Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:57 AM on Wednesday, August 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc.
(TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated
websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The
company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
Newzoo also identifies a large chunk of the esports audience that
watch competition for games that they don’t even play. For example, 26%
of those that follow League of Legends esports do not play it.
“The lean-back consumption of esports content, coupled with fans’ attachment to teams and players, helps
gravitate consumers toward franchises—even after they stop playing (temporarily or permanently),â€
Newzoo noted in a release sent to GamesBeat.
Overwatch has the most active audience. About 54% of the people who watch Overwatch esports games have played Blizzard’s shooter at some point in the last three months.
In the chart above, you can see how isolated the audiences for three
of the biggest esports have become. Only 6% of those polled say they
follow Overwatch, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Posted in Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. | Comments Off on Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – #Newzoo: 71% of #Esports fans only follow one game $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:34 AM on Wednesday, August 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: Betteru Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The
Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V
Students prefer edtech resources to parents when it comes to homework help
A global survey gauges parents’ opinion of how edtech resources are impacting student learning and modern parenting
By Laura Ascione, Managing Editor
Smarter technology and edtech resources are helping students become independent learners and problem solvers, according to new research.
In fact, many of today’s students first turn to technology for answers to their questions, and they aren’t depending on their parents for homework help as often as in past generations.Â
The research from Lenovo surveyed more than 15,000 people across the
globe. Overall, 75 percent say their children are more likely to look
something up online than to ask them for help with schoolwork.
It also offers interesting insight on how different countries view edtech resources and technology in general.
India (89 percent) and China (85 percent) both have the highest rate
of parents reporting their children turn to edtech resources for
homework help. Those two countries have also seen a rise in parents using technology to assist with their kids’ learning in recent years.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:24 AM on Wednesday, August 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: North Bud Farms Inc. (NBUD:CSE)
Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and
procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and
Cannabinoid Infused Products. Learn More.
NBUD: CSE
CBD usage in beverages; functionality, cultural acceptance and legislation
growth of the legal cannabis industry has opened doors to new product innovations, particularly in beverages, with no signs of slowing down.
According to Zenith Global, the CAGR forecast for 2018- 2023 volume sales is 75%, with 5.2 million litres of CBD drinks consumed in the US in 2018.Â
The growth of the legal cannabis industry has opened doors to new product innovations, particularly in beverages, with no signs of slowing down. According to Zenith Global, the CAGR forecast for 2018- 2023 volume sales is 75%, with 5.2 million litres of CBD drinks consumed in the US in 2018.Â
Although CBD is being included in alcoholic drinks such as low ABV beer,
with a trending decline in alcohol consumption, new CBD categories such
as RTD coffee, sodas and water-based drinks are posed to be a high
growth market for the beverage sector.
The culture of cannabis is evolving
from a product associated with negative, psychoactive effects to being
full of medically-backed health benefits previously unexplored and
underappreciated.
To better understand why the CBD use
in beverages is enjoying a recent boom, we should examine where it comes
from and how the body utilises it.
Defining Cannabis, CBD, THC, marijuana and hemp
Cannabis – or more the more biologically correct Cannabis Sativa – is the umbrella term for both marijuana and hemp.
They are of the same genus and species with the main divertive being
the THC content of each. They look nearly identical, with marijuana
being illegal and hemp being legal. There are many strands of Cannabis,
however we will touch base on just the two mentioned, which contain both
the cannabinoids (plant oils) THC and CBD in different concentrations.
Cannabis makes most of its cannabinoids in its flowers, which are more
commonly referred to as “budsâ€.
Marijuana
tends to contain high levels of THC and lower levels of CBD and
requires certain sometimes controlled conditions to grow fruitfully. It
also has a higher concentration of cannabinoids per gram so generates a
better yield. Hemp
will contain higher levels of CBD and trace amounts of THC with a lower
yield of cannabinoids, so it tends to take more plants to extract the
same amount of CBD.
Difference between CBD and THC and how they function in the body
Since research on cannabis is still
fresh as it was only partially legalised recently, most of its
functionality is yet unknown. Cannabis is theorised to work like many
other drugs, binding to receptors in our body.
Interestingly, our bodies are set up
to accept cannabinoids already. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a
complex cell-signalling system in the body that we so far understand to
play a role in regulating a range of functions in the body such as
sleep, mood and memory, according to an article by Healthline.com.
The ECS actively exists in our body
and we already naturally produce endocannabinoids, even if we do not
consume cannabis. A similar comparison of a process in the body that
does a similar process would be the pancreas produce insulin for our
blood sugar regulation.
So not only do we produce our own
endocannabinoids, we have two main receptors that accept them; CB1
receptors mainly found central nervous system and CB2 receptors found
mainly in the peripheral nervous system. Once bound to either of these
receptors, the endocannabinoids can then tell the ECS system the action
needs to happen i.e., boost our mood, relieve pain or go to sleep.
Once our endocannabinoids have served
their purpose, they must be broken down by enzymes in the body, which
are regularly regenerating.
It appears the main function of the
endocannabinoid system is to maintain bodily homeostasis, states a
report by the Facultad de Medicina at University of Buenos Aires.
So now that we defined the difference
between THC and CBD, what do they actually do when they are in the
body? Since we know that the ECS receptors are linked with the nervous
system, it’s understandable that the sides effects we hear about
cannabis tend to be related to relaxation.
THC –
tetrahydrocannabinol- the compound which can get you ‘high’, binds to
the CB1 and CB2 receptors just like our bodily endocannabinoids, almost
like a substitute.
THC can have positive effects such as
stimulating appetite, which can be great for medical patients who find
it difficult to eat, but it is also responsible for side effects such as
paranoia. THC is more frequently used for therapy since is similarity
to our own endocannabinoids is nearly identical. Currently there is not a
way to separate the two effectively, but research is continuing.
CBD – cannabidiol–
which typically doesn’t have any negative effects, would be seen to be
the superior compound and used more widely. So why bother using THC if
CBD is better and easier to regulate? CBD actually works best in
conjunction with THC, because CBD doesn’t appear to interact with our
ECS the way THC does by binding to receptors.
Though experts aren’t quite sure,
it’s believed that CBD may work by preventing our endocannabinoids from
being broken down and allowing them to have a longer effect on the
body.
As CBD is more widely accepted and
there are less legal restrictions on this compound currently, it is
being more readily used in beverages as opposed to THC.
Cultural acceptance and legalisation worldwide
Regulation is ongoing, and constantly
changing worldwide. As of press time, CBD is legal in all 50 of the US,
as long as it contains less than 0.3 % of THC, though some states
require you to have a prescription to purchase it, such as Virginia.
THC is legal in 10 states with a
prescription, and in an additional 23 states with a doctor’s
prescription. The US Food and Drug administration has approved four
cannabis related drug products, however they are only available with a
prescription from a licenced healthcare provider.
Press and recent legalisation,
particularly in the US, has brought CBD to the public’s attention while
increasing demand for new, innovative ways to consume it. For those
unfamiliar with the drug but curious to try it, beverages are seemingly
the most accessible (and perhaps culturally acceptable) way to consume
the cannabis-based product. The category is still in early stages, with
fragmented legislation fuelling conflicting information from multiple
sources about usage, benefits and dosages.
The most popular way to consume CBD
it is through oil, as CBD is naturally soluble and most effective
delivered in fat. It is also easy to control dosages this way which is
handy for consumers. This easy-to-consume format comes in dropper
applications called tinctures. Though with the rise in innovation
through beverages and food, this could change in the next few years.
CBD is now popping up in snacks and even ice cream
with doses ranging per serving of 10-50mg. As CBD is still very new to
the market there aren’t many regulations on quantities in food and
beverage due to its minimal side effects, though the expense of the
ingredient will affect the price point of the product. It’s always best
to check the label and research the effects of CBD before consumption.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:01 AM on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment
$GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is
projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg
esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing
agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB
———————–
Ford launches its own esports virtual racing teams
Ford plans to launch its own esports virtual racing teams. Under the name Fordzilla, the company will recruit top esports drivers for teams in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
The company will also invite star players to form a European team with select members from each national team.
The Fordzilla teams will compete in games like Forza Motorsport 7, developed by Microsoft Game Studios’ Turn 10 Studios. According to Ford, millions of people play Forza games each month, and one million players choose Ford vehicles.
Ford has partnered with Microsoft Game Studios before, and a few years ago, the top prize in the first-ever Forza Racing Championship was a 2017 Ford Focus RS. We don’t know what prizes Ford will offer to its driving teams, but recruitment begins at Gamescom in Germany this week.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:09 AM on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
SPONSOR: Spyder Cannabis (SPDR:TSXV)
went public just a couple of months ago and hit the ground running
with 5 operating Canadian retail locations – and a 6th one on the way
via an 8,000 sq ft super store in Alberta. Most companies would be
ecstatic to have this number of locations – but Spyder just announced a
major move into the United States, with a 5 location deal for boutique
stores up and down the US Eastern seaboard. The news gets better. If
all goes well with these 5 locations, the US outlet partner has a total
of 39 locations across 20 states for Spyder to grow into to. Click here for more info.
(TSX-V: SPDR)
Statistics Canada releases a bong full of new cannabis data
Statistics Canada released a whack of statistics on August 15 that shed some insight into the almost five million Canadians who consumed cannabis during the first half of 2019.Â
About 77% of Canadians who said they used cannabis during the first half of 2019 consumed dried cannabis, while 26% consumed edibles. Other reported ways of consuming cannabis were as liquid concentrates (20%), cannabis oil cartridges or vape pens (19%), and hashish or kief (16%).Â
Among the findings were that more men consume cannabis than do women,
and that men consume cannabis more frequently than women. Men also
consume cannabis for non-medical reasons more than women do.
Cannabis/Shutterstock
Another big takeaway was that 42% of Canadians who consumed cannabis
said that they bought at least some of their cannabis from black-market
dealers in the first half of the year.
The stats were all part of Statistics Canada’s National Cannabis
Survey (NCS), which continued to show that males and females older than
age 15 differ in how they obtain and consume cannabis products.
Females, for example, more often reported getting cannabis from
family and friends than their male counterparts, That may explain why
fewer females said they paid for the cannabis they consume. The study
didn’t go into how many people stole cannabis, although it noted that 4%
got their cannabis in an unspecified way.
Females are more likely to use an alternative method to consume cannabis, such as putting it on the skin or under the tongue.
Males are more likely to report consuming dried cannabis and hashish.
To monitor cannabis consumption before and after Canada legalized
cannabis last October, the nation’s number cruncher has been conducting
the NCS every three months since 2018.
Males almost twice as likely as females to have consumed cannabis
Males (21%) were almost twice as likely to have used cannabis in the
first half of 2019 as females (12%), according to the NCS. This held
true for every age group except seniors aged 65 and older.
Almost three in five females reported never having consumed cannabis (59%), compared with just over half (51%) of males.
About one-third of Canadians reported having tried cannabis in the past but are not current users.
Males more likely to use cannabis daily or almost daily
Statistics Canada said in its August 15 release that research has
shown that using cannabis regularly and over a long period of time has
been associated with the “risk of dependence and poor mental healthâ€
According to combined data from the first half of 2019, males (8%)
were twice as likely to report daily or almost daily use as females
(4%). Males were also more likely than females to consume cannabis on a
weekly and a monthly basis but equally as likely to report occasional
use (defined here as once or twice over the three-month reference
periods).
Males are more likely to use cannabis for non-medical reasons
Statistics Canada asked Canadians to say whether they used cannabis
for medical purposes and had a medical document, for medical purposes
without a medical document or simply for fun, or what some call
recreational use.
Just over one-fifth of males aged 15 and older reported consuming
cannabis in the first half of 2019. More than half of these males (52%)
reported using cannabis exclusively for non-medical reasons, while
about 30% reported using it for both medical and non-medical reasons,
and about one-fifth reported medical reasons (with or without medical
documentation).
Meanwhile, 12% of females said that they consuming cannabis in the
first half of 2019. Their reasons were fairly evenly split, between
those who said it was for non-medical use, medical use or a mix of
both.
Cannabis products and consumption methods
About 77% of Canadians who said they used cannabis during the first
half of 2019 consumed dried cannabis, while 26% consumed edibles. Other
reported ways of consuming cannabis were as liquid concentrates (20%),
cannabis oil cartridges or vape pens (19%), and hashish or kief (16%).
More males (82%) said they consumed dried cannabis, compared with
females (67%). Males (19%) were also more likely to have consumed
hashish or kief, compared with females (12%).
While a majority of both males and females use dried cannabis, for
49% of males and 41% of females, it is the only form of cannabis that
they consumed.
Conversely, females (23%) were almost twice as likely as males (12%)
to report using only products other than dried cannabis. Other products
include edibles, oil cartridges and vape pens.
Smoking remains the most common method of consuming cannabis, with
68% of males and 62% of females choosing this method in the first half
of 2019, according to Statistics Canada.
At 14%, females were almost three times more likely than males (5%)
to have consumed cannabis through methods such as the application of
products on the skin or under the tongue.
Buying cannabis
Males are more likely to purchase cannabis while females are more likely to get it from family and friends for free.
Approximately one-quarter of Canadians who consumed cannabis in the
first half of 2019 did not pay for it, with female consumers (29%) more
likely than males (22%) to consume it without having paid for it,
according to the survey.
Nearly half of all cannabis consumers (48%) reported buying at least
some of their cannabis from a legal source, such as a legally authorized
retailer or an online licensed producer.
There was 42%, however, who said that they bought at least some of
their cannabis from illegal sources, such as a drug dealer, while 37%
said that they used cannabis that they got from, or shared among,
friends and family.
Growing cannabis, either by the users or by someone else, was a
supply source for about 8% of consumers, while 4% reported another
source, although Statistics Canada did not specify what that source
might be.
For the first time, analysis of the sources of cannabis by type of
consumer (those who obtained it from one source and those who obtained
it from multiple sources) is available. This more detailed examination
revealed that 29% of all current users got their cannabis exclusively
from legal sources.
In general, males and females access cannabis from the same sources
and in similar numbers, but with one notable difference: a relatively
larger proportion of females (42%) than males (33%) report friends and
family as their cannabis source.
Quality and safety remain foremost consideration when deciding where to buy cannabis
Three-quarters of Canadians (76%) who consumed cannabis in the first
half of 2019 said quality and safety was an important consideration when
buying it, while 42% primarily considered price.
Other important factors when buying cannabis were accessibility, location and availability of a preferred potency.
While both males and females share many of the same considerations
when obtaining cannabis, there are a few differences. For example,
females (22%) were twice as likely as males (11%) to cite sales support
as being important, while proportionally more males (19%) placed a
higher value on anonymity and discretion than did females (12%). More
males (20%) said that availability of a preferred strain of cannabis was
important than did females (11%.)
Males are more likely to report that they will use cannabis in next three months
More males (25%) than females (16%) said they thought that they would
use cannabis in the next three months. That is higher than the 21% of
males and 12% of females who currently consume cannabis.
Virtually all Canadians (99%) who reported having never consumed
cannabis indicated that they will not use cannabis in the next three
months. In contrast, most daily or almost daily (94%) and weekly (87%)
users think that they will continue to consume cannabis over the next
three months and at a similar pace.
Former users (12%) and those who use cannabis less than once a month
(27%) were more likely to report that they will increase their
consumption in the coming three months than were people who have never
used cannabis (1%).
Second quarter 2019: Almost five million Canadians report using cannabis
From mid-May to mid-June 2019, about 4.9 million or 16% of Canadians
aged 15 and older reported using cannabis in the previous three months,
according to Statistics Canada.
This was unchanged from data collected from provinces a year ago,
when recreational cannabis use was illegal. It is also unchanged from
the last time estimates for from territorial capitals were collected.
In the second quarter of 2019, 24% of Nova Scotians and 20% of
Albertans reported using cannabis in the previous three months. That is
above the average for the rest of Canada (other provinces and
territorial capitals combined).
Cannabis use in the previous three months was also above the national
average in all three territorial capitals: Whitehorse (24%),
Yellowknife (30%) and Iqaluit (32%). Meanwhile, current use was lower
than the national average in Quebec (10%).
Cannabis consumption in the second quarter of 2019 was essentially
unchanged from the same quarter in 2018, prior to legalization. However,
the number of Canadians aged 65 and older reporting cannabis use
increased from 3% to 5% over this period, while cannabis use among 15-
to 64-year-olds was stable (ranging from 10% to 25%, depending on the
age group).
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:19 AM on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
Announced that its common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB Venture Market at the opening of the market on August 20th, 2019 under the stock symbol (OTC: EPWCF)
VANCOUVER, Aug. 20, 2019 – EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE: CBDT) (Frankfurt: 8EC) (OTC: EPWCF) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company, and a multi-state operator of medical health & wellness clinics in the U.S., today announced that its common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB Venture Market at the opening of the market on August 20th, 2019 under the stock symbol (OTC: EPWCF).
Empower Clinics Inc. (OTCQB: EPWCF) now trades on the OTCQB Venture
Market for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies.
Companies are current in their reporting and undergo an annual
verification and management certification process. Investors can find
Real-Time quotes and market information for the company on http://www.otcmarkets.com.
In addition, Empower’s shares will continue to be listed on the
Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the ticker symbol “CBDT,” as
well as on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “8EC.”
“Our listing on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States
complements Empower’s listings on the Canadian and Frankfurt Stock
Exchanges, respectively, broadening our investment base as we accelerate
our growth strategy in the global medical cannabis and wellness
sectors,” said Steven McAuley, Empower CEO. “This is a
timely milestone, as we have a robust pipeline of activity tied to
product development, business development, M&A and, overall company
expansion.”
ABOUT OTC MARKETS GROUP INC.
OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:
OTCM) operates the OTCQX® Best Market, the OTCQB® Venture Market and
the Pink® Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through
OTC Link® ATS and OTC Link ECN, the company connects a diverse network
of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. OTC
Markets enables investors to easily trade through the broker of their
choice and enable companies to improve the quality of information
available for investors. To learn more about how OTC Markets creates
better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.
ABOUT EMPOWER
Empower is a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life
sciences company, and a multi-state operator of medical health &
wellness clinics, operating the Sun Valley Health™ clinic brand www.sunvalleyhealth.com, for its nine corporate locations and for franchises in the United States. As a CBD product manufacturer under the Sollievo™
brand, the company distributes its lines through clinics, online and
through retail partners. Extraction operations are currently being
developed in the Company’s new extraction facility in Oregon.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Steven McAuley Chief Executive Officer
DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements”
or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking
statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and
projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements
can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”,
“expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”,
“estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar
words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will”
occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include
statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD
extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its
shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships;
the terms of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the
effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for
Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based
products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the
Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a
market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019
and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on
assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or
developments to differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a
hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that the hemp-based CBD extraction
facility may not be fully operation by Q2 2019 if at all; that
legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business
and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain
adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business,
economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to
obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed
acquisitions and partnerships; and other factors beyond the Company’s
control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by
the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what
benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release,
which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.
The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any
intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking
statements in this release, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable
laws.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:00 PM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
STAR-A.D.S.® (Airborne Data Service)
Real-time on-board, tracking, flight monitoring and analysis system that provides a virtual window into an aircraft
STAR-A.D.S. ® system installed on a major VVIP private operator in
the Mid-East has been operating for more than one year now, to the
satisfaction of the customer.
Discussions are being finalized to expand the installation of the
STAR solution of real-time monitoring to the rest of the customers’
fleet
Contract for 5 aircraft installations with a scheduled flights airline in Egypt has been implemented
First installation is scheduled for Fall 2019 as scheduling permits,
with the balance of fleet installations to match the C-check schedule
of the remaining aircraft in the fleet.
Production of 27 STAR-A.D.S.® System units has commenced in order to meet ongoing requirements
FULL DISCLOSURE: Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:45 AM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
EGLX: TSX-V
Prize pot of $30 million at Fortnite World Cup shows eSports’ rapid growth
The recent Fortnite World Cup had a total prize pool of $33m and the top winners took away several million each.
By: Federico Winer, PhD researcher, Loughborough University
The American teenager took home the largest-ever payout for a single player in an eSports tournament.
His win reflects the growing popularity of the game and the power of the eSports market. British teenager Jaden Ashman shared $2.25m with his teammate as the runners-up in the doubles competition.
The finals, at the end of July, followed ten weeks of competition involving more than 40m competitors and a total prize pot of over $30m. The tournament packed out the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe stadium at Flushing Meadows, New York’s largest tennis arenas.
Fortnite Battle Royale is emerging as one of the most popular
computer games with an estimated 250m players around the world.
Essentially, it is a First-Person Shooter game where players fight to
survive in a battle against other human players. Unlike some other games
in this genre, such as PUBG or Counter-Strike,
its graphics are cartoonish, which means parents of teenage players are
less likely to object to the content – it doesn’t look violent of
feature excessive blood, bullets and bombs.
Fortnite is rising to prominence in an increasingly lucrative market.
Out of 7.6 billion people on the planet, there are approximately 2.2 billion gamers.
This includes social gaming, mobile gaming, as well as free-to-play and
pay-to-play multiplayer gaming. Of these players, there are about 380m
eSports viewer fans – 165m of them regular viewers and 215m occasionals.
Epic Games, publisher of Fortnite, attracts players by making the game itself free to play. But they also sell “V-Bucks†to the players, which cost US$9.99 per 1,000 and can be spent on a variety of customisation and enhancements for players’ characters.
Evolution of eSports titles’ popularity, breakdown by searches in Google, 2004-present. Google Trends, 2019b, Author provided
None of these influence the actual performance of the character in
the battle – accuracy and pace still depend on the skill of the
individual competitor. This is similar to most eSports titles. But according to research firm Superdata, between its release in July 2017 and May 2018 Fortnite netted US$1.2 billion in revenue.
Competitive edge
So what exactly are eSports? They are defined as competitive
tournaments involving electronic games – especially among professionals.
Players compete in leagues or play for an audience on a live-streaming
service in exchange for payment, which can range to several million
dollars for the most successful players.
Top players and teams are well remunerated. Forbes
reported that the “average starting North America League of Legends
Championship Series (NA LCS) player salary is now over US$320,000, with
over 70% of the players performing on multi-year contractsâ€. An article in Business Insider
in 2018 reveals that top teams such as Evil Geniuses earn more than
US$10m a year in revenue. This is almost the same budget as a top second division team from La Liga, in Spain.
The recent Fortnite world cup had a total prize pool of $33m
and, as we have heard, the top winners took away several million each.
Even players who ranked as lowly as 65-108 took away $50,000 for their
pains.
When it comes to training for competition, you could be forgiven for
thinking that eSports players are not like traditional athletes,
building strength and endurance over long hours in the gym or pounding
the streets. But, as the growth in prize money means the potential
rewards for success grow ever larger, a new generation of eSports
professionals is finding that fitness aids concentration. Some of the
more successful teams are even drafting in coaches from other sports.
I have connected with several teams and, even in those with low
budgets, they are aware of the importance of their physical and mental
well-being through nutrition and exercise to perform better in games.
What’s next?
ESports look to be here to stay, but the degree of success will
depend on a variety of factors, including general entertainment trends,
industry governance and the possibility of government censorship in
certain regions. To help the various players in the market understand
consumers better and react proactively to changes in the business
environment, it is essential to highlight the critical value of eSports
data – something that I have been researching for some time.
The huge and rapid growth of eSports – and the massive revenues this
promises – are thought by many industry insiders to be indicative of a
bubble. Commenting on headlines which implied that gaming tournaments
were “bigger than the Superbowlâ€, Sebastian Park, vice-president of
eSports with the Houston Rockets (which owns a majority stake in
professional League of Legends team Clutch Gaming) said recently: “When I read a lot of these papers, I don’t know where they derive 50% of those numbersâ€.
For the health of the industry, it’s critical to be able to establish
how different esports industry stakeholders are collecting data and
information from the fans to understand their behaviour and consumer
trends. There has been speculation that Nielsen, which has been
collecting data on TV viewing since the 1950s, is working on a solution. This could be the next big step in establishing eSports credibility.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:31 AM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
SPONSOR: Bougainville
Ventures Inc (CSE: BOG) provides strategic capital to the thriving
cannabis cultivation sector through ownership and development of
commercial real estate properties. The company also offers fully built
out turnkey facilities equipped with state-of-the-art growing
infrastructure to cannabis growers and processors. Click here for more info.
—————–
The CBD boom is reshaping America’s farmland
As the CBD boom continues, farmers across the country are ditching their former crops in favor of something more chill: hemp.
According to US Department of Agriculture data, the amount of farmland planted with hemp quadrupled in the past year, Quartzreports.
How did this all happen so fast?
Two words — decriminalization and demand.
First, the 2018 Farm Bill made hemp farming legal last year, allowing
farmers to start producing hemp plants as long as they are less than
0.3% THC by dry weight.
Then, when the first CBD products appeared — mostly in pain-relieving wellness products — they were hugely successful.
Demand for CBD-infused everything soon followed… Now, shoppers can buy CBD-infused fast food burgers (thanks, Carl’s Jr.),
tea, honey, beer, chocolate, dog treats, bath salts, deodorants,
protein powders, hot sauce, coffee, gummy candy, shampoo, and face
creams… and the list goes on.
But all that CBD comes from hemp…
And all that hemp has to be grown
So farmers are scrambling to grow the newest, chillest cash crop.
Even farmers who formerly had no interest in hemp are starting to grow
it.
Why? Consider this: An acre of soybeans will make a farmer $500. An acre of hemp could make them as much as $30k.
For now, hemp farming may be a great deal for farmers. But regulators have yet to develop proper oversight practices, and some industry groups worry that hemp prices are still too volatile to take seriously.
No one knows when the high (prices) will wear off…
“The boom is coming mostly from word-of-mouth reports about hemp’s profitability,†reports the Hemp Industry Daily.
For now, growth is poised to continue: Planting of industrial hemp
increased 368% from 2018 to 2019, outpacing all other crops, and some
big producers — like Ben & Jerry’s — have expressed interest in buying CBD but are holding off until federal laws become more clear.
But if it turns out that the market for CBD dog treats isn’t as big
as it’s being billed, the CBD boom could quickly go bust for the farmers
who put all their hemp in one basket…
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:19 AM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)
Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14
million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has
interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro
Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
After dropping below US$5 a pound at the end of 2018, metal reaches US$7.31 Friday
Worries about supply and expected demand for electric cars kept pushing up the price of nickel this week
Metal staying above US$7.31 a pound on the London Metals Exchange on Friday.
Prices are up by 50 per cent the start of the year, when nickel was
struggling to stay above US$5 a pound. Prices haven’t risen this fact in
a decade. Indonesia, one of the biggest suppliers in the world, plans
to ban exports in 2022, and rumours the ban could be imposed sooner has
accounted for some of nickel’s recent strength, analysts say.
Kieran Clancy, assistant commodities economist at UK-based Capital Economics, told Bnamericas on Friday that global supply shortages are expected to worsen since no major mines are coming into operation any time soon.
“What’s more, there are a number of tail risks, the most notable of
which being the prospect that Indonesia implements a ban on nickel ore
exports sooner than 2022, although they now have significant domestic
smelting capacity which would cushion the blow somewhat,” Clancy said.
And in a livewiremarkets.com
story Friday, Eddy Haegel of BHP said demand for high grade nickel
(which is mined in Sudbury) for electric car batteries will really take
off sometime next year.
“We do not expect to see a meaningful impact on the nickel market
from batteries until the mid – late 2020s,†Haegel said. “Only then, do
we expect to see serious industry investment by Class 1 nickel
producers.
“However, we will not rest waiting for that day to arrive. We are
actively developing options to position ourselves for this
once-in-a-generation opportunity.’’
