#blevins gen one

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🌙✨

[one-day-rpg]

@one-day-rpg

[softnow]

impressions, first through fifth

msr | s1 | gen | words: 1k

five times mulder revised his opinion of dana scully during their first year.

i started this...several months ago. better late than never, eh? (feat. pilot, the jersey devil, ice, lazarus, and tooms)

— — —

i.

She’s a lot smaller than he expected. And young. Jesus, she looks young. He’d gotten her age from her file, of course, but the girl standing before him barely looks old enough to buy herself a drink, with her big, round eyes and her sugar dusting of freckles and that ridiculous overlarge suit. Where’d she get that, anyway, her mother’s closet?

She shakes his hand and he thinks of Doogie Howser. The little doctor who could. She’s not at all what he expected—not the cerebral, seasoned cynic who had the gall to rewrite Einstein and do it with such panache—and he has the sudden, overwhelming urge to intimidate her a little, to ruffle her, to prove his theory that little Doctor Scully isn’t cut out for this.

So he throws his best at her, his slides and his theories and maybe you can explain this, Doctor, and do you believe in extraterrestrials, Doctor, and do you believe I’m the half-cocked tinfoil crackpot that the whole damn bureau says I am, Doctor.

She should be running for the hills, begging Blevins for a reassignment right now, immediately. But she’s not. She rebuts him, parries him, tosses out explanations and seems genuinely intrigued when she doesn’t have one.

She holds her own, in other words. So he decides she can stay. For now. For Oregon. Besides, once they’re done there, if they find what he thinks—what he hopes—they’ll find, he’s sure she’ll be crawling hand over fist out of the basement. Away from him.

ii.

He was joking yesterday when he asked if she had a date, but now it seems like she’s actually gone and gotten herself one. Just to spite him? He wouldn’t be surprised. There’s something fiery hidden in there, barely belied by those round cheeks and shoulder pads. He’s seen it. On an air base in Idaho, her with her gun and her don’t-try-me eyes, he saw it.

And really, it doesn’t matter why she’s on the date. She’s a grown woman. She can do as she pleases. He’s not so regressed as to think he owns her, especially during her off time.

But it’s just… They’re on a case. And sure, maybe they’re not exactly welcome on it. Detective Stick-Up-His-Ass made that abundantly clear. But it’s a case nonetheless, one with lives at stake, and she’s—what?—eating fondue with a hedge fund manager? Being felt up in the back of a movie theatre by an insurance salesman? Answering and what do you do, Dana with well, you see, my job is to wrangle a madman who believes in ET?

He sighs, rubs the bridge of his nose under his glasses. That’s not exactly fair. He knows she has a higher regard for him than that. (At least, he thinks she does. She’s still here, and that’s not nothing.) He knows she even respects the work, in her own way.

But there’s a…a thing on the loose in New Jersey, and she’s on a date, and he knows he’s missing something but he can’t fucking focus because she’s on a date, not here, not giving him the sounding board he needs right now, and she’s on a… She’s… She.

The phone rings. A body. A male body. He’s dialing her pager almost before he’s hung up on the ranger, and she calls him back just as fast. She doesn’t sound upset about being interrupted. They’re in Jersey by morning.

iii.

She pointed a gun at him. He thinks about it later on the flight home with her curled in on herself next to him, her forehead creased, troubled even in sleep. She pointed a gun at him, and she held it on him, even when he yelled, demanded she put it down. Even when he held his own on her.

He thinks of partners past, tries to imagine any of them pulling their weapons on him to keep him safe. Tries to imagine what he’d have done if they did.

The plane bumps through a pocket of turbulence, and Scully makes a small, unhappy sound. She shifts lower in her seat, head sliding until it connects with his shoulder. Her hair is baby-soft and fine, tickling the curve of his jaw.

She is wholly incongruous, steel and soft cotton. He can still feel her hands tugging at the back of his shirt, digging into the meat of his neck. He looks at them now, twisted together in her lap. Such small hands.

But they held a gun on him. And they didn’t back down.

iv.

She dated her instructor. Her older instructor. Her older instructor who looked like that and tried to kill her.

Well—okay. Maybe that last thing wasn’t exactly Willis’s fault, but he’s having a hard time wrapping his head around the whole enchilada, as it were.

Because when he imagines her with a man, it’s never someone like that. Never someone haggard and work-weary, someone more dedicated to a cause than a person. Never someone who chases the darkness so long he forgets about the light.

It’s… Hell. He doesn’t know exactly what it is. A blonde doctor-type, maybe. Somebody young like her who smiles a lot and has a border collie. Somebody who won’t drag her down, too.

v.

She lied to their superior. For him.

Agent Mulder could not have done it because he was with me.

She didn’t even blink.

He tries to focus on the road to Tooms’ Baltimore residence, but all he can see is her face in the darkness last night. I wouldn’t put myself on the line for anyone but you. And now this, not even 24 hours later.

In the passenger’s seat, she crosses and recrosses her ankles. She doesn’t seem particularly bothered for someone who just risked her career for him. For someone who is still risking her career.

He wonders what will ultimately do it. What will cause her to throw up her hands and walk away? Will it be next month? Next year? It frightens him more than it should, he realizes, the idea of her leaving.

He spares a quick glance at her, her Grecian profile, all that copper hair. It frightens him even more, the possibility that she might stay.

[madstars-festival]

THE FUTURE 100: WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2020 AND BEYOND?

If you missed Wunderman Thompson’s “Future 100” report, which forecasts what’s in store for 2020, here’s a summary of 7 of its most illuminating trends.

There’s no denying the latter part of the 2010s were filled with political, economic and environmental instability – so it’s a relief to see a growing number of brands combating anxiety with optimism.

According to Wunderman Thompson, “Forward-thinking companies are brightening the gloom by offering a measured and thoughtful outlook, one that is both realistic and optimistic.”

Here are a few trends worth watching in 2020 and beyond…

Climate positive brands

According to Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s SONAR™ research, 90% of consumers believe that companies and brands have a responsibility to take care of the planet and its people.

As a result, brands are taking greater responsibility for environmental impact.

Two examples: Since 2017, H&M has been working towards its aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2040, while Unilever has pledged to be carbon positive by 2030.

It’s interesting because: “Carbon-positive practices are becoming more than just a trust-building exercise to earn consumer loyalty—they are evolving into a modern business imperative,” says Wunderman Thompson.

“Untabooing” in the East

According to Wunderman Thompson, long-established taboos are beginning to fall away in Asia. From mental health to sexual health and gender stereotypes, once-taboo topics are seeing the light of day – thanks in large part to technology and progressive advertisers who are being braver with their messaging.

In China, a platform called Yummy invites women to discuss sexual and health issues, and its user numbers have reportedly topped two million. In Thailand, Ooca is making therapy sessions accessible through its website and a smartphone app.

For brands, there’s an opportunity to help younger generations tackle taboos by creating safe, open platforms for conversation.

Sentient tech

Brands are embracing technology to devise pleasing ways of relieving people’s stress and anxiety.  Last year, Microsoft unveiled Ada, an AI sculpture that translates emotions into a colourful display (below). At CES 2019, Kia showcased its ability to monitor a driver’s emotions using its Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving (Read) system. The car adjusts the car accordingly, altering the lighting or music to reintroduce a sense of calm, cleverly coaxing you to shift your mood.

Haptic tech

Imagine if you could feel products while you’re online shopping, using AR and VR to simulate physical interaction with a dress you’d like to buy, for example.

Haptic technology is making virtual tactile experiences possible – and it made a big splash at CES 2019, according to Wunderman Thompson. Alibaba has already launched a haptic technology solution called ‘Refinity’. Disney has produced a prototype for a haptic Force Jacket that will produce physical sensations for VR environments so you can feel punches or hug, for example.

“Haptic technology is set to revolutionize everything from entertainment to education,” Wunderman Thompson predicts.

“It elevates 3D digital environments to something far more interactive and emotional. As haptic-enhanced products improve, demand will grow and R&D will see further investment. Now’s the time for brands to assess how haptics can enhance their product innovation strategy.”

“Gamefluencers”

The gaming industry will be worth $300 billion by 2025, according to GlobalData, and brands that want a slice of the action are recruiting ‘gamefluencers’ to promote their wares.

In August 2019, Fortnite megastar Tyler Blevins signed a multi-year partnership with Adidas, while Nike signed a deal to with League of Legends Pro League (LPL) players to become their exclusive apparel and footwear partner. Watch this space.

Futureproof recipes

“Consumers are pivoting towards a “climate diet,” consuming less meat and dairy, and seeking environmentally friendly alternatives,” says Wunderman Thompson. “Food brands will need to start producing healthy and sustainable foods that not only feed consumers but also nourish the planet.”

Consumers are flocking to brands like Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger, and Oatly’s oat-based ‘milk’, which emphasize sustainability as much as they do flavor.

Next-gen retail spaces

Finally, with much of their lives spent on social media, millennials regard design values as being of paramount importance. Expect to see far more immersive, impeccably designed retail spaces in future to captivate their minds – and wallets.

• Download the complete ‘The Future 100:2020’ report here, published by Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.

[bluemagic-girl]

Fortnite: Kyle Giersdorf, 16, wins $3 million in World Cup

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Get in touch with him Bugha. Phone him Kyle Giersdorf. Contact him $3 million richer just after Sunday’s Fortnite Earth Cup solo competitors. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Photographs)

Cindy Boren

Reporter masking sports activities, with an emphasis on politics and nationwide stories

July 29 at 8:52 AM

For a several times at least, Kyle Giersdorf isn’t heading to be hassled for paying out so substantially time enjoying movie game titles.

The 16-12 months-old regarded as “Bugha” to avid gamers, came absent with $3 million Sunday in the Fortnite Entire world Cup solo competitiveness, beating 99 other players culled from some 40 million who hoped to qualify for the function in Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Giersdorf, who lives in Pottsgrove, Pa., laughed and shook his head as his identify was declared just after his dominant efficiency in the finale. Like all champions in the home of tennis’ U.S. Open up, he gleefully hoisted the giant trophy above his head and hugged members of his loved ones. “All I want,” he stated (by using the BBC), “is a new desk and possibly a desk for my trophy.”

The relaxation he programs to conserve.

In the last spherical, his championship was “pretty a great deal sealed” after he located a safe location to appear for enemies and amassed a ton of money for ammunition. “Words just can’t seriously reveal it. I’m so delighted,” he advised CNN Business enterprise. “Everything I’ve carried out in the grind has all compensated off and it is just insane.”

Harrison “Psalm” Chang, one particular of the oldest competitors Sunday at 24, received $1.8 million. “It’s good symbolizing the old dudes: Knowledge and composure trump everything,” Chang, a previous experienced Heroes of the Storm player, reported. “Fortnite is a youthful man’s recreation, though.”

He mentioned he programs to possibly “gamble it all or invest” his dollars, but has not made the decision nevertheless.

Much more than 30 nations had been represented in the tournament, sponsored by Fortnite’s mother or father Epic Game titles. It awarded $30 million to players over the weekend, which also showcased a Professional-Am and duos competitiveness. In duos, adolescents Nyhrox and Aqua gained $1.5 million every Saturday. Aqua’s strategy? Searching for Gucci sneakers.

In Fortnite, the multiplayer phenomenon that has 200 million registered consumers competing under generally inscrutable names all over the world, 100 players are dropped on to an island and should eliminate each other, in search of weapons and setting up buildings along the way, right up until one particular is still left. Competition in the match, which is cost-free to obtain, can participate in by yourself, in a four- or 20-particular person group, with mates or with other players they really don’t know.

The Fortnite Globe up solo closing Sunday provided a eyesight of the upcoming of esports. (Jason Szenes/EPA-EFE)

The Battle Royale model of the activity introduced in all over $2.4 billion in revenue for Epic in 2018, in accordance to SuperData Analysis.

As with electronic equipment of all sorts, the match can be addictive, as Britain’s Prince Harry famous. “That activity shouldn’t be allowed. The place is the profit of owning it in your home?” he stated in April. He additional, “It’s designed to addict, an addiction to hold you in front of a personal computer for as lengthy as achievable. It’s so irresponsible.”

Like it or not, there’s a ton of income relocating in and out. A 2018 Goldman Sachs report stated that esports have landed enterprise capital expense totaling $3.3 billion because 2013, and $1.4 billion as of the center of final year. “We [the esports industry] look like the NBA did in late ’60s, early ’70s,” Canaan Partners’ Maha Ibrahim, who has led the firm’s financial investment in Gen. G, claimed in April.

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the 28-year-previous who is just one of the finest-recognized Fortnite gamers in the world, explained in an ABC interview the motivation essential and approximated that he performs at least 10-12 several hours a day. “One hour is not enough,” he reported, incorporating, “So a lot of people undervalue and undervalue time in [the game]. If you are taking part in like an hour a day, you’re not gonna at any time be at a stage that you want to be at.”

To get very good at the match requires two to 5 several hours a working day, according to Blevins, who also thinks it’s sensible for mother and father to seek the services of tutors to support their young ones.

“There are folks who are creating hundreds of countless numbers of bucks at the age of 16, 18 playing that video game,” he mentioned. “Would you ever insult a father or mother or dilemma a parent for employing a mentor? Like a certain mentor to assist them get better at soccer or football? No one’s gonna be like, ‘Why would you do that?’ It is the very same with Fortnite. There’s cash in it.”

And Giersdorf’s haul places him on yet another stage.

“He’s these a superior participant, it’s unattainable to not know who he is,” Perri Cox, a 17-calendar year-aged spectator, instructed CNN. “I really do not believe relaxed players understood of him, but if you ended up next the aggressive facet of issues, you undoubtedly had been knowledgeable of him.”

Read through a lot more from The Post:

Viewpoint: Coming to a high college in close proximity to you: the courageous new earth of esports

As hundreds of thousands of bucks pour in, esports groups provide different visions of the future

The Jacksonville shooting shattered Larry Legend’s hand, but not his aspiration

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The best gadgets of 2019

Bigger, lighter ultraportable laptops

Cherlynn Low Reviews Editor

Good lord, did laptops get a facelift this year. After all the progress that notebooks as a category made last year, I wasn’t expecting to see much more improvement in 2019. I was wrong. This year, Dell launched a new XPS 13 2-in-1, which my colleague Devindra called the “perfect ultraportable,” and HP released the Elite Dragonfly, which the company markets as “lighter than air.”

No device is actually lighter than air, but this year, mainstream laptops certainly got a whole lot lighter and thinner than before while growing more powerful, without sacrificing battery life. That’s to be expected, after years of incremental improvements, but we also have to give Intel a little credit. Its Project Athena program rolled out this year, spurring the development of more compact, lightweight ultraportables that last all day. Shout out also to the Galaxy Book Flex and Ion, which launched late in the year and proved that Samsung can make gorgeous, super sleek notebooks. And even though the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy Book S didn’t actually arrive in time to make this year’s list, my hands-on with it left me impressed by its lightweight, attractive exterior.

Aided by potent processors like NVIDIA’s Studio products, laptop makers also delivered powerhouse notebooks targeted at creators who need the beef for editing multiple 4K video streams but don’t want gaudy or chunky gaming machines. Acer and ASUS both made devices for these purposes, with the ConceptD and ProArt StudioBook sub-brands respectively. These proved that laptops could pack plenty of muscle without weighing a ton.

But 2019 also saw the arrival of the LG Gram 17 — a surprisingly sleek machine for having a 17-inch screen — and the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3. Apple also released a new 16-inch MacBook Pro, delighting power users and fans of usable keyboards. While these larger laptops still have their flaws, the fact that they’re no longer chunky slabs of metal and plastic is a promising sign of bigger and better to come in 2020 and beyond.

iPhone 11 Pro

Mat Smith Bureau Chief, UK

It’s hard for any smartphone to break out in 2019. Especially in a year where the industry was obsessed with folding gimmicks and a 5G network not ready for prime time. Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro launched with a brighter screen, was predictably faster and has better — and more — cameras. It’s costlier, sure. In fact, it’s Apple’s most expensive phone ever. But it also tackles one of the perennial issues with nearly all smartphones: mediocre battery life.

The 11 Pro Max is a barely noticeable 0.02 inches thicker than the iPhone XS Max, but with that extra space and a new L-shaped battery cell, the latest 11 Pro Max adds roughly four more hours of use compared to its predecessor. My iPhone 11 Pro Max consistently clocks almost two days on a single charge. It’s better than any smartphone I’ve owned in the last few years.

And then there are the cameras. After leading the smartphone camera revolution, a decade ago, Apple has recently lagged behind the competition. With the iPhone 11 Pro, it’s caught up. In fact, the company has arguably reclaimed the top spot. From Deep Fusion, which adds improved textures and detail, to the ultra-wide-angle cameras for squeezing in crowds, landscapes and more, to the improved night shooting mode, the iPhone 11 Pro is on equal photography footing with the Pixel 4 or the Galaxy Note 10.

There are other highlights, too. The 11 Pro phones come with a high-speed USB-C charger (and a USB-C to Lightning cable), making charging considerably faster. It also means I can connect my iPhone to my year-old MacBook Pro’s USB-C ports without a dongle. Instead of having to plug it in overnight, I can charge the iPhone 11 Pro Max to 50 percent in just thirty minutes. Better battery life isn’t the sexiest feature, but it’s never been more appreciated.

Powerful processors and GPUs

Steve Dent Associate Editor

The PC market is no longer moribund, thanks in large part to devices that are more interesting and powerful. That’s certainly true in the gaming and content creation markets, and for that, we can largely thank AMD and NVIDIA. At the same time, we’ve never had so many lightweight but powerful laptops, and we give Intel credit there.

The processor of the year for gaming and content creation is AMD’s $750, 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X. Intel still has the edge in gaming with its Core i9 9900K, sure, and that model is also cheaper at $500. But the Ryzen 9 3950X is really close, and once you switch over to content creation tasks, those eight extra cores let it destroy the 9900K.

Best of all, AMD’s new Ryzen chips have forced Intel to drop prices, making powerful PCs cheaper across the board. For instance, Intel’s 18-core 9980XE launched in 2017 cost a cool $2,000, but its successor, the 18-core 10980XE costs just half of that. That’s because Intel had to react to AMD’s Threadripper 3970X, which has 32 cores and costs $1,999.

Last year, we called out NVIDIA’s RTX 2080 Ti as one of the worst products of 2018, thanks to its high price and abysmal ray-tracing support. To its credit, though, NVIDIA has introduced new features that make its RTX lineup more desirable, particularly the RTX Studio drivers. Those put NVIDIA’s ray tracing to work, speeding up 3D apps like Blender, and making video and photo editing quicker and more stable, too. On top of that, games like Metro Exodus and Control are finally making better use of ray tracing, and we can expect more of the same in 2020.

Intel is losing in the high-end CPU market, but it’s still thumping AMD when it comes to laptops. Devices like Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 show that Intel has crammed a ton of power into low-energy, long-lasting devices, with big improvements in on-board graphics. Anyone getting a PC with a 10th-gen Intel CPU will see much better performance than last year’s machines, and we’ll have lots of great notebooks to look forward to next year.

Sonos and IKEA Symfonisk Table Lamp

Igor Bonifacic Contributing Writer

We’ll admit: Sonos and IKEA’s Symfonisk table lamp looks goofy. But get past its unusual appearance and you’ll find one of the most versatile gadgets released this year.

As an affordable entry into the Sonos ecosystem, the Symfonisk lamp has almost everything you could want. Setup via the Sonos app is easy whether you’re adding to an existing sound system or starting from scratch. What’s more, the lamp sounds almost as good as the more expensive Sonos One, which is one of the best speakers you can buy. Best of all, even though it’s not a premium product, Sonos didn’t skimp on features like AirPlay 2 compatibility.

What you won’t find are any microphones onboard for Google Assistant and Alexa support. Some people might prefer this; it’s one less device listening to their conversations. For everyone else, it’s easy enough to integrate the lamp with your existing smart speakers for voice control.

But the Symfonisk lamp isn’t just a good speaker, it’s also a great lamp. Although it uses smaller and less common E12 light bulbs, it still adds a lot of warmth to a room. Its versatility as both a speaker and a lamp means you’ll consistently get a lot of use out of it. Add to that its low price and the Symfonisk lamp is one of those rare collaborations that actually delivers the best of both partner companies.

8BitDo SN30 Pro+

Kris Holt Contributing Writer

The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic system, with great games and unrivaled portability for a console. But its standard controller setup is far from ideal.

Joy-Cons are terrific if you’re hanging out with a friend and want to fire up your Switch for co-op action. But when you have to use both Joy-Cons for a single-player game, particularly one that requires dual thumbsticks, they’re not the most practical. In fact, the right thumbstick is positioned too awkwardly to comfortably use for very long. But thankfully, there are plenty of other options out there.

The Switch Pro Controller is a solid alternative, but I much prefer 8BitDo’s excellent SN30 Pro+. It feels far more natural to hold than Nintendo’s controllers, and I have no problem using it for hours at a time. I love the SNES/DualShock 4 mashup approach to the design, too. I haven’t encountered any significant latency issues, and its compatibility with Android, Raspberry Pi, PC and macOS is a nice bonus. The customization options on the 8BitDo Ultimate Software are also terrific and a boon for accessibility.

The SN30 Pro+ makes the Switch even more of a joy, especially for playing Overwatch or Fortnite on the go. I only wish 8BitDo included a headphone jack for more flexibility, especially for when I dock my Switch and I’m across the room from my TV. Still, the controller is an almost-perfect solution for my Switch setup.

Mixer

Jessica Conditt Senior Editor

Mixer has come a long way in a short time. As recently as last year, we were describing Mixer as “Microsoft’s Twitch rival” in headlines, worried that people wouldn’t recognize the service by name. Today, Mixer has 30 million monthly active users, exclusivity deals with a roster of high-profile streamers and plenty of practice in the tech-news spotlight. Mixer has Ninja. What more needs to be said?

Not only did Mixer steal Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the world’s most popular streamer, from Twitch in August, but a handful of other popular names have followed suit. This year, Mixer has picked up Cory “King Gothalion” Michael, Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek and Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler, and Twitch has only recently responded with exclusive acquisitions of its own. Of course, the follower counts of Twitch’s most recent members — Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo, Saqib “LIRIK” Zahid and Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar — reach 10.73 million combined, while Ninja alone had 14.7 million followers when he ditched Twitch. Ninja racked up more than 1 million followers in his first week on Mixer.

At one point, it seemed as if Twitch was the undisputed, permanent champion of video game streaming, but a handful of moderation missteps and the loss of key personalities this year have left the company vulnerable. Of course, all of the main live-streaming platforms have the backing of massive tech companies — Twitch is owned by Amazon, Mixer is the property of Microsoft and (surprise!) YouTube Gaming is run by Google — so they have significant runway to try new things, fail and try again. But in 2019, Mixer got a lot of steps right and laid the foundation for the service’s continued growth in 2020.

[dippedanddripped]

GAMING

Sep 26, 2019By

Emily Engle

Professional gaming has taken the world by storm over the past couple of years. Colleges are offering scholarships to aspiring esports stars, and dedicated esports stadiums are popping up all over the world. The recent Fortnite World Cup awarded $30 million USD in total prize money, and both the Olympics and ESPN have now sanctioned esports. According to Newzoo’s 2019 Global Esports Market Report, YouTube and Twitch audiences for esports were larger than the viewership of HBO, Netflix and ESPN combined in 2018. In short, esports are beginning to look and feel a lot like a traditional sports — and with that comes big sponsorship money pouring in.

Everyone from automaker Nissan to rapper Offset wants a piece of the esports pie, but it’s sportswear brands that stand to make the greatest profit and, subsequently, are making the biggest waves. Companies like adidas and Nike have been quietly beginning to work alongside various esports teams, but adidas Originals made headlines when it signed a partnership with professional Fortnite player Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, marking the brand’s first endorsement deal with an individual esports player. “We are exploring what we might have to offer gamers to enhance game performance, or even possibly bring them closer to the gameplay itself,” adidas Originals said in a statement to HYPEBEAST.

Thanks in part to free streaming platforms like Twitch, which brings in 15 million daily viewers alone, esports stars like Ninja have managed to stand out among millions of players based on personality and appearance. After garnering an audience of around 14.6 million followers on Twitch, Ninja recently signed a deal with Microsoft, promising to exclusively stream his gameplay on Twitch’s competitor platform Mixer, where he amassed over 1.5 million subscribers and two million follows in just two weeks. Earlier this year, Fortnite creator Epic Games announced that its platform has more than 250 million registered accounts — that’s two-thirds the size of the US population. “In my mind [esports are] no different than any other sport or craft. You gotta put the time in to it if you love it and want to truly be one of the best,” Ninja tells HYPEBEAST.

On social media, Ninja commands an Instagram following of around 14.7 million individuals and growing, surpassing famous NBA players of the same age like Tristan Thompson by millions. “What I’ve found is that esports fans are just as passionate about their teams as traditional sports fans,” says designer Maxwell Osbourne of streetwear label Public School. “It’s amazing to see how they look up to their favorite players the same way NBA fans idolize LeBron James or Steph Curry.”

“[I'd] rather be the first brand looking at esports than the twelfth brand looking at basketball.”

Esports do differ from traditional sports in at least one key way, however. Anyone with access to a computer and the internet can play, making it easier for those outside of the professional industry to understand and invest in the movement. “We’re seeing the smartest, most forward-thinking investors and organizations in sports lean into the movement, says Blake Lawrence, CEO of athlete marketing platform opendorse. “With their support, the ceiling is pretty high.

Among the list of esports admirers outside of the industry is rapper Offset, who’s known to play games like Call of Duty and NBA 2K to unwind outside of the public eye. Last month, the Atlanta rapper even claimed a stake in the industry by announcing his personal investment in popular esports team FaZe Clan, a monetary move he made because he believes in the players themselves. “The actual players, they’re like rock stars,” he says. “They’ve got great followings, they influence kids, and that’s what I do. It was just organic. These guys are cool.” In addition to Offset, Drake, Sean Combs and even Michael Jordan joined the list of many celebrities who invested in esports last year.

In addition to relatability, esports stars garner a desirable audience made up of 79% millennials — a demographic brands are eager to get their hands on. “For any company trying to reach the Gen Z and millennial-minded audience, streaming and esports is an enormous opportunity,” says Robert Cross, director, media and activation of Nissan North America, who also confirmed partnerships with Faze Clan and Call of Duty team OpTic Gaming earlier this year. “It’s just a massive audience of the hardest to reach demographic of young men, and they’re spending hours immersed in gaming,” echoes K-Swiss President Barney Waters. “The viewership of these big tournaments is bigger than the NBA Finals, and look at the time, money and energy that sneaker brands are spending there.”

Another draw for big brands looking to invest in esports is the potential to land the next big collaborator. “While certain market analysts would say YEEZYs have had little impact on adidas’ bottom line, it’s obvious the hype created by Kanye‘s involvement has stretched well beyond the sneaker, impacting the adidas’ brand perception and helping sales across the board,” says Lawrence. “I think Ninja [partnering with adidas Originals] could have a similar impact with this generation of esports fans.”

Along the same lines as sneaker releases like with YEEZYs, esports teams have begun experimenting with streetwear-esque product drops. Fortnite and Call of Duty team FaZe Clan offers its fans frequent merchandise drops that sell out almost instantly. The team recently hosted a pop-up at Stadium Goods NYC, which FaZe Clan Creative Director Erik Marino reports attracted hundreds of fans lining up days before the event and thousands flooding the space the day of. “NYPD had to shut down the event, but only after agreeing to extend a bit — as long as they could get pics with our pros to show their kids,” recalls Marino. “I’ve never seen lines like this in streetwear.” New York Excelsior had a similar experience when hosting its first pop-up shop, which released multiple collaborations between the professional Overwatch team and brands like UNDEFEATED, Nike, Champion, Levi’s and New Era.

“Esports fans are hungry for more streetwear apparel that looks great, but also serves a functional need for their daily lifestyle as gamers”

The demand for esports related merchandise is clearly alive and well, however brands are still discovering what it is esports fans and athletes are actually looking for. Most would imagine esports to be a sedentary and immobile activity, but it turns out players at all levels are seeking a healthy mix of comfort, style and performance apparel and gear. “Everybody loves to look good, but we also want to be comfortable and able to get into the game,” says Ninja. “Esports fans are hungry for more streetwear apparel that looks great, but also serves a functional need for their daily lifestyle as gamers,” echoes Osbourne.

Brands like Public School and esports organization Andbox are leading the charge when it comes to performance apparel for esports players. The two brands recently collaborated on a collection of performance windbreakers, fleeces, lounge pants, jerseys and T-shirts, featuring design details that can enhance a player’s game. “The hoodies from our first Andbox collection have nylon patches on the back of the sleeves to decrease drag and friction when someone is moving a computer mouse across the table,” explains Osbourne. “Features like that are essential for this community.”

ANDBOX

K-Swiss also tested out performance gear for esports players with its One Tap Esports Shoe designed in collaboration with multi-game esports team Immortals. For the iconic sportswear brand, the decision to not only invest in but to create product within the esports space stemmed from equal parts brand alignment strategy and pure interest. Waters says that beyond jumping on the chance to have the “first-mover advantage” in the emerging field, he has a vested interest, “in anything progressive, as a counter-weight to K-Swiss’ perception as a heritage brand,” noting that because sportswear brands are always looking for performance-inspired product design, he’d “rather be the first brand looking at esports than the twelfth brand looking at basketball.”

Performance gear fills one void in the esports apparel realm, but Co-Founder of Culture Group Michael Patent and his team noticed an even larger gap when it comes to overall esports team identity. Football players have kits, basketball players have jerseys, but esports players were lacking a way to communicate team identity to each other and to fans. As a result of this realization, Culture Group drove a partnership between Riot Games and Nike China to create a cultural identity for League of Legends players through lifestyle apparel.

K-SWISS

Patent sees the ongoing need for esports team identity as an open invitation for someone within the space to create a new brand that will dominate, similar to to the beginnings of today’s heritage sportswear brands. “Take brands like Billabong and Vans for example, which emanated from skate and surf, he explains. “We will see a global apparel brand emerge from an esports specific organization.”

“Esports teams and athletes have suffered from a lack of brand identity and cultural resonance,” he continues. “If you look back into the ‘80s and ‘90s at iconic brands and campaigns like ‘Bo Knows’ in ’89, the launch of the Jordan Brand in ’84, or the impact of Team USA’s basketball jersey in 1992, you see the role that brands have played in driving a cultural conversation. The same will happen in esports.”

“It will only be a matter of time until we see luxury brands enter esports.”

As for the future of sportswear and esports’ relationship, experts predict it will only continue to expand. “This is all early adoption still; I feel the market will continue to grow and the best of the best will rise to the top,” says Marino. But in order to find success as a brand entering the esports space, Ninja notes that, “the challenge will always be finding individuals that really fit the spirit of your brand,” and that brands will really need to “focus their time and energy on folks who can truly build and engage a community.”

Public School and Andbox’s collection marked one of the first crossovers between luxury streetwear and esports apparel, and Marino notes that he doesn’t see higher-end designers shying away from the industry anytime soon. “It’s not just heritage sportswear brands [like Nike or K-Swiss] that have an interest in collaborating with the esports space,” he says. “More independent designers and higher-end streetwear brands are also reaching out to FaZe Clan.” The team has previously worked on a project with Siberia Hills, and Marino has confirmed with us a FaZe Clan x Warren Lotas project dropping this fall, as well as a collaboration with Kappa on the way. “It will only be a matter of time until we see luxury brands enter esports,” echoes Patent.

Just like any company in the apparel space, though, Marino wants to drive home that “there will be teams, organizations and players that excel in building their brands, and there will be those that don’t.” He continues to detail what factors play into the success of a brand in a new space, stating that, “the success of any particular esports team, organization or player in relation to apparel is still dependent on organic growth in building a fan base and brand strategy.” From a player’s perspective, Ninja adds that he hopes that as brands enter the space, they will do so “with gamers, instead of making a weak attempt at ‘targeting’ the community.”

Authenticity will be key to capturing the hearts and wallets of the gaming community because as Ninja notes, “gaming is a massive community full of passionate people both at the competitive and hobbyist levels, but too often they don’t get to see folks like us represented in the mainstream culture.” The community needs an authentic, inclusive voice in the apparel space, and the esports star is hopeful that his collaboration with adidas Originals will be a step in the right direction. As Ninja himself says, “It’s not just about Ninja, or even just about gaming—whether you’re a gamer, running back, soccer player, musician, doctor, or entrepreneur, we’re telling the story of the grind, the thousands of hours of work that it takes to chase and catch your wave. Nothing happens overnight.”

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NINJA, The World’s Biggest Gamer, Live Streams Fortnite from the Legendary Capitol Studios at “Capitol Royale” Event

Lil Yachty, Justin Caruso & Lost Kings Joined Ninja’s Live Stream To Close Out Capitol Music Group’s Creativity And Innovation Marathon, “Capitol Royale” + DJ Sets By ZAXX, CRAY, Justin Caruso, GTA, Tycho & 3LAU

CAPITOL ROYALE 2018:

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All Photo Credits: Amber Sterling

Signaling its commitment to being a pioneer in the music and tech crossover space, Capitol Music Group hosted  Capitol Royale — a creativity and innovation marathon that took place in Hollywood on December 1 and 2. The two-day conference ended in a spectacle of dance music and online gaming, as Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the world’s biggest online gamer, streamed Fortnite live from the legendary Capitol Studios to on his Twitch Channel to celebrate the groundbreaking launch of his curated EDM compilation album, Ninjawerks Volume 1.

Ninja was joined in the stream by fellow Fortnite enthusiast, Lil Yachty, along with Justin Caruso, and DJ duo Lost Kings. The streaming event was followed by an after-party featuring DJ sets from including ZAXX, CRAY, Justin Caruso, GTA, Tycho & 3LAU. Ninjawerks Volume 1 will be released on December 14 via Astralwerks.

At Capitol Royale, the music and tech industries’ leading creatives, coders, designers, and startups were brought together to highlight innovations that disrupt the music industry, including a hackathon that challenged software developers to create products and services that reimagined music consumption and discovery. Motown recording artists JAMESDAVIS and Verizon, with the help of the app developers participating in the hackathon, partnered to re-imagine the future state of music videos using augmented reality and volumetric video.

Tycho – “Jetty” (NINJAWERKS):

Participants in the hackathon also had access to a catalog of roughly 14,000 Universal Music Group and Universal Music Publishing Group pre-cleared audio streaming tracks, as well as never-before-seen original content and mentorship from veteran industry leaders and UMG’s technical partners, including the Capitol360 Innovation Center’s founding partners, Verizon, Twitch, Cloudinary, and ConsenSys’ blockchain music platform Ujo. Other partners included: Spotify, TiVo, 7digital, Roland, Unity, Qloo, LyricFind, Havas. 20 new apps were built during the 24 hours, and over $25,000 of prize money was awarded.

In addition to the hackathon, Capitol teamed up with startup accelerator  gener8tor to host a Startup Garden with curated, one-on-one pitch sessions between selected startups and venture capitalists and innovation executives from participating companies on Saturday. Sunday saw an Investment panel, and a Music & Gen Z panel featuring Maxine Marcus, Bryce Xavier, and the popular online duo, the Wilking Sisters.

“With the Capitol Royale event, CMG has a unique opportunity to bring our artists’ first access to new platforms, products, and apps to connect with fans and share their music in new and innovative ways,” says Capitol Music Group COO Michelle Jubelirer. “We are committed to breaking boundaries and investing in the future by trailblazing new ground in music experiences and discovery.”

Other Capitol Royale highlights included:

During the event, Twitch, the leading service, and community for multiplayer entertainment conducted a challenge that tasked software developers to create products and services that reimagine music consumption, interactivity, and discovery through Twitch Extensions.

gBETA Musictech  Demo Day — a celebration of Capitol’s inaugural class of startups focused on music technology sponsored by gener8tor.

The Spotlight Stage saw performances by Motown recording artists JAMESDAVIS and Njomza on Sunday afternoon.

Spotify’s Secret Genius ‘One Hour Song Challenge’ with Roland: Singers, songwriters, and producers were challenged to create a full song in just one hour in the legendary Capitol Records Studios.

Speakers and judges included Michelle Jubelirer (Capitol Music Group), Larry Marcus (Walden & Marcy Venture Partners), Bill Gagnon (Universal Music Group), Daniel Miller (Unity), Marc Byers (Motown), Rishi Patel (Plus 8 Equity), Romain Reveillere (Havas/Station F), Jimmy Jam, Rafa Sardina, McBurney Burrus (Jimmy Kimmel Live), and more.

Alesso – “Tilted Towers” (NINJAWERKS)

In a first for the music and gaming worlds, Capitol Music Group label, Astralwerks, and Ninja have joined forces on a groundbreaking new project, Ninjawerks Volume 1 – an original soundtrack featuring music from top electronic artists around the globe. The first three songs from the album were released last week: “ Tilted Towers” by Alesso, “Jetty” by Tycho and 3LAU’s “Game Time” featuring the vocals of Ninja himself. Ninja was joined by the each of three artists on his Twitch Channel to premiere the tracks while gaming. Listen to all three tracks on the official Ninjawerks playlist HERE. The album will be released December 14 via Astralwerks.

As the most popular online gamer in the world, Tyler Blevins – known to millions simply as “Ninja” – has risen to mainstream star status. If the stats aren’t convincing enough – the most followed channel on Twitch, 20 million subscribers on YouTube, and 11.6 million followers on Instagram – then the recent ESPN Magazine cover (the first for any gamer in a mainstream sports magazine) and teaching beloved TV host Ellen DeGeneres how to play might prove it.

He’s a favorite duo partner among sports stars like Juju Smith and Baker Mayfield and DJs like Marshmello and Dillon Francis and entertains thousands on a daily basis through his mix of informative and humorous Fortnite streams. The 27-year-old Chicago area resident also has raised millions for charity and enjoys spending time with his wife Jessica and two dogs when not online.

For more information, please visit the Capitol Royale website

  LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD: NINJA, Live Streams Fortnite from the Legendary Capitol Studios NINJA, The World’s Biggest Gamer, Live Streams Fortnite from the Legendary Capitol Studios at “Capitol Royale” Event…

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Optima Ultimate Street Car Series Hits NCM Motorsports Park

Optima’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car series has visited NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in each of the last four seasons, but this was the first time competitors in the series were turned loose on the 3.15-mile Grand Full Course. This longer configuration includes two-high speed sections, including the 2,300-foot front straight and challenging technical sections including Deceiption, Faux Rouge, and The Sinkhole. The NCM Motorsports Park event has also served as a preview of some of the top competitors expected to contend for the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) title, and this year’s event didn’t disappoint. Top drivers and incredible cars all converged on NCM Motorsports Park in early June for an incredible showdown.

Even though Ken Thwaits and his Evo managed to capture the OUSCI title last year from the four-time and defending champion Danny Popp and his C5 Corvette, when competitors take to the track, the biggest target still seems to be on Popp’s back. Danny showed why that was the case when he took advantage of the longer course format to absolutely dominate the Holley EFI GTL class, and everyone else in every other class, posting a time nearly four seconds faster than the next-closest competitor.

The Detroit Speed Autocross was a different story, and for as much as Popp ran away from everyone on the road course, the competition was as tight as we’ve ever seen on the autocross. This series is known for oversized autocross layouts that dwarf the typical parking lot fare most folks are accustomed to seeing. The layout here meant the fastest times were all in the 29-second range and 13 different cars in four different classes all posted sub–30-second passes.

Alex Peitz campaigned a Cadillac CTS-V last season, but moved to a new car and a new class for 2018. So far, the move is proving to be a good one, as his ’17 Corvette is the current points leader in the Recaro GTS class.

There are several families that run in the series, but not all choose to compete in the same class. One father and son combo that opted to square off against each other are Barry and Garry Luterek, running in a pair of ’19 Corvettes. Both father and son are experienced club racers, and if their initial appearance in this series is any indication, the family rivalry should be very strong. Barry (pictured) managed to outpace Garry on the Falken Road Course by just 0.374 seconds.

Thwaits’ Evo edged out Popp’s Corvette by the slimmest of margins, just 0.001 seconds, with Mike Dusold’s first-gen Camaro finishing just 0.009 seconds behind Popp. In fact, the top five in the Holley EFI GTL class were all within 0.026 seconds of each other.

On the PowerStop Speed Stop Challenge, Popp was again near the top, but this time he was edged out by Dusold’s Camaro for First Place overall. With points locked in from the LucasOilRacing.tv Road Rally, that left only the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge to determine the winner. Even though the older GTV class cars tend to do well in this segment (six of the Top 10 on this weekend), Popp has gone the extra mile in recent years to make sure his C5 Z06 is one of the very best all-around examples in the world, and his was one of the few late-model cars to finish in the Top 10 overall.

The point total for Popp’s weekend was 494 out of a possible 500, a score that in any other class and at nearly any other event would be enough for a victory. However, Mike Dusold’s Camaro managed to battle through some braking issues to post a total of 496, taking down Popp for the Holley EFI GTL class win and the invitation to the 2018 OUSCI. The excitement displayed by Mike Dusold in the victory showed how big a deal it was for him to get the best of Popp. Even Scot Spiewak, who was given the Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event invitation to the OUSCI was in stunned disbelief that he somehow managed to get invited to Vegas before the four-time champion.

Popp will have another shot at both the OUSCI and Mike Dusold when the series heads to Barber Motorsports Park on August 4-5, which could give Danny a chance to do the one thing he has yet to accomplish in Optima street car competition: a regular-season championship.

Chevys more than held their own in several of the other classes in the series, including the QA1 GTV class for vintage iron, where Bowties swept the podium and Dusty Nixon’s ’79 Camaro earned his second-straight invite to the OUSCI. In the Recaro GTS class, two C7s battled for the top spot, with Eric Fleming’s Lingenfelter-powered Corvette taking the win.

The series heads to Pikes Peak International Raceway next month before heading back east later in the summer for a stop to Barber Motorsports Park. Learn more about the series and see the regular season standings at driveoptima.com.

While the series has seen Vegas in competition before, it’s never had one of the 3,508 Cosworth Vegas produced in the mid-’70s until Byron Burnham showed up. His widebody ’76 Cossie features a built LS3 and other significant upgrades came from companies like Art Morrison and Wilwood. Burnham’s debut was impressive and included a Top 10 overall finish in the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge.

Because this is a street car series, there is a noise limit on all vehicles of 103 db and NCM is one of the tracks where it is rigorously enforced. As a result, some cars employ various means to quiet their exhaust, while others avoid the track entirely. Chris Neal chose the former with his ’14 Corvette, which ran quieter and without issue all weekend.

Bowling Green Results

QA1 GTV Class (pre-1990, 3,200+ pounds)

Dusty Nixon, 1979 Camaro

Joe Gregory, 1964 Corvette

Jim Stehlin, 1973 Camaro

  Recaro GTS Class (post-1989, 3,200+ pounds, two-seaters & AWD vehicles)

Eric Fleming, 2016 Corvette

Chris Neal, 2014 Corvette

Mike Gallagher, 2016 Ford Focus RS

  Holley EFI GTL Class (non-compacts under 3,200 pounds)

Mike Dusold, 1967 Camaro

Danny Popp, 2003 Corvette

Ryan Mathews, 2002 Corvette

  GTE Class (BEV electric vehicles)

Karen Thomas, 2018 Tesla X P100D

  GTC Class (two-wheel drive compacts, 107-inch wheelbase or less)

Brian Johns, 1993 Mazda RX-7

Douglas Wind, 2004 Dodge SRT-4

  Franklin Road Apparel GT Class (post-1989, 3,200+ pounds, 2wd sedans, 4-seater coupes, trucks, etc.)

Jonathan Blevins, 2008 Ford Mustang

Jason Chinn, 2015 Camaro

John Laughlin, 2016 Ford Mustang

  Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event Award: Scot Spiewak, 2003 Corvette

  Remaining 2018 Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Schedule

Pikes Peak International Raceway             July 7-8

Barber Motorsports Park                          August 4-5

Auto Club Speedway                                September 15-16

Road America                                          October 6-7

Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational       November 3-4

Clay Shearer usually competes in a Porsche, but we have no complaints with the ’18 Camaro ZL1 he ran this weekend. Clay was clearly at home in the Camaro, posting Top 10 overall finishes in both the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial and the PowerStop Speed Stop Challenge, on his way to an Eighth-Place finish in the Franklin Road Apparel GT class.

Dan Ballard’s ’72 Nova has made it to the OUSCI before and he is a threat every time he comes out to an event. QA1 GTV class winner, Dusty Nixon had his hands full with Dan on the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial, edging him out for the class win by less than a second!

With multiple OUSCI titles to his credit, multiple SCCA National Championships before that, and multiple Goodguys Autocross titles since then, Danny Popp is still very much the man to beat every time he unloads at a track. His ’03 Z06 is as dialed-in as a C5 street car can be and Mike Dusold had to really be at the top of his game to edge Danny out by the slimmest of margins in Bowling Green.

Eric Fleming’s C7 Corvette has consistently been a top finisher in the timed segments and he is competitive enough to point his way into an invitation to the OUSCI, but Eric knows his C7 has the potential to win it all. He left no stone unturned in prepping his Vette for Bowling Green, and the results were a convincing win in the Recaro GTS class and the realization that the only thing standing between him and an OUSCI title now may be a weight-loss program.

Dusty Nixon drove his ’79 Camaro to the podium at the previous event in New Orleans, but fell just short of an OUSCI invite to CB Ramey’s ’84 Corvette. Nixon returned to NCM Motorsports Park, where he had to make up a 12-point deficit on Joe Gregory’s ’64 Corvette from the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge and the PowerStop Speed Stop Challenge, to take home the QA1 GTV class win and punch his ticket to Vegas.

The post Optima Ultimate Street Car Series Hits NCM Motorsports Park appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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just a normal night in strangerville 👽

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they grow up so fast 🥲

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nova 🚀

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summer days 🌞🌻