By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
Electronic Arts has agreed to acquire TRACAB Technologies, a leader in sports optical tracking and analysis, as part of its push to enhance realism in sports gaming and beyond.
TRACAB, originally part of ChyronHego, became a standalone entity in 2021 and specialises in Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT), player tracking, and real-time match insights using AI-powered optical tracking.
EA Sports plans to integrate TRACAB’s cutting-edge live event data into its game engine, helping to improve player animations, team AI, and real-world sports simulation.
Beyond gaming, EA sees TRACAB as a key piece of its vision for the EA SPORTS App, using volumetric data capture to power features like predictive simulations, reimagined highlights, and alternative on-demand broadcasts.
Why It Matters:
With 600 million data points generated per match and tracking from 21 joints per player, TRACAB is one of the most sophisticated optical tracking systems in sport today. EA’s acquisition signals a major investment in real-world data to fuel next-gen AI and gameplay realism, while also expanding its footprint in live sports technology.
TRACAB’s real-time tracking means signature player movements can be digitized instantly, making in-game animations hyper-personalized and adaptive. Instead of weeks of motion capture, a Haaland bicycle kick or a Barkley hurdle could be playable within hours of happening live.
Beyond making virtual football more lifelike, this is a long-term play to position EA Sports as a broader interactive sports platform, bringing together gaming, real-world analytics, and digital fan experiences.
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