‘Gamers are being recognized as professional athletes’: Streamer Frame Tamer on Games of the Future and new phygital sports
Games of the Future are a unique event, Russian streamer Alexander Yermolaev, known as Frame Tamer, said in an interview with RT. He believes in the future phygital sports can become an independent movement and motivate gamers to devote more time to physical activity. The blogger also spoke about what discipline he would like to see at the competitions in Kazan, and on whether he is ready to form a team to play Counter-Strike 2.
- What do you think about the Games of the Future format? Do you support the idea of combining physical and digital competitions?
- I like it when something new happens. It’s a nice feeling to be part of something big and great. There is a feeling that this initiative will develop and that it will be of interest worldwide and that phygital will become a discipline in its own right. It’s a strange feeling to realize that I’m at the inception of all this.
I love the juxtaposition of these two worlds. For example, regular football players feel like serious dudes, while cyber-athletes are shrugged off: “Well, they play on the computer, cool”. And thanks to phygital you can see how a great big athlete stands and supports a regular guy holding a gamepad. After all, here success depends on them both. Thanks to this trend, gamers have been equated with professional athletes.
- So some people start to take others more seriously...
- Sometimes a person can perform poorly on the field because they lack some special physical abilities. But a cyber athlete can come out on top. And that’s great. I’ve seen guys on the same basketball team who aren’t particularly big put up a fight on the court, they shoot the ball, run, help the team. That’s a pretty cool story.
If you’re sitting in one place playing for 8-10 hours, that’s going to take a toll on your health over time. So we have to keep that format of physical competition alive. Some people can’t even be forced to do simple exercises, but there’s real motivation here.
- Have you seen a similar concept anywhere or is this a unique product?
- It seems to me that no one has ever combined these two types of competitions in this way. It all reminds me of movies about the future - lasers, spaceships, races in the air. There’s nothing like Games of the Future. And it seems surprising that something like this is being done only now for the first time. And it’s in Russia, so it’s very cool. The coolness factor is there.
- As a former videographer, you must have formed your own opinion about the tournament as a show.
- I have watched quite a few performances, including live ones. Everything was done very professionally. It’s not boring, it’s dynamic, a lot of interesting angles. Especially in basketball. There are interesting episodes with GoPro cameras. The video doesn’t look like a polished commercial project, there’s a lot of real action.
- Any plans to participate in the development or design of some aspect of Games of the Future?
- I’d rather participate in the Games themselves, but I don’t know what discipline I’m good enough for. I would like to try myself in a competitive format, to experience both the physical and digital competition.
- There is a CS2 plus Laser Tag discipline. Maybe you could get a team together for that?
- I don’t think it would be a problem. But I don’t think I’m that good at either Counter-Strike 2 or laser tag. I am very competitive, but I need to improve my skills.
- Games of the Future will feature tournaments in digital football, hockey, basketball, and many other sports. What would you add?
- I think it would be interesting to combine Minecraft and real construction. People would have to build a house in the game and then do the same thing in the real world. That would be fun.
- Perhaps you would like to work as a commentator for one of the sports?
- I would rather not focus on a particular discipline, but rather review what is happening on the field or on the screen.
I think you have to adapt to the event. For example, if there is a space themed-event, you should give information on that subject. I think you have to stay flexible during the broadcast, not lose the narrative, be fresh and energetic.
Commentators always have this tone of voice when they describe or announce some things. And I, as a streamer, am used to working not only with my intonation, but also with my face. Sometimes it seems like I have a harder job because I have to work visually.
- At the last phygital games in October, your fellow streamers broadcast directly from the court. Would you like to do the same?
- I’ve already had that experience. I have been praised for my velvety, beautiful voice, and in general I really like to talk, so I would like to try my hand at the commentary format. I would like to try to open up this genre from a new side. Maybe I can even attract more young people with my talking.
- What else can be done to attract young people to Games of the Future?
- A million things. Like growth and development. That’s all young people are thinking about these days. The world is changing, new technologies are coming, and you have to understand them, somehow fit in, find your place. It’s hard to do that. And now there are phygital games - a new area in which people can grow, win titles. Before they were just playing, but now the competitions are in the format of the Olympics.
- And speaking of the older generation, how can the Games of the Future interest them?
- I think it’s a very controversial format for older people. There is a lot of neon, everything is too futuristic. They like conservatism and rarely accept new things. Not all of them, of course, but most of them. Phygital is very bright, dynamic and maybe even scary for them.
- You’ve moved away from your camera work and created the Frame Tamer YouTube channel, where you interview celebrities. Which Games of the Future person would you like to make a video with?
- Maybe Nikita Nagorny. We have known each other for a long time. When I found out that he is the president of the Russian Federation of Phygital Sports, I saw progress, personal growth. And I thought: “When am I going to put on my suit?”
But so far, the Games of the Future are a very new and unusual event for me, and it’s hard to get a grip on anything. The image is shiny, it changes quickly, some mascots are already jumping around. Although I’m quite young, my eyes can’t focus on anyone, I don’t know who to choose. Maybe someone will interest me in the future.
- What do you think of the mascots and the idea of MIRA the Firebird?
- I liked the way it looked visually. But during the voting, I imagined it in the old format, in the style of the Olympic mascot. When they showed the firebird, I realized it was something different.