STACK #161 Mar 2018

GAMES

FEATURE

country, in order to immerse gamers in the esports environment of the Gfinity Australia Competition – the first of which will open in Moore Park, Sydney. The arenas are set to boast state-of-the-art gaming equipment and broadcast and production suites. "The Gfinity Esport Arenas will be a game changer for esports in Australia and will allow fans and players to enjoy the best gaming action within a high quality location," said Remond of the arena partnership with one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. "We are excited that our inaugural Gfinity Elite Series, presented by Alienware, will be the first event to be staged at the new Arena, in front of a live audience, each weekend for seven weeks. “We’re also fortunate to be able to leverage HOYTS’ national venue reach with the potential for esports fans to watch our

tournaments on the big screen, in additional HOYTS cinema locations across the country. This will enable our fans and audiences to join in the excitement as we continue to position Gfinity Esports Australia as the leading esports tournament and broadcast provider in the country.” Damian Keogh, CEO of the HOYTS Group, noted that HOYTS Entertainment Quarter in Sydney’s Moore Park was a natural fit for the first dedicated Gfinity Esports Arena, given its history as a sporting precinct. "With proximity to the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium, we feel this is the perfect setting to offer esports fans the impact of a cinema-styled viewing experience that will be unlike anything else in Australia. “Our partnership with Gfinity Esports Australia will assist HOYTS to continue in our mission to innovate, create and challenge the normal cinema going experience. It’s all part of our Experience More brand promise.”

used by players in the Elite series. Doubling as the official hardware Partner, Alienware was an obvious choice for Gfinity. "As passionate supporters of the gaming community, their brand and products are a perfect fit for our ambition to create Australia’s first city- based professional esports league," commented Remond. “Esports is a highly sought- after space, and this partnership is demonstrative of the great commercial potential brands can see in Gfinity Australia’s Elite Series. We’re thrilled that Alienware has jumped at the opportunity to help bring a new wave of esports into Australia. It will enable them to further connect with a valuable, tech-savvy, younger audience." The most recent announcement revealed a partnership with Hoyts Cinemas, which are set to open a number of gaming arenas within already existing cinema locations around the

History of Hoyts The Hoyts Group in Australia has over 300 screens and more than 65,000 seats. Founded in 1908, the company started out showing short films at a venue on Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD, and now plays host to some of the country's most advanced cineplexes, with IMAX, Dolby Sound, reclining seats and state-of-the-art candy bars a staple of their cinemas.The Hoyts complexes will be the perfect fit for the new Gfinity

Esports arenas when they start to roll out next month.

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