Rockstar co-founder Jamie King joins Leap as an advisor

Want to learn more about the future of the video game industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry in October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Sign up today.

Leap is a next-gen sports discovery and endorsement platform. And today, the company announced that it has named Rockstar Games co-founder Jamie King as a member of the advisory board.

As an official advisory board member, King will leverage his experience and expertise in the gaming industry and product development to support Leap's upcoming platform launch, grow Leap's global community and serve as a spokesperson and evangelist for the company.

Not our usual kind of story. But it's interesting how King's expertise in games can be useful outside of gaming. Leap plans to use blockchain decentralization to democratize sports and how athletes get noticed. It has created a fun experience where athletes can compete for attention.

"I'm just proud to advise a company that truly wants to do good and help all the children in the world, especially those who don't necessarily have the same opportunities we have here in a country. like America,” King said.

Event

Next GamesBeat Summit 2022

Join gaming leaders live October 25-26 in San Francisco to examine the next big opportunities within the gaming industry.

register here

The meteoric rise of the mobile gaming industry in recent years peaked in 2021 with the generation of $93.2 billion, more than the recorded music and box office industries combined. To sustain growth, people like King believe we need blockchain and the Web3 ecosystem.

Conversely, Web 3 companies looking to shake things up could benefit from the expertise of gaming industry veterans. By recruiting King, the company will benefit from his gaming experience and knowledge and provide insight to Leap as it prepares for a launch.

At Rockstar, King worked on a wide range of early titles, including Grand Theft Auto and other popular games. He served as Vice President of Development, responsible for recruiting and managing the core team of engineers.

Beginning in 2018, King served as Head of Esports for Engine Shop, where he worked with major clients including MLB, MLS, NHL, Anheser Bush, Twitch, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During his time at Engine Shop, King won a few Tempest esports awards, three Chief Marketer Pro Awards, a 34th Sports Emmy nomination and a Silver Clio for Bud Light's BL6 game console.

As for the type of advice, King said, "I spent a lot of time worrying about the concepts of gamification, game mechanics, user experience, onboarding, customer retention, people, especially on mobile apps. And so I can advise on that and use my relationships with the sports community."

He said that Rockstar spends a lot of time thinking about core loops for game mechanics, things in games that create engagement. Rockstar also understood cultures and subcultures and what drives them.

He noted how sports fans and modern athletes communicate in different ways through short videos, such as TikTok. These videos have become the vehicle through which athletes introduce themselves to scouts and recruiters.