Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING DECEMBER 2017 76 FEATURE IN FOCUS unique appeal,” she said. “Of course, we know that everyone now is very excited about eSports. It is the new game on the block. But even eSports is going through an evolution and I anticipate there will be many new generational developments in a very short space of time with new technologies and more specialized architecture. “At the moment, the best thing to do is, rather than jumping into making one or two events, I would rather spend more effort Fiori di Paradiso Ceiling by Dale Chihuly on enhancing our infrastructure to enhance our capabilities so that when the time is right we will be positioned to step forward as the preferred base for eSports in Asia.” It is with this in mind that MGM China developed some of the standout features of its new MGM Cotai integrated resort, which will open its doors on 29 January 2018. In August, MGM released preview imagery of the property’s MGM Theater at Cotai, described as Asia’s “first dynamic theater.” Designed by Scéno Plus, a world leading performance arts and entertainment design firm, MGM Theater at COTAI will offer 28 million pixels of viewing to audiences via a giant 900 square meter 4K (ultra HD) LED screen equivalent to the size of three tennis courts. The theater will be able to seat up to 2,000 people in more than 10 different configurations including custom arrangements for traditional concerts, fashion shows and movie premieres as well as a 360-degree configuration for talk shows, product launches and international DJs. “We are definitely capable,” Ms Ho said when asked about the potential for MGM Cotai to host international eSports events in the future. “When we built the property, we built it to have that capability. While everyone is building larger, bigger stadiums or exhibition venues, we are the smallest still in terms of our capacity and space but just as we talk about our smart economy, we have been trying to play smart in our design. “We have utilized our space in a way that we think leads the rest in terms of how we will be able to bring all sorts of new ideas. The spaces aren’t the largest but they are enabled to be able to provide the capability to organize any sort of event. That is what our contribution will be in the future. It will almost automatically become the venue of choice when it comes to eSports.” “Of course, we know that everyone now is very excited about eSports. It is the new game on the block. But even eSports is going through an evolution and I anticipate there will be many new generational developments in a very short space of time with new technologies and more specialized architecture.