15/06/2023
R42 in Leipzig - Sony technology for trend-setting lighthouse project in the gaming and media industry
R42 in Leipzig's Ritterstraße 42 will become a beacon in the German gaming industry as Sony equips the building with state-of-the-art display, management and production technology
Weybridge (UK) / Leipzig, June 15, 2023 – Play, work, live – in one place, in the middle of the city: Sony and Gecko are jointly creating a unique ecosystem for the German gaming industry in Leipzig. With the start-up consultancy GECKO.2 Sony is redesigning a building in Leipzig’s city centre into a creative centre for game developers and gaming fans, taking care of the visualization, workplace management and live production.
The technology company is equipping R42 with state-of-the-art products and solutions – including large screens from the BRAVIA 4K professional display range for signage and presentation applications, powerful 4K laser projectors, its TEOS workplace management system, and state-of-the-art PTZ cameras and editing technology for live studio productions.
The building address Ritterstraße 42 is also the namesake of R42, and is scheduled to open in the second half of the year: The project offers the best development opportunities for the gaming scene: R42 combines gastronomy, events, content production, gaming, working and living on a total of seven floors.
“R42 is becoming a beacon in the German gaming scene,” says Noelle Giesselbach, Trade & Segment Marketing Manager DACH, Sony Professional Europe. “We are very pleased that our technology is adding to the scope of this project. We are also demonstrating the positive impact technology can have on a creative environment. R42 is the counter-model to lifeless, sterile city centers. It is a model for the way people will be able to live and work in cities in the future. R42 will most certainly become known beyond the borders of Germany.”
The gaming market is growing steadily. This is not just about the classic gaming areas such as commercial computer games or professionalized gaming as in e-sports. Serios games, which combines digital learning with entertainment elements in the educational sector, or gamification – the targeted use of playful elements in non-game environments – are also becoming increasingly important.
“This project is unique in Germany in this combination,” says R42 initiator Christopher Siebenhüner, who founded GECKO.2 together with Tom Potuschek. “The project combines events, content production, gaming, working and living in one building. Here, the world of traditional business meets the games industry and promotes innovative concepts throughout the region. We are particularly pleased that Sony is on board with its expertise in professional displays, workplace management and live production. This commitment is crucial to the success of the project and points the way forward for the entire sector. ”
Broad Sony portfolio in use
Extensive Sony technology is used across seven floors in Building R42. Among this are more than 40 screens from the BRAVIA 4K professional display series, with sizes ranging from 32 to 100 inches. The flagship is the BRAVIA FW-100BZ40J, the largest screen in the Sony portfolio. In the R42, no less than two 100-inchers ensure outstanding picture quality, including in the gaming arena designed to host over 100 people.
The WUXGA-3LCD laser projector VPL-FHZ85 from Sony with a luminous intensity of 8,000 lumens ensures bright brilliance even in demanding conditions. It combines brightness with efficiency, installation flexibility and advanced features, while size and weight make it the smallest and lightest mid-range projector.
The R42’s co-working areas use TEOS, Sony’s Workplace Management System. This allows work environments to be coordinated centrally: Personalized signage for individual rooms, efficient room booking and technologies for smoother collaboration.
In addition, nine PTZ cameras deliver razor-sharp images for recordings and live productions of gaming sessions, training courses or meetings. Among them are the SRG-X120BC and SRG-X400BC models. The versatile SRG-X Series remote PTZ cameras are ideal for 4K recording in classrooms or meeting rooms.
Officially launching in the second half of 2023, Sony will also use R42 as a show room and venue for customer events.