Television production and football video games: who influences whom?

Ivan Justel, Head of Communications and Social Media de Mediapro, reflects on the growing influence of video games in the coverage of football matches, an increasingly busy two-way path.

After three decades of history, the sports video games they recreate, better and better, real worlds through similar virtual experiences. It is common for some narratively reproduce a model audiovisual similar to that of a television broadcast, adopting the same language used in the audiovisual production of sporting events.

In the same way, it is increasingly common for large competitions to have their own official video games fruit of agreements with the main developers for strategic and commercial purposes. The influences of television on sports content video games are, therefore, evident. But they are also becoming more and more the influences of the world of video games are evident in the filmmakers' vision of sporting events. And this transfer of points of view enriches both universes, since the synergies are great: the location and stadiums where the event takes place, camera plans, replays, graphics or sound treatment. Every detail of the game is carefully developed.

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The professionals at Grup Mediapro, always at the forefront of television technology and production, have already incorporated some resources born between the controls of a video game. Grup Mediapro was a pioneer in the introduction, three seasons ago, of the cinematographic camera in sports production. This technological innovation allows short shots the background loses sharpness giving all the protagonism to the player as happens in the images recreated in video games. This earned it an innovation award at the last edition of Sportel, one of the most important global events for audiovisual technology linked to sports. Another innovation implemented by Grup Mediapro was the use of traced graphics to offer viewers information about the game on time real. Technological innovations that enrich the experience and bring television production closer to current audiovisual aesthetic demand.

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On the contrary, video games They cannot replace with technology the heat and color generated by the public in a stadium.. Every season, sports game developers draw on the ambient sound of the different stadiums, as well as the comments of acquaintances announcers and commentators. A goal, a chance or the integrated fans' chants do not sound the same in FIFA as in a packed stadium.

Innovation and future

The technological innovation It is in the DNA of Grup Mediapro that, season after season, offers fans news in the broadcast of the matches. In the near future, the viewer, in addition to following the football matches from the official signal, you can choose between different camera angles to see different plans.

There are more and more the influences of the world of video games are evident in the filmmakers' vision of sporting events.

But who influenced who? There is no doubt that the sports video games were born with a great influence of sports broadcasts but it is evident that, at times, the ingenuity and skill of its creators has helped improve and enrich the experience of fans in their games.

Ivan Justel

Head of Communications and Social Media de Mediapro

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