eSports Tournaments Set to Make Cinematic Debut in Canada

eSports Tournaments Set to Make Cinematic Debut in Canada

Cineplex Entertainment, the largest cinema chain in Canada, have begun plans to host live eSports tournaments in their cinemas across the country with $50,000 in prize money up for eSports Tournaments Set to Make Cinematic Debut in Canadagrabs.

Sweethearts.

They kiss.

They cuddle.

Most annoyingly, they talk.

They talk a lot.

They don’t shut up.

I am in the cinema watching In The Heart of the Sea. A terrified young whaler is being lowered into the belly of the beast. There are blood and guts everywhere.

All I can hear is noise from the sweethearts.

There will be blood and guts in this cinema if they don’t pack it in. I will turn this place into an abbatoir.

It seems a tad excessive, but that’s how I feel when I turn up at the cinema to watch a movie and have to listen to teenage kids pissing about. Fortunately, there are less and less of them these days. They are like bin men down the High Street. You just don’t see them anymore.

Cineplex Entertainment is the largest chain of movie theatres across Canada. They are also well aware of a drop in interest from the youth of today. You can blame it on mobile phones, dodgy live streaming sites, or their gaming consoles. One thing is for sure, the youngsters aren’t heading to the cinema in the hunting pack style of which we have become accustomed.

In a bold and brass move, Cineplex is moving with the times. They are no longer in the movie business. They are in the whatever grabs people’s attention business.

In September, Cineplex surprised everyone when they paid $10m to acquire the eSports platform WorldGaming an online video game platform that started out in life as Virgin Gaming and now has close to 3 million registered users on its site.

That platform is about to get some use.

Cineplex has partned with Sony Computer Entertainment to create a eSports tournaments that start online at WorldGaming and end up played out live at Cineplex theatres across North America.

The first event will feature the game Call of Duty: Black Ops III. The PlayStation 4 console stars. The marketing departments are working tirelessly to attract more advertisers.

Qualifying rounds begin on WorldGaming on Jan 16. Qualifiers will compete in a series of 24 heads-up matches live in Cineplex theatres. The winner will be determined on March 6. The prize pool is $50,000.

Innovation is a relatively new concept for theatres, as they have to shift with the demands that the ever increasing variety of technology, and ease of access, creates a drop in EBITDA.

Theatres have been used to showcase live sporting events such as the recent FIFA World Cup in Brazil, art exhibitions and even 3D coverage of live events such as the Swan Lake ballet.

The introduction of an eSports tournament could work.

If they can stop them kissing and cuddling long enough to pick up the joystick.