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Leap is the next generation sports discovery and recommendation platform. Today, the company announced that it has appointed Rockstar Games co-founder Jimmy King to its advisory board.
As an official member of the advisory board, King will leverage his expertise and experience in the game industry and product development to support the launch of the upcoming Leap platform, grow the global Leap community, and serve as a spokesperson for the company.
This is not our usual story. But it will be interesting to see how King’s gaming experience can come in handy outside of gaming. Leap plans to use blockchain decentralization to democratize sports and how athletes are noticed. We’ve created a gaming experience where athletes can compete for attention.
“I want to do something really good, I want to step in for all the kids in the world, especially the kids who don’t always have the same opportunities that we have in countries like here. I am proud to advise projects in America. said the king.
The rapid growth of the mobile gaming industry in recent years will peak in 2021, generating $93.2 billion. To continue growing, people like King believe they need the blockchain and the Web3 ecosystem.
Conversely, web 3 companies looking to turn things around can benefit from the expertise of game industry veterans. By hiring King, the company will leverage his gaming experience and knowledge to provide insight into the launch-ready Leap.
At Rockstar, King worked on a wide range of early titles, including Grand Theft Auto and other popular games. He served as Vice President of Development and was responsible for hiring and managing a core team of engineers.
Since 2018, King has been Head of Esports for the Engine Shop, working with major clients including MLB, MLS, NHL, Anheser Bush, Twitch, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During his time at the Engine Shop, King won two Tempest esports Awards, three Chief Marketer Pro Awards, was nominated for the 34th Emmy Sports Awards, and won a Silver Clio for Bud Light’s BL6 game console.
So I can advise on that and make use of my connections across the sports community, said King in Advice Types. “
According to him, Rockstar spent a lot of time thinking about the fundamental ring of game mechanics: the elements that create interaction within the game. Rockstar also understood cultures and subcultures and what drives them.
He noted that sports fans and contemporary athletes communicate in a variety of ways via short videos like TikTok. These videos have become a way for athletes to market themselves to scouts and recruiters.
King is currently the Vice President of Marketing at Solace Lifesciences and is part of the team responsible for NuCalm. NuCalm is a clinically proven neuroacoustic technology that reduces stress and improves sleep without the need for medications.
Through Leap, young athletes can showcase their skill sets in short videos that are uploaded to the platform. By working with young athletes, especially from poor and isolated communities, Leap brings together a digital community of youth sports talent and talent seekers, allowing not only the athletes to be recognized but also their skill level and sport. It helps you get rewards based on your continued participation with an activity.
The app features a custom video creator – Leap Studio – with specific filters, sticks and add-ons to help talent better showcase their individual skills based on their sport. Talents can use the videos to challenge each other in Leap Dare Battles. In this fight, the community votes for whoever they think performed their skill best, and winning increases the value and rarity of the user’s NFT player card.
Leap CEO Omari Lachman said in a statement: “We are very excited to have Jamie join our team as a consultant. I have no doubts that he will do a great job on behalf of LEAP. It will bring people closer.”
King says Leap is innovative and fixes a major blind spot in the sports industry: There are no growth opportunities for athletes in isolated and underserved communities. King believes Lieb can democratize the sport.
Leap helps young athletes create videos, but in a decentralized way.
He said, “We are focused on showing their hard work and physical abilities in the real world. They are marketing themselves on social media.”
King met Lachman and beat him for their passion for the sport.
“Leap embraces the future, and that’s one of the things that piqued my interest,” King said. “I really like the idea of being a sports discovery and monetization platform for Web3.”
He noted that children around the world do not have the same opportunities, I have a child and I am deeply immersed in my sports life.
“I love the concept of giving back and helping the younger generation, and when combined with the sport I love, it all comes together,” King said. “I was also looking at blockchain and Web3.
Recognizing the resistance of blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), King reminds us of the resistance to the free-to-play model of mobile games a decade ago. King said that Rockstar had to adapt to it, and in the end it did so well with Grand Theft Auto Online, helping us democratize our player base.
“I think it’s definitely early days,” he said, “it’s like the Wild West.”
As for the games themselves, King says it’s a lot harder now when it comes to making 3D games. Even after years of working on one title, there may still be bugs. He loves the concept of Xbox Game Pass, and the growing variety of games, but he’s not happy that the name itself is dominating the industry.
“I love the relationships I’m building entirely online now,” he said. “I’ve always loved the integrity of the indie gaming scene. Unfortunately, you are familiar with the toxicity.”
However, he is encouraged to see more diverse people play, including women and girls.
“Sport is about to change,” he said. Who would have thought that a powerful shot in the NBA would be such an early success?” “There is no doubt that esports will be a part of the future of sports.”
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