Real - Time In - Game Interaction (Sochi Olympics, The Good and The Bad)

by Erecca Nacion

The Winter Olympics of 2014 took place in the Sochi, Russia. As the Olympics are one of the greatest sporting event for any sports enthusiasts to get excited for, it has come to the attention to social media users the many issues regarding the event. The bad of Sochi 2014 already acquired a Twitter account of “Sochi Problem” with 337,000 followers. The Twitter account include rants of the fifth Olympic ring fail during the opening ceremony, hundreds of stray dogs roaming the Olympic Village, and open manhole that drop about 15 feet deep. The biggest issue surrounding the Winter Olympics was the new hotel that clearly wasn’t ready for guests. Many media and athletes said their concerns over Twitter with pictures to prove.  For example, Quinn, a member of the U.S. four – man bobsled team, found himself locked in a bathroom. With no phone or no way to call for help, he smashed the door open and posted a picture on Twitter of the large hole he bashed in to escape.  (Ilich, 2014)

Due to increase popularity of social media, criticism about the Sochi Winter Olympics was easy to come across for sports enthusiasts. However, not everything surrounding the Sochi Winter Olympics and social media were all negative. Second – screen platform provider Monterosa announced that MTGx, the digital accelerator division of broadcaster Modern Times Group (MTG) has licenses LViS Studio to power its real – time sports game “Sochi Legends”. “Modern audiences expect to be able to engage more with the content they love, and MTG aims to help them,” says Fergal Walker, MD for MTG’s audience interaction solution Like. tv. “Sochi Legends enables sports fans of all ages to get a little closer to the 2014 Winter Olympics by taking part in daily quizzes and predictions.” (Campbell, 2014)

Canadians specifically have been taken abuzz with the 2014 Winter Olympics. Twitter has been in high capacity during the games de the hashtags like #GoCanadaGo and #WeAreWinter provided by the campaign of the official Canadian Olympic Committee. Don’t know the campaign? Check out this video:

One might think that Canadians are specifically enthusiastic about the Winter Olympics as a nation of ice – dogs, bundled to the eyes in thermals and snow gear, slogging it out for hours on end at the activities which have come to be part of our national heritage. However, a general decline in sport participation have been found, 17% in the past 18 years. Caroline Yli – Luoma, owner of Dagmar Ski Resort in Ashburn, Ontario, can attest to that. “We’ve definitely seen a decrease in visitors in the last five years,” she says. “I think people are just caught up in their technology these days. It’s not on their mind to get out and enjoy the outdoors in winter.” Through technology, Canadians have expressed their enthusiasm by the hashtag #WeAreWinter, but are we losing our love for winter sports? Tell us what you think, give us your thoughts on the issue of sport participation versus sport interaction via social media down below. (Ryalen, 2014)

Ilich, B. (2014). Sochi Problems: 2014 Winter Olympics Have Plenty of Ups and Downs . Retrieved from International Business Times : http://www.ibtimes.com/sochi-problems-2014-winter-olympics-have-plenty-ups-downs-1554317

Ryalen, K. (2014). Op - Ed: Are Canadians Living Up To the Hashtag #WeAreWinter? Retrieved from Digital Journal : http://digitaljournal.com/life/lifestyle/op-ed-are-canadians-living-up-to-the-hashtag-wearewinter/article/370168

Campbell, T. (2014). Modern Times Group Licenses Real - Time "Sochi Legends" Game . Retrieved from IPTV - News : http://www.iptv-news.com/2014/02/modern-times-group-licenses-real-time-sochi-legends-game/