Minkonet has always wanted to change the way people interact with video games. They have created/developed a 3D replay system for gaming/streaming and have done wonders for the eSports/livstream realm. The company has recently expanded into North America to expand their vision for what they can do as a whole! 3D is all the rage lately and it will be interesting to see how Minkonet builds off that. Please join me in welcoming VP of Service and Marketing at Minkonet, Ken Park, to GamerHub.TV.
1) What is the story behind Minkonet?
'Revolutionize Video Content for Gamers'.Founded in 2014, Minkonet’s mission is to change the way users watch and play video games. Based in Seoul and Los Angeles, Minkonet's 3D replay solutions encompass robust 360-degree data capture technology, providing high definition gaming video content experiences and enhanced social media interaction to unleash new content capabilities previously unseen in gaming.
2) What unique technologies is Minkonet bringing to the gaming community?
Minkonet’s 3D Replay technology provides seamless playback of the primary player’s gameplay and for PUBG, it lets players go into a fully 3D replay and re-position the camera, observe from other people’s perspectives, and add slow-mo. The player can basically make their own 'action movie' from the recorded replay using these features. People have already made some impressive bits of cinema; elevating their mere gameplay to an art form.
Here are some examples.
And also, our technology could be a practical, fundamental way to prevent hacking. It provides advanced insight and learning opportunities for players interested in closely re-examining gameplay missteps as well as helping to detect and gather evidence of in-game cheating. Our 3D data technology provides an interactive all-around viewpoint that hasn’t been possible with the textual event logs and the video capture of the deceased player. Our technology can be leveraged by game developers across all platforms to help curb the increasing amount of cheating and hacking issues afflicting the gaming community worldwide.
3) How do 3D game replays differ from the replays gamers are normally used to?
Both are basically similar but Minkonet’s 3D replay technology smartly parses large amounts of data from complex and dynamic gaming environments, usually open world or battle royale games have, free of playback slowdown or gamer lag.
4) How can e-sports also benefit from these innovations?
Our technology will elevate eSports as a spectator sport because video gameplay requires so many angles and perspectives that normal broadcasting can’t capture
5) Can Minkonet technology apply to other mediums beyond video games?
Basically, our replay technology runs on any game engine such as Unreal and Unity. So our replay technology can be applied to any industry where the game engines are used. First of all, as mentioned above, the replay technology can be applied to professional movie production like 'Machinima' and also for learning & lecture and demoing a product by empowering ability to share seamless and interactive experiences of content or product without limit at the same time.
6) What does the new Minkonet North America headquarters in Los Angeles convey about the company’s expansion and growth?
Opening new Minkonet North America headquarters in Los Angeles will foster relationships with leading entertainment and gaming studios. Dedicated to providing audiences with enhanced video content and gaming experiences, the Minkonet team will leverage the investment to expand its global operations and accelerate the organization’s next phase of growth, driven by an aggressive go-to-market strategy for its 3D in-game replay technology focused on sales, marketing, and strategic partnership development.
7) What’s next for Minkonet? Future plans? Partnerships?
We have significant plans to showcase, scale and upgrade our technology in the coming months...so stay tuned!
BONUS ROUND
8) Mario or Luigi?
Luigi, I prefer his character and his color.
9)The moment you knew this is what you wanted to do as a career?
The moment I was proposed for the job. I'm a gamer for my whole life starting with NES and MSX and love all kind of games; console, PC, mobile and retro, however, I never imagined working in the gaming industry. Once I heard the job proposal, I realized this is what I can do better than anyone and my knowledge and interest as a gamer could be a lot of help for this job.
10) Favorite classic 3D game?
Doom & Quake series for FPS. The Elder Scrolls series for RPG
11) Anything else you want our readers to know about Minkonet?
We are extremely excited and grateful for the feedback we're getting so far from the gaming community. Our 3D replay tech is creating some great use cases and this will surely add value to the overall gaming experience.
That’s going to do it for this installment of the GamerHub Interview series. I would like to thank my guest, Ken Park, for taking the time out to answer our questions. Stay tuned for the next GamerHub Interview and Happy Holidays/New Year!