Exploring new frontiers in the esports industry with AI
The gaming and esports industry continue to flourish, offering a fertile ground for innovation and growth. In a recent project, we embarked on an exploration of how AI could redefine the gaming experience. Viktor Sandberg, a fullstack web developer consultant, shares his insights on this transformative journey.
When differentiation in a crowded market is of the essence, investing in groundbreaking technologies can be a way forward.
One of our senior fullstack engineer consultants, Viktor Sandberg, recently joined a client project with the aim of harnessing AI for a product that would enhance the gaming experience. The challenge was to refine an existing prototype focusing on optimization, enhanced features, and an improved user experience.
"Our mission was to build a product that enables gamers to effortlessly record, process, and edit gaming highlights with the assistance of AI – all without hindering the gaming experience", Sandberg says.
The ready product was to be delivered within three months of the assignment start.
Team dynamics for the win
With zero prior AI experience, Sandberg was brought into the project for his fresh perspective and frontend expertise. Delving into a new problem space brought its own set of challenges since the project demanded not only a shift in technologies but also a shift in mindset.
Navigating through an unfamiliar programming domain, where emphasis is placed on optimization and security considerations, while also quickly adopting new programming languages such as Rust, meant high requirements on personal grit and determination. With a learning curve as steep as a mountaineer's ascent up Everest, Sandberg praises the team dynamics:
“What made our collaboration good was that we had great chemistry. A shared passion for gaming made everyone also really invested in the project and wanting to make the best possible product”, Sandberg says.
With an exceptionally tight deadline, an open knowledge sharing culture and leveraging ChatGPT for quick solutions were crucial for a successful delivery.
Technical challenges and triumphs
A significant part of the assignment involved integrating a new game into the client’s system. Challenges included how the AI should be trained in order to achieve an as accurate detection as possible, implementing how the desktop client should record and how the videos should be edited. Each stage of the project came with their own dilemmas, and using cutting-edge methods came with the disadvantage that there were little or no prior documentation or tutorials available online.
“Finding the answer to these things is not something you can simply Google; it is mostly a process of trial and error”, Sandberg explains.
Hence, lots of investigative work was done.
Upon the completion of the highlight creation process, Sandberg proceeded to develop the frontend for displaying them. The extensive collaboration across the entire company with designers, frontenders, and product owners was pivotal for the end product’s success.
Ultimately, the project stands as a testament to the endless possibilities at the intersection of gaming and AI. It showcases the adaptability and resilience required to venture into new technological frontiers in a competitive landscape and constant uncertainty. As esports and gaming continue to evolve, innovative projects such as this one pave the way for an exciting future.