The NBA has launched an audio simulation of virtual matches, made according to the state of form of the players before the suspension of the competition. Pending the resumption of the championship once most of the coronavirus crisis has passed, it is a way to maintain the passion of the fans, as explained by Anicet Mbida in his chronic innovation of the day.
With almost all competitions stopped, sports fans are completely idle. But we may have found solutions to make them vibrate again. For example, simulating games on a computer and commenting on them live, as if they really happened.
It is the NBA, the American basketball, which has just started. Wednesday night, for example, if there had been no coronavirus, we should have had a game between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks. Eventually it happened.
What we hear are the usual regular commentators who describe the match live. But it is a match fiction, completely simulated by computer. It is extremely well done, it really feels like on the ground.
Is there only sound or can we also see the image?
No, there is only sound. With computer graphics, it would have looked too much like a video game. It is a project called NBA FM. It is actually a radio. They plan to simulate the whole end of the season according to the original calendar, that is to say until mid-April.
What exactly is the simulation based on?
Mainly on the state of form of each other on the first part of the season. But they recognize that they can "adjust" certain criteria to have more interesting matches. So it's reality with a good dose of fiction.
There are a lot of initiatives like this right now. For example: Formula 1 races or soccer games organized in video games, with real sportsmen. We are innovating to keep fans waiting while the real competition resumes.