Butler University’s New Esports Park Harnesses Vizrt Technology
Nestled in the heart of Indianapolis, Indiana, Butler University is transforming into an epicenter for Esports, having just opened the doors to its new Esports Park. This state-of-the art facility connects members of the Esports community and broadcasts games using Vizrt’s iconic TriCaster®, 3Play® and PTZ products.
Originally established as a student-led initiative in 2017, Butler University has helped foster its students’ passion for Esports and gaming into an opportunity for players to grow academically, competitively, and professionally. It has since transformed into a flagship location for the sport and one of the most competitive programs in the country with Butler’s varsity Esports teams competing in the BIG EAST Conference, in both Rocket League and League of Legends.
Butler’s first-of-its-kind Esports Park is a 7,500-square-foot, multi-use facility featuring approximately 40 gaming PCs, gaming consoles, a virtual reality area, café, and community office spaces. The space offers gameplay memberships, access for corporate training, youth STEM events and Esports camps.
With a facility hosting such live events and streams it was necessary to have strong broadcasting production capabilities. Butler University chose the TriCaster® TC1 video production platform and 3Play® 3P1 sports video production solution, and three NDI®|HX PTZ2 cameras, which enabled the studio to extend its live production capabilities with ease.
“Our facility required adaptable livestream technology which was easy to understand and use. This was especially important given our efforts to host various livestream competitions while also providing students with hands-on production experience and learning opportunities,” John Lacheta, Butler University’s Manager of Facilities and Operations, said. “The versatility of the NewTek (Now Vizrt) production products was extremely attractive for this reason.”
Striving for the highest-quality production possible, the production team used the TriCaster® to connect and switch between the multiple cameras being used to film its competitions.
Additionally, all TriCasters are IP-enabled using the NDI® standard, which allows users to connect devices such as cameras, microphones, intercoms, and lighting through Ethernet cabling and provides two-way communication. The TriCaster® allowed the production team to easily connect and manage camera switching while improving the studio production efficiency.
“The flexibility of this system allows us to support a plethora of events of different shapes and sizes. The agility of the NDI® standard plays a massive role in how we can shift from classroom to open play and live event modes quickly and with intent,” Nathan Duke, Manager of Esports Programs and Facility Operations, Butler Esports, said.
“Given that we host so many high-profile Esports events, it was necessary for us to have the technology that could easily ingest a magnitude of virtual signals and tie them all into a network quality product for our fans and players. TriCaster® with NDI® did just that, all while not requiring an intense production setup.”
Nestled in the heart of Indianapolis, Indiana, Butler University is transforming into an epicenter for Esports, having just opened the doors to its new Esports Park. This state-of-the art facility connects members of the Esports community and broadcasts games using Vizrt’s iconic TriCaster®, 3Play® and PTZ products.
Originally established as a student-led initiative in 2017, Butler University has helped foster its students’ passion for Esports and gaming into an opportunity for players to grow academically, competitively, and professionally. It has since transformed into a flagship location for the sport and one of the most competitive programs in the country with Butler’s varsity Esports teams competing in the BIG EAST Conference, in both Rocket League and League of Legends.
Butler’s first-of-its-kind Esports Park is a 7,500-square-foot, multi-use facility featuring approximately 40 gaming PCs, gaming consoles, a virtual reality area, café, and community office spaces. The space offers gameplay memberships, access for corporate training, youth STEM events and Esports camps.
With a facility hosting such live events and streams it was necessary to have strong broadcasting production capabilities. Butler University chose the TriCaster® TC1 video production platform and 3Play® 3P1 sports video production solution, and three NDI®|HX PTZ2 cameras, which enabled the studio to extend its live production capabilities with ease.
“Our facility required adaptable livestream technology which was easy to understand and use. This was especially important given our efforts to host various livestream competitions while also providing students with hands-on production experience and learning opportunities,” John Lacheta, Butler University’s Manager of Facilities and Operations, said. “The versatility of the NewTek (Now Vizrt) production products was extremely attractive for this reason.”
Striving for the highest-quality production possible, the production team used the TriCaster® to connect and switch between the multiple cameras being used to film its competitions.
Additionally, all TriCasters are IP-enabled using the NDI® standard, which allows users to connect devices such as cameras, microphones, intercoms, and lighting through Ethernet cabling and provides two-way communication. The TriCaster® allowed the production team to easily connect and manage camera switching while improving the studio production efficiency.
“The flexibility of this system allows us to support a plethora of events of different shapes and sizes. The agility of the NDI® standard plays a massive role in how we can shift from classroom to open play and live event modes quickly and with intent,” Nathan Duke, Manager of Esports Programs and Facility Operations, Butler Esports, said.
“Given that we host so many high-profile Esports events, it was necessary for us to have the technology that could easily ingest a magnitude of virtual signals and tie them all into a network quality product for our fans and players. TriCaster® with NDI® did just that, all while not requiring an intense production setup.”
