The growth of the national industry largely drove the expansion and development of numerous Argentine products. This can be seen in the spread of different video game development companies of local production.

This fact not only contributed to the generation of local employment and the country's economic growth, but also positioned Argentina as an essential Latin American player in the market and enabled the development of programmes and investments that contribute to the progress of the sector.

Helio Oyama, Director of Product Management at Qualcomm, spoke about the esports trend in the country.

Artificial Intelligence in the gaming industry

Nowadays, it is possible to appreciate how different technologies based on artificial intelligence are making their way into the video game industry, either through the tools used to develop them or in various analysis applications that allow to enhance and personalise the gaming experience of each user.

The latter can be reflected in the ability of AI to adjust the difficulty level based on player performance, or similarly, to analyse how well players in a team cooperate and adjust conditions accordingly.

Furthermore, in terms of game development, the application of AI-based tools could generate new experiences, such as new levels or worlds, based on player preferences or performance.

Oyama says: "At Qualcomm Technologies, we are working every day to enable smarter connectivity by researching and developing machine learning and performance-optimised solutions. Within the gaming segment, we use AI to improve connectivity performance, video and image quality to enhance the user experience for every gamer.

The specialist highlights the potential of AI applied to gamer analytics, noting that "more and more information is being collected about gamers to better understand who they are, their skills and learning levels, how often they play and even where they play".

"The ability to mine this data and act on it has helped identify broad segments of players, but now, with AI, it can be used to identify micro-segments and individual traits".

"If we move into the eSports arena, adopting this type of technology will allow players to analyse not only their game stats but also give them the opportunity to learn about their competitors' stats so they can practice for the match," he says.

The 5G revolution in gaming

The advantages of 5G, with faster connections and lower latency, are driving technological advances and new business models in several industries, with an emphasis on gaming, especially mobile gaming.

"New types of games, modalities and services are emerging for developers and gamers, which will benefit streamers, viewers and players. Some of the areas that are expected to be transformed by this connectivity revolution are cloud gaming, multiplayer-mobile gaming (MMP), mobile eSports and extended reality (XR)," says Oyama.

In Cloud Gaming, reliable Internet connectivity between the gamer's device and the cloud will power game streaming services on smartphones and entry-level handhelds," explains Qualcomm's Director of Product Management.

"It will also boost multiplayer gaming, making eSports more competitive. The fast 5G connection combined with low latency enables the use of extended reality (XR) (such as headsets, for example), making gaming experiences more immersive. Not to mention the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve the quality of games," he says.

Esports world: what to expect in 2023

For Omaya, 2023 will be a big year for the video game industry in Argentina and the rest of the world.
"These encouraging but at the same time challenging expectations are leveraged on the potential of new developments and technologies in the field of Generative Artificial Intelligence, which will give developers the ability to launch next-generation products with advanced customisation, ultra-realistic graphics and increased speeds", he points out.

Finally, Qualcomm's Director of Product Management said: "At Qualcomm, we believe that the only way to continue to grow is through a focus on continuous innovation, which is why we align our strategies with this approach, incorporating new technologies that give us the opportunity to meet the demands and needs of this growing market.
 

By Trinidad Reynoso