One company has set out to create a trail in the rapidly expanding world of online gambling. Cole Rush writes that Rourke Struthers is carving a niche for himself in the industry of daily fantasy sports.
Struthers describes GameBlazers as a “gamified fantasy sports approach”. DFS currently features NFL contests.
The participants receive football player packs with multipliers. For example, a star running back could come with 1.3x multiplier. GameBlazers owners can use the items they have to create a team of players that fits within their salary cap.
This novel strategy must compete with the existing DFS competition as well asthe proliferation online casinos and sportsbooks. Struthers believes GameBlazers will be able to meet the challenges.
He says that “so many dollars have been spent on the gambling industry.” But look at the video game category in general. It’s much bigger. “We wanted to iterate and improve on that concept, bringing some new ideas into the fantasy world.”
Change the Game
There are many major players in the daily fantasy world. DraftKings, FanDuel and other major players are the most prominent. These two companies were almost entirely responsible for the rise of the daily fantasy industry. Pick’em sites have also become popular in this space.
Struthers praises GameBlazers competitors, and views them as launchpads: “FanDuel or DraftKings are great products,” says Struthers. We want to give our players more opportunities to show off their knowledge and skills.
According to Struthers, there isn’t a lot of difference between the existing fantasy platforms.
He says that the whole thing has a uniform feel.
GameBlazers wants to change that formula and allow its players to have more control. Signing up for GameBlazers comes with a complimentary item pack. The system is not random but it does have random elements to make things interesting. GameBlazers enlisted FIFA Ultimate developers to help with this part.
The participant can either use the free packs to create a line-up or purchase more.
Struthers: “It adds a great deal of variety when setting up a team.” You don’t get the same items for players as anyone else. “Multipliers are more exciting and make it less likely that ties will occur.”
The user experience will be familiar for most, even though the GameBlazers mechanics differ slightly from those of other DFS platforms.
“Once your Franchise Pass is activated, Struthers will direct you to the Franchise Pass section.” From there you can get your starter kit. The pack-opening experience begins. “You can flip each item over and feel the players that you have received.”
GameBlazers allows players to jump into contests with items (virtually) in hand.
Polished platform
GameBlazers won’t take on more than they can handle. The company and Struthers carefully select what they want to develop and roll out.
This led to a discussion on how to best showcase NFL players’ images.
Struthers explains, “We tried to use a number of profile pictures that are similar to those seen on DraftKings and FanDuel.” It’s nice to show off the faces of football players, since you rarely see them.
Struthers said GameBlazers was also considering dynamic action photos to complete player profiles.
The real star of GameBlazers is the fantasy management and game mechanics.
The players can only buy and sell items. The GameBlazers staff carefully considered this distinction.
Struthers states that “overload is very real.” If you implement everything at once, your entire ecosystem will be under construction. We’re focusing our attention on the current marketplace, addressing any problems, before adding new features.
It’s an approach that’s measured – I would never have thought to use those words to describe a DFS start-up, but it’s working. Struthers & GameBlazers aim to provide the best platform possible for players, and to remain level-headed & focused.
It is important to keep things functional and simple for the players. Take a look at a DFS players first experience with GameBlazers as an example.
“You can play right away with the starter kit items,” says Struthers. From a design perspective, this was very important for us. Only a fraction of the 50 million fantasy gamers in the US are willing to pay money for it. “Having a Free-to-Play element was very important for us.”
Buying additional packs is a good idea. Struthers says, “You can get more players.”
The GameBlazers philosophy is based on the fact that it’s not required.
Struthers tells us, “You are the general manager, owner and coach of your fantasy team.”
At GameBlazers, you can own a fantasy football team for the long-term.
Struthers explains, “We have included extensions to contracts.” Our items are either permanent (until the player retires), or expire after 12 months. You can extend the contract of a player for more than 12 months with a contract extension. “We’re looking forward to expanding on this feature in the future.”
Why GameBlazers?
What makes GameBlazers stand out in a sea of fantasy sports platforms and betting sites?
Struthers believes that the idea of ownership and description is crucial.
He says, “There’s something for everyone.” Every layer has a desire for varying levels of control. Our product is for players that want to have more control over their rosters and take decisions they feel are important.
GameBlazers offers so much that is not available anywhere else. It is possible to retain valuable players for many years. “You can expand your options by opening new packs.”
GameBlazers has also a Battle Pass Mechanism, which allows players to level-up as they play.
Struthers says, “It makes players excited about what they do in any given week.” As you win and play you receive benefits, rewarding you for the time you put in. Over time, it will also become an increasingly important part of our platform.
Markets and Challenges
GameBlazers was designed to be accessible by a broad range of people. Struthers stresses the importance of marketing to a broad audience.
He says, “I did not want to concentrate on one demographic.” There are many niche-specific products, but ours is a wide-open market. “We’re approved for 13 years and older, and have a completely free-to play element which I believe will change the way people view fantasy.”
What is the biggest challenge GameBlazers faces? Make a mark on jurisdictions that allow online sports betting.
The challenge is largely a matter of dollar share, Struthers says. As a new startup, it is difficult to stand out and build brand recognition. When you are dealing with states where there is so much money being poured into the acquisition of users, it can be hard to stand out.
Struthers still believes in GameBlazers, and says that the product is unique because it has many compelling features.
What’s next?
GameBlazers has a long list of features and improvements.
We’re hoping to add more items to our store, and possibly get physical items.
However, the biggest thing on our roadmap is an app for mobile devices. Struthers claims that this will be available next year.
Struthers’s outlook for the future is simple: “There are a number of things on our road map.
