Dive into the game: Understanding Telemetry Data

What the report says

If you are in esports or gaming you have probably heard about game data, in-game data live data, or telemetry data. But what does it actually mean? Where does all this hype come from? Why do game publishers like Riot Games or Ubisoft believe in its strategic value?This article is your ultimate guide to understanding how in-game telemetry data is revolutionizing the esports industry. From tracking every move players make to analyzing strategies in real-time, telemetry data is the secret ingredient behind your favorite esports tournaments.Whether you’re a gamer looking to up your game, a developer aiming to refine your title, or just curious about the nuts and bolts of competitive gaming, you’re in the right place.

Dive in as we explore the power of telemetry data in esports and how it’s shaping the future of gaming.This is the first part of a three-part series: Introduction to In-Game Telemetry Data. If you want to learn more about in-game telemetry data head to the GRID Knowledge Hub and check out: The Role of In-game Telemetry Data in Esports: Tapping into the Game-Changing Dynamics of the competitive scene. and No one told you that eavesdropping is rude? The Unofficial vs Official In-game Telemetry Data Feeds.What is in-game telemetry data in esportsTelemetry data is your game’s heartbeat.

But let’s start with the basics — the definition. The full name of this type of asset class, which we’re using at GRID is in-game telemetry data, also known as in-game data. In-game telemetry data in esports refers to the collection, analysis, and utilization of data generated by players’ interactions within a video game during competitive play. This data encompasses a wide array of metrics, including but not limited to player movements, in-game decisions, timing of specific actions, usage of game resources (like ammunition, abilities, or items), positioning on the game map, and much more. So why we’d not use live data as an alternative name?

Key details

Keep reading to find out.Capturing the Pulse of Esports: Data FeedsThe essence of esports lies in its fluidity and the constant flux of competitive dynamics. Every click, every move, tells a story, unfolding in real-time, offering a granular view of the battlefield. This granularity and speed of data in the digital sphere allow for a level of analysis and insight that has never been seen before in traditional sports. The in-game telemetry data can be turned into various data feeds.To give you a better understanding of what it means, we’ll use as an example the data feeds available on the GRID Data Platform:Live — A set of APIs that expose live, in-game data, that updates as the actions occur.

The data format is generic across all titles. Data is available with zero delay, in sync with the official stream or at a set delay. Live data is updated and available live as a game is ongoing, as well as historically, after the match has concluded.Central — A set of APIs making key static data available. This data is deemed static as, although being kept up to date, it is not expected to be changing constantly. This type of data is central to all of GRID’s other products and services, as it links together entities (such as Series, Teams, Tournaments, etc.) and their unique identifiers (IDs).Historical — This is a fairly broad category but at GRID, historical data is essentially the recording of the GRID Live Data Feed offering so that it can be used in the future.

As a result, GRID Historical data only becomes available after the Live Data Feed for a title or data point is up and running.Statistic — A set of APIs that externalizes data points calculated by aggregating and combining data collected across many live matches.Predictions — A set of APIs that expose ML-based predictions of a certain outcome to occur. Each prediction has a type and a probability, the type being e.g., win and a probability being a number indicating the likelihood of the event occurring.Video — A set of APIs that allow the consumption of video streams from tournaments directly by the clients.Millions of data points — one source of truth.Unlike in traditional sports, in esports there’s actually one source of truth for any game — the game server.

More from the announcement

The game server is owned by the rights holders making this type of data a part of the game intellectual property. The existence of a game server makes telemetry data coming directly from there superior to any data coming from unofficial sources.