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Herman Miller is getting into gaming

Herman Miller is getting into gaming

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The famed furniture design company turns its attention to e-sports

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Photo: Complexity Gaming

Herman Miller, the furniture company perhaps best-known for the iconic Eames Lounge Chair, is getting into gaming. Today the company announced a partnership with Complexity Gaming — an e-sports organization with teams in Dota 2, Call of Duty, and more — that will see the famed furniture design firm expand into competitive gaming. As part of the deal, Herman Miller will become Complexity’s “official seating partner,” and the company will also set up an e-sports-focused lab at Complexity’s Texas headquarters.

According to the two companies, the partnership “aims to develop an industry-wide solution to ergonomic equipment and design products to address the specific needs of gamers. Leveraging real-time player data from the in-house innovation lab, Complexity and Herman Miller are working together to understand gamers’ needs for high-quality ergonomic gaming equipment.” This will include publishing “a variety of content focusing on injury prevention and best gaming practices.”

It’s not clear yet what this potential gaming-focused chair will look like, nor when it might be available. But Herman Miller is far from the first major company to venture into the increasingly mainstream world of e-sports. Nike and Champion are designing jerseys for e-sports teams, while the likes of K-Swiss and Adidas have created shoes. For the companies, it’s a chance to reach a brand-new audience of potential consumers, while for the teams, it’s a way to gain a potential competitive advantage.

“Through this unprecedented partnership, we will research and develop findings that educate gamers, increase wellness, improve player performance, extend professional careers, and increase the overall quality of life for not only Complexity players but gamers around the world,” Complexity CEO Jason Lake said in a statement.