By: Zachary Fingerle
When you learn of a new business that is developing futuristic folding desks with monitors that are built-in and it isn’t some simple and cheap idea but rather a well-developed and strategically designed item that is backed by Alienware, one of the most recognized companies in all of computer gaming. You simply cannot look away!
We were able to connect with Michael Williams, the Chief Visionary Officer of Glytch Inc. to discuss this desk that is likely to change the future of esports events! In case you have not yet seen the desk itself the best place to see it is on their website!
Let’s dive right into the questions,
- Was there any influence on the design of the desk? Were you trying to be futuristic or build specifically for the fold/store idea?
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- We have produced hundreds of popup esports events in our time and have wished for an easier way to set up and break down the event. Pulling cables, configuring CPUs and plugging in monitors becomes very tedious very quickly. We wanted the desks to be slick, minimalist, and easy to install and fold.
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- Were you scared of breaking and damaging things while building a prototype or were you thinking you needed to break things to find the issues?
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- Things break in events all the time. We designed the Glytch Battle Station to handle punishment. The parts are “hot-swappable” and plug-and-play. It is all done with big tournaments in mind, including battle royale tournaments.
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- How did the collaboration with Alienware work on this product? Who had the majority of design/control?
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- Working with Alienware has been fantastic. They liked our idea from the start and have been very generous with both their time and their hardware. They have given advice and allowed us to co-brand the tables from the beginning.
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- Is the desk ergonomic enough to be someone’s “daily driver” or more of a tournaments desk?
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- The desk has ergonomic aspects to it, but it is principally designed for large-scale tournaments.
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- What is the price tag on the desk?
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- $4,995 (Highest Specs)
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- How large is the desk itself?
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- The desks are currently 44” from left to right and 36” front to back
- Do you already have any events/businesses that are already seeking this product?
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- In our first three weeks, we have received pre-orders for 75+ desks and are in talks with a major, charitable buyer for hundreds of Battle Stations..
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- What caused you to chase the business of esports?
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- I’m a lifelong video game developer (involved in the production, coding, and design of over 25 hit video games) and also a lifelong competitor. I love tournaments! As those two worlds have come together as esports, it was a natural fit for me.
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- Does Glytch Gear have any other products being worked on at the moment? Are you able to share any of that for the first time?
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- Yes, we are working on stackable chairs, apparel, and dozens of other peripherals focused on training and recovery for esports athletes.
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- Is Glytch Gear going to offer a service business of putting up and putting down the tournaments or is it simply a business that makes and sells the products?
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- Not exactly, equipment rental companies and productions are our customers. We want to support them in any way we can.
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- How do you transport the chairs? Nice chairs are not as portable as the desks now! Or is it more to simply save as much space as possible?
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- That’s why we’re working on stackable chairs! 100 esports chairs take up a great deal of space and are a pain to work with!
