How Ukrainians are developing video game industry
The computer game industry is booming in the entertainment industry. There are more new games that are becoming cult, and the developers don't forget to thrill fans with remasters of favorite games, such as Skyrim or Mafia. Gaming is becoming increasingly popular, and eSports is even waiting to be included in the list of Olympic disciplines. According to the NewZoo gaming industry analytical source, at the end of 2020, there were about 2.7 billion players worldwide (half of the adult population of the planet). In addition, e-sport has given impetus to the development of such a phenomenon as streaming, a live online broadcast of the game, which can be watched by thousands of users.
Ukraine doesn't stay away from the video game industry's trends. In September 2020, e-sports became an official sport in Ukraine. However, Ukrainians are interested not only in being e-sports competitors but also in fully developing this niche. A striking example of combining the gaming experience of Ukrainians is that Ukrainian developers have given the world such hits as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Cossacks, and others. E-sports in Ukraine began to emerge at the beginning of the 2000s. The first e-sports competitions took place in computer clubs. In 2009, the Natus Vincere e-sports organization appeared, which won prizes at international e-sports tournaments on Counter-Strike and Dota 2 over the years. Many Ukrainians and amateur gamers consider games their hobby and take this activity quite seriously.
At the same time, a separate niche of specialized gaming products has formed on the market: gaming keyboards, headphones, mice, mats, and even chairs and tables for gamers. However, most of this equipment is quite expensive, which becomes an obstacle for many Ukrainian players to purchase gaming products. The rapid development of the gaming industry and the growth of customer expectations have led to a demand for quality and affordable products. This trend was caught by Oleh Moroz, who's been distributing commodities for gamers and e-sports competitors in Ukraine and the CIS for many years. Using the experience of selling such global brands as Razer and SteelSeries through the established retail chain of "Zona51" stores, Oleh and his partners founded a brand in 2018 that manufactures affordable products for gamers and e-athletes, called HATOR. And in October 2018, the products appeared on the market. Its distinctive feature is the focus on the average user from Eastern Europe and the CIS. The Ukrainian company, which was a young player in the market, offered a line of the most popular and necessary accessories for video game fans. Developing products, they attracted not only Ukrainians but also experienced engineers from China and South Korea. Critical market analysis and constant communication with users made it possible to identify those qualities that are most important for the customer when choosing a product and to crystallize the optimal ratio of consumer characteristics and prices.
In three years, the brand has developed rapidly, in 2020, it entered the markets of Armenia and Georgia and in 2021, it reached first place in terms of sales of gaming keyboards and chairs in Ukraine. And according to the Ukrainian distributor, the HATOR Hypergang EVO gaming headset has become more popular than all its competitors on the Ukrainian market.
Hator produces products that take into account the achievements of modern technology and have an original design. The brand's range includes gaming chairs, headsets, mice, keyboards, game surfaces, switches, wristbands, cake caps, etc.
Given that the brand was created in Ukraine, the product has Ukrainian instructions, and the company's website has a Ukrainian version, which has a positive effect on the choice of Ukrainian gamers. Affordable products for video games and e-sports contribute to the development and establishment of the e-sports industry in Ukraine and simply provide comfort while pursuing a favorite hobby.
