and expert gamers alike can socialise in a low-pressure environment, play games, eat good pizza (that won’t linger in abandoned takeaway boxes for weeks) and have a few drinks. “We are busy every day, and it’s lovely to see a diverse range of people, from groups of women to office workers and even three generations of a family playing games. And this is exactly the inclusive, laid back atmosphere we wanted to create,” says Borkhataria, head of partnerships and experience at Platform.

It’s all in the tech

A fashionable location, good food and a friendly atmosphere can go a long way to making a venture like Platform work, but great equipment and displays are the real key to its success. Platform is powered by a host of high-performance PCs with the latest games and peripherals, including the Iiyama G-Master gaming displays.

Conceptualised when Iiyama staff hobby gamers realised many people were using its commercial displays for tournaments, the Iiyama G-Master range was designed for everyone from the casual to the professional gamer, across console and PC. Steve Kilroy, regional manager for Iiyama, explains: “Key to development was making sure we did not go super high-end and high in price. We needed a great feature set that offered super-fast response times, a range of resolutions, easily customisable screen modes and high quality delivered at an accessible price point.”

This quality and flexibility made Iiyama the perfect fit for Platform. The venue needed a high-performance esports grade display with high resolution, low lag and fast response times, as well as larger screens for spectators and social gaming. As Borkhataria explains: “We have a responsibility to our customers to offer the best experience possible and that means being able to show off the games in the best possible light.”

Platform is designed so that the space can function as an events stage with a number of PCs linked up ready for pro esports tournaments and events, but the same space is open to the public for a little out-of-hours competitive gaming. You then have carefully crafted spaces with tiered seating for console and retro gaming dotted around, with big Iiyama commercial displays on the walls to live stream events and esports tournaments from around the globe.

The venue uses a range of 144Hz 27in displays for the PC setups, larger 55in screens for the social gaming areas and a selection of big screens for spectators. They run tournaments and events on the Iiyama GB2760HSU-B1 HD 144Hz G-Master screens which offer Freesync technology, 1ms response time and handy features such as a height-adjustable stand. Iiyama screens also use cutting-edge technology to ensure the experience is lag-free and avoids defects and tearing, and a vast array of inputs make it an ideal choice for PC or console gaming.

What next?

Gaming at Platform is a social entertainment experience and a day out for families, friends and co-workers. “It was great to visit Platform recently,” says Steve Kilroy. “It was a busy lunch day and really nice to see a group of office workers on an Iiyama 55in screen playing FIFA, another group of people retro gaming and a group of young lads on the racing simulators.”

But Platform and Iiyama want to take this success further, expanding and delivering their model to more cities and towns, bringing people together to game socially across the country. The goal is for Platform to become the go-to social gaming hub, professional esports venue and choice for competitive esports locally and nationally. If these ambitions are realised and esports continues on its upward trajectory, it won’t be long before heading down to your local esports arena to cheer on your favourite gamers is just as common as going to watch your local football team.

Discover more about iiyama’s 27in G-Master gaming monitor here