Fusion of New Media: An Artistic Exploration of Phygital Technology in Russia's "Games of the Future"

Yang Zhiyong¹, Hou Shujie², Shen Qian³
¹School of Game Design, Jilin Animation Institute, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
²Institute of Business Communications, Saint Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design, Saint Petersburg 191186, Russia

Abstract

On February 21, 2024, the inaugural "Games of the Future" was held in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. [Purpose] This study aims to explore the application of Phygital technology in the sports domain and evaluate its potential impact on innovation and commercialization models of traditional sporting events. [Method] Through case study analysis, data examination, and field observations of the inaugural Games, this research investigates how Phygital technology integrates physical and digital elements and how this integration influences audience engagement and the commercial potential of events. [Results] The findings reveal that the visual artistic effects and convenient interactivity of Phygital technology significantly enhance audience interaction and participation, while also demonstrating the tremendous potential of digital art in strengthening the appeal of sports events and driving digital transformation in the sports industry. [Conclusion] The results support the integration of Phygital technology and art as an effective tool for sports innovation, offering new developmental pathways for future digital sports integration and advancement.

Keywords: Phygital; digital art; digital sports; industrial innovation; digital integration
CLC Number: G242
Document Code: A
Article ID: 1671-0134(2025)03-86-05
DOI: 10.19483/j.cnki.11-4653/n.2025.03.018
Citation Format: Yang Zhiyong, Hou Shujie, Shen Qian. Fusion of New Media: An Artistic Exploration of Phygital Technology in Russia's "Games of the Future"[J]. China Media Technology, 2025, 32(3): 86-90.

In the context of digital transformation, society and markets are undergoing profound changes that continuously evolve alongside technological advancement and consumer demands. Phygital technology, by uniquely merging the physical and digital worlds, provides fresh perspectives and innovative approaches that hold significant theoretical and practical value. Phygital—a portmanteau of "Physical" and "Digital"—represents a breakthrough innovation capable of reshaping customer and citizen experience journeys. First coined by Paul Palmier in 2013, the term has since gained widespread popularity, becoming a trending topic in the integration of digital and physical realms. As a product of this convergence, Phygital technology demonstrates strong development potential across multiple domains by creating seamless user experiences that enhance real-world interactivity and functionality through digital innovation. With continuous advancements in Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR), Phygital technology has introduced new forms of expression and interaction to both art and sports, offering immersive experiences while optimizing user experiences through data-driven decision-making.

1. Phygital's Artistic Expression

Phygital technology represents a cross-disciplinary artistic practice that creates an entirely new artistic language by combining physical and digital elements. This artistic form marks the fusion of traditional art with modern technology, breaking conventional boundaries in artistic creation. It is not merely a visual revolution but a multi-sensory experience encompassing touch and sound, enabling artworks to be presented to audiences in a more comprehensive and three-dimensional manner. Through Phygital approaches, artists utilize advanced digital technologies such as AR, VR, 3D printing, and mapping to integrate with physical spaces and materials, creating novel modes of artistic expression. This new art form places strong emphasis on audience interaction and participation, transforming viewers from passive observers into active participants in the creative process. Audiences can reinterpret and influence the artwork based on their own ideas, making decisions that affect its presentation and thereby creating a personalized and dynamically evolving artistic experience. This interactivity not only enhances the appeal of artworks but also makes the creative process more open and inclusive.

Phygital art also carries significant socio-cultural meaning. Through this medium, artists explore the relationship between humans and technology in contemporary society, reflecting on human existence in the digital age. By combining digital technology with the real world, Phygital art not only demonstrates the aesthetic value of technology but also raises profound questions about the relationships between reality and virtuality, nature and artificiality, and individual and society. This art form often prompts audiences to reflect on their roles in a rapidly evolving technological environment, thereby fostering deeper societal discussions about the impact of technological progress. Another important characteristic is sustainability. Through the use of digital technology, artists can create works that require no physical materials or minimize material usage, reducing consumption of natural resources and environmental impact. Additionally, the reproducibility and transmissibility of digital artworks enable them to transcend geographical boundaries, allowing global audiences to appreciate and experience them, thus expanding their influence and reach. As an emerging art form full of potential, Phygital technology not only expands the scope of artistic expression but also provides audiences with new sensory experiences, breathing new life into digital art and taking a solid step forward in the development of human artistic expression.

2. Conflict and Integration Between Traditional Sports and Phygital

2.1 Phygital's Impact on Traditional Sports

Phygital technology's development has brought particularly notable multidimensional impacts to the sports domain, introducing innovations while simultaneously challenging the characteristics and existing problems of traditional sports. It has transformed athletes' training methods by providing simulated environments and real-time data analysis to enhance performance, while also offering audiences entirely new viewing experiences that combine traditional sports competition with digital gaming to create novel forms of sports entertainment. For instance, through AR technology, audiences can see virtual data and information superimposed onto the real world, increasing both the spectacle and interactivity of competitions. With the popularization of 5G networks, Phygital technology applications will become even more rapid and widespread. High-speed data transmission capabilities make real-time interaction possible, enabling qualitative leaps in remote training, online competitions, and virtual viewing experiences. The development of cloud computing and big data technologies provides powerful data processing capabilities for Phygital technology, making personalized training plans, precise event analysis, and audience behavior prediction a reality. Against this backdrop of innovation-driven development, Phygital technology is gradually becoming a new engine for the transformation and upgrading of the sports industry. It can not only improve athletic efficiency but also expand the market boundaries of the sports industry, attracting younger consumers. As technology continues to mature and markets continue to expand, Phygital technology will develop in more diversified and intelligent directions in future sports applications.

In terms of business models, Phygital technology brings new commercial opportunities to the sports industry while providing audiences with novel viewing experiences. AR technology can display real-time data and analysis intuitively before audiences, while VR technology allows viewers to experience immersive spectating from home, as seen in e-sports and online fitness courses, providing new momentum for the diversified development of the sports industry. The application of Phygital technology not only enhances the watchability of competitions but also expands the audience base for sports events, exerting a revolutionary impact on the business models of the sports industry. By creating new revenue streams and market opportunities, it provides new growth points for sports organizations and enterprises.

2.2 Integration Models of Phygital and Traditional Sports

The integration model of Phygital technology and traditional sports is opening up a new form of athletic experience that manifests not only at the technical level but also more profoundly influences the evolution of sports culture. Competitive gamification and virtualization represent two prominent characteristics of this integration model, jointly shaping the future landscape of sports.

Competitive gamification refers to the integration of sports competition elements into digital games, creating a new type of sports activity that is both competitive and entertaining. In this model, e-sports has become a typical representative, combining traditional sports competition rules with digital platforms to enable matches in virtual environments. The rise of e-sports has not only attracted large numbers of young viewers but also brought new audience demographics to traditional sports. Competitive gamification also promotes the combination of sports and technology, such as providing athletes with tools for simulated training scenarios and movement analysis to improve their competitive levels. Virtualization represents another important application of Phygital technology in the sports domain. Through hardware development and technological popularization, AR and VR technologies create simulated virtual sports spaces for audiences. In these environments, no longer limited by real space and location, viewers can wear VR devices to experience immersive spectating through visual effects. Virtualization not only provides audiences with richer viewing experiences but also offers athletes more convenient training methods. Athletes can utilize VR technology for virtual training, conducting special intensive secret training in independent spaces. For athletes in rehabilitation who often face the dilemma of being unable to participate in high-intensity training, virtual training environments allow them to simulate real training scenarios through VR devices, performing various recovery exercises in small spaces without worrying about additional physical burden during recovery periods.

3. Application of Phygital in the "Games of the Future"

At the inaugural "Games of the Future," a new large-scale innovative sports event, the application of Phygital technology demonstrated its important role and profound impact in modern sports development. This new technology provides athletes with a new competitive platform by combining digital innovation with traditional sports, while also offering audiences unprecedented immersive viewing experiences. For viewers, Phygital technology greatly enriches their spectating experience. VR technology enables audiences to see virtual data and information superimposed onto the real world, including athletes' real-time data, competition statistics, and historical records, which greatly increases both the spectacle and interactivity of events. Audiences can participate in competition interactions through smartphones or other devices, and in some cases, their choices and interactions can directly influence the progression of competitions. On a broader level, the application of Phygital technology in the "Games of the Future" has had far-reaching impacts on the sports industry. It not only promotes the digital transformation of sports events but also provides new opportunities for sports marketing and sponsors. Through digital platforms, event organizers can more effectively promote events and attract global audience attention. Phygital technology also facilitates the development of sports derivatives and the connectivity between smart devices, bringing new growth points to the sports industry. Under the impetus of Phygital technology, our lifestyles and work patterns have undergone profound changes, and as technology continues to advance and applications deepen, Phygital technology will continue to play its unique role in the sports field, driving the industry toward greater intelligence and interactivity.

3.1 Immersive Viewing Experience

Phygital technology provides audiences with a new immersive viewing experience realized through AR and VR technologies that greatly expands the boundaries of traditional spectating. Through VR technology, audiences wearing headsets can be instantly transported to any corner of the competition venue, whether experiencing the tense atmosphere alongside athletes or enjoying panoramic views from the stands, offering an unprecedented viewing method. This immersive experience makes audiences feel as if they are personally participating in the competition, sensing athletes' every breath and heartbeat, thereby greatly enhancing viewing tension and excitement. AR technology injects rich digital content into audiences' real world, covering athletes' instant data, detailed competition statistics, historical event recreations, and even predictions for future matches. Through smartphones or other smart devices, audiences can intuitively experience this information presentation in the real world. For example, in a football match, audiences can watch the live game while simultaneously tracking players' movement trajectories and passing success rates in real time, with this data updating instantly on the field to not only enrich the viewing experience but also provide convenient pathways for deeper understanding of the event.

Immersive viewing experience also means audiences can customize their experience according to their preferences. For instance, they can lock cameras to follow specific athletes throughout the competition, choose to view the game from a referee's perspective to gain in-depth understanding of the complexity and professionalism of decision-making, or even select a God's-eye view from above to overlook the entire venue, gamifying and virtualizing the real competition field to enjoy a macro perspective and comprehensive viewing experience. This personalized viewing approach allows different audiences to find their suitable spectating mode, greatly improving satisfaction and participation. In the cooperation between the German Football League (Bundesliga) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), the concept of immersive viewing experience has been unprecedentedly strengthened. The core of this experience lies in using advanced technological means to seamlessly integrate real-time data analysis with the viewing process, thereby providing fans with a new, deeply participatory way to enjoy football. Since 2020, the Bundesliga has utilized AWS-supported match data to provide real-time competition analysis, an innovative initiative that not only challenges traditional viewing models but also brings unprecedented experiences to fans. The three new "Bundesliga Match Facts" data analysis services—"Attacking Zones," "Most Pressed Player," and "Average Position Changes"—are all designed to enhance fans' immersion and understanding of matches. Through the clever integration of data analysis and viewing experience, the Bundesliga enables fans to more intuitively feel every subtle aspect of the game, an innovative immersive experience that not only brings fans closer to the competition but also provides them with a new perspective to understand and appreciate the charm of football.

3.2 Interactive Participation Mechanisms

Phygital technology not only enhances audience viewing experiences but also transforms viewers into active participants through innovative interactive participation mechanisms. These mechanisms leverage the interactivity and real-time nature of digital platforms, allowing audiences to engage with competitions in various ways and greatly increasing their sense of participation and the event's appeal. Audiences can participate in event decision-making processes through online voting systems. For example, in some e-sports or entertainment-oriented sports events, audiences can vote to determine athlete appearance orders, select specific competition events, or even influence rule settings. This direct interaction not only makes audiences feel their impact on events but also adds more uncertainty and interest to competitions.

Phygital technology provides audiences with new interaction methods and social pathways. Through social media and other online platforms, audiences can instantly express opinions during matches, interact with other viewers, and even communicate directly with athletes. This interaction not only promotes communication and connection among audiences but also facilitates rapid information dissemination across the internet, thereby stimulating social discussion and increasing event attention. This interaction logic can also encourage audience participation through gamification. From early cathode-ray tube games to modern online games, the essence has always been communication and relaxation. With the rapid development of the digital economy era, online mini-games or applications related to competitions can be designed, allowing audiences to deeply participate while watching matches. By analyzing audience preferences and behaviors, big data models can accurately push competition information and viewing recommendations that match audience interests. Phygital technology provides refined interaction strategies that not only enhance audience satisfaction but also comprehensively meet the special needs of different types of viewers. This innovative approach not only provides audiences with more diversified entertainment choices but also creates additional economic value for events.

3.3 Personalized Experience Customization

The application of Phygital technology in the "Games of the Future" has made personalized experience customization possible. This customized service not only enhances audience satisfaction but also provides new momentum for sports event innovation and development. As technology continues to advance, future sports events will place greater emphasis on meeting audience personalization needs, bringing richer and more personalized viewing experiences.

Personalized experience customization is reflected in the selection of viewing content. Phygital technology can identify audience interest points, such as their favorite sports, supported teams, or followed athletes. Based on this information, the system can automatically recommend relevant live broadcasts, highlight reels, and athlete interviews, ensuring audiences receive timely information of interest. Audiences can also set viewing reminders according to their preferences to avoid missing important moments. Personalization is also manifested in viewing mode customization. Phygital technology allows audiences to choose different spectating modes based on their needs. For example, for audiences seeking in-depth understanding, the system can provide detailed data analysis and independent commentary channels tailored to different regions and preferences; for those seeking entertainment, gamified modes can be introduced using portable smart devices as a foundation, with real-time interaction strengthening connections between viewers and promoting the concept of joyful sports. Personalized experience customization also provides opportunities for close interaction with idol athletes, enabling everyone to have the chance to communicate deeply with their favorite sports stars. Through Phygital technology, audiences can ask questions and participate in online interviews with athletes in virtual spaces, a two-way interaction that not only enhances audience participation but also makes sports events more responsive to audience needs and more humanistic, facilitating the spread of sports culture.

4. Promotion and Application Prospects of Phygital in Digital Sports

Phygital technology plays a pioneering role in the future development of digital sports, with particularly broad prospects for promotion and application in the sports field. It is opening up a series of innovative models, heralding a profound transformation in the sports industry. As technology continues to advance and proliferate, Phygital technology will reshape sports at multiple levels, significantly changing everything from competition proceedings to audience viewing experiences.

In terms of competitions, Phygital technology intervention will make events fairer, more efficient, and more exciting. For example, through the use of high-precision sensors and real-time data analysis, audiences can make intuitive judgments while assisting referees in making more accurate decisions and reducing controversies. Phygital technology can also provide audiences with rich interactive experiences, such as allowing AR viewers to access exclusive content through mobile devices, including 3D player models or interactive games, and overlaying real-time statistics on smart devices to enable deeper understanding of every competition detail, thereby increasing audience participation and making sports event dissemination more extensive and in-depth.

For audience experience, Phygital technology greatly enriches viewing experiences, pushing spectating methods toward greater personalization and socialization. Audiences will obtain immersive experiences through AR and VR technologies, interacting with virtual elements in the real world. Integration with social media and other online platforms will enable audiences to more easily share their viewing experiences, participate in event discussions, and even influence certain aspects of competitions, such as determining certain segments through online voting. In terms of commercialization, Phygital technology applications will bring new business models and revenue sources to the sports industry. The rise of e-sports is a clear example, having attracted large numbers of young viewers while providing new marketing platforms for sponsors and advertisers. As Phygital technology further develops, the commercial value of sports events will increase further, providing new impetus for sports industry innovation and development.

Phygital technology will provide new pathways and solutions for the commercialization and innovative development of the sports industry, driving it toward greater intelligence and interactivity. In the future, the application and development of Phygital technology will present a continuously evolving trend, consistently leading and promoting intelligent, interactive innovation and transformation in the sports industry, injecting richer, more efficient, and interactive experiences into sports events and opening new pathways for the future development of the sports industry. Through observation of the successful hosting of Russia's inaugural "Games of the Future," we can see that as technology continues to innovate, the perceived value and enhanced experiences brought by Phygital technology integration fully demonstrate its practical value and future development potential. The sports model is developing in a new direction, and the rise and integration of digital sports will trigger unprecedented transformations in the future. Whether for athletes, event organizers, managers, or audiences, Phygital technology has brought unprecedented comprehensive experiences and interactions. Phygital technology will drive the commercialization and innovative development of the sports industry, leading it toward greater intelligence and interactivity, and injecting new vitality into the future development of sports.

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Funding: National Scholarship Council International Cooperation Program for Outstanding Graduates in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus (Project No.: 202210110003).

Author Biographies: Yang Zhiyong (1992—), male, from Jilin, Master's degree, Level 3 Animation Game Designer, research focus on digital art; Hou Shujie (1998—), female, from Taiyuan, Shanxi, PhD candidate, research focus on technical aesthetics and design; Shen Qian (1996—), female, from Pudong, Shanghai, Master's degree, research focus on Russian cross-cultural perspective.