Ready, Get Set, Go! Gaming Gear Set to Zoom | TechTree.com

Ready, Get Set, Go! Gaming Gear Set to Zoom

Herman Miller and Logitech are joining hands to create gear for the gaming community that may grow exponentially in the 5G era

 

Mention lifestyle disease and our attention instantly shifts to the lack of exercise and sleep deprivation. These words became an intrinsic part of lexicon in the PC era though they appeared a decade earlier when television and satellite programming were contributing to our overall screen time.

With the arrival of 5G networks and smarter mobile phones capable of streaming stream data at 100x speeds, screen viewership today is set to become intrusive and more personal than ever before. One of the components of this intrusiveness will be cloud-based gaming where users from across the world gather online to compete. Physical exercise be damned

The biggest names in the technology industry are steadily enhancing their gaming play (no pun intended) with Facebook acquiring companies to create games around Oculus and Microsoft, Apple and Google doing their bit to enhance their presence in a space that is likely to boom in the near future, thanks to the superfast internet speeds.

While researchers are seeking answers to how human posture has changed in the post-PC era, companies have been working to find solutions to health-related issues that these lifestyle changes have caused. While ergonomic chairs have been around for close to two decades, companies are now seeking to provide users with gear to match their workstations.

The latest such development suggests that there’s a business model out there waiting to be exploited. Herman Miller, the 100-year-old office furniture maker headquartered in the US, joined hands with Logitech, the leader in computer peripherals, to research, design and manufacture furniture solution exclusively for gamers.

The trend of non-gaming companies tapping into this lucrative market is not a new one. Already footwear brand Puma has an active gaming socks while Louis Vutton boasts of a biker jacket that costs a cool $5650. A gaming chair made by Acer sells at $14,000, which means the Herman Miller-Logitech combo can hit the sweet spot with their combined expertise.

The thought behind the move is simple: Just as athletes of all hues require special equipment to enhance their performances on the ground, so do gamers who may be sitting in front a screen, but require top-notch accessories to be able to improve their gaming scores and win global tournaments.

One might ask what equipment does the online gamer (the modern version of a couch potato) require to play games online? Such a question would be a rather naïve one.

“Like traditional sports, e-sports athletes and professional streamers need the right gear to perform at their best for long periods of time. In addition to long-term health concerns, e-sports athletes may also experience a loss of focus and a decline in overall performance due to discomfort. The solutions on the market today are not addressing these concerns—in fact, many of the products on the market today focus primarily on aesthetics, rather than research-proven ergonomic design, and can cause more harm than good,” says Herman Miller in a statement published on its website.

We’re excited to combine our ergonomic, research-driven approach with Logitech G’s excellence in technology and innovation. Together, we’ll develop high-quality solutions that provide gamers and e-sports athletes with the utmost support and comfort, says Tim Straker, Herman Miller’s Chief Marketing Officer. Peter Kinsley, his counterpart at Logitech, says “Herman Miller was the obvious choice for us to partner with given their more than 100 years of expertise. Together we will deliver amazing products with advanced ergonomics, comfort and performance that gamers deserve."

So, what are they planning to develop and how? Logitech G and Herman Miller will analyse and incorporate the feedback from e-sports teams with which they have relationships, including Complexity Gaming, TSM, NaVi and others, into products that address their needs and concerns.

The first product of this partnership will be a gaming chair, set to launch in the spring of 2020. Three cheers to that chair!


TAGS: e-sports, Gaming, Herman Miller Online Store, Logitech, Gaming Chairs, gaming gear

 
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