Definitions of Esports: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis (original) (raw)
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Esports matrix: Structuring the esports research agenda
Computers in Human Behavior, 2021
The popularity of Electronic Sports (esports) have grown tremendously in the last few years, becoming one of the most popular forms of digital entertainment. Despite continued growth, definitions and classifications of esports remain elusive, and the industry is still considered by many to be in its infancy. Understanding of esports originate from diverse, sometimes conflicting fields, which has created fragmented interpretations of its definition, positioning and core components. This has hindered esports from embracing opportunities afforded by emerging digital technologies and progressing as a distinct field. The purpose of this conceptual paper is threefold, to redefine esports, propose a unified framework to capitalise on esports business potential, and inspire a more structured future esports research agenda. The proposed esports Matrix, presents four distinct realms that distinguish esports; esports as a representation of current physical sports (sports digitalisation), esports as traditional (multi-player) game experience (competitive multiplayer computer games), esports that modify existing sports, player rules and setups through digital augmentations (digitally enhanced sports), and new types of esports involving emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality (immersive reality sports). The esports Matrix was developed incorporating industry expertise thus verifying its suitability and relevance to advance conceptual and empirical understanding, and importantly, facilitating a more structured approach, to enable businesses to realise the potential of esports.
Current Status and Key Topics in Esports Research (Chapter 2.2, Routledge Handbook of Esports)
Routledge Handbook of Esports, 2024
Esports research encompasses a vast array of interdisciplinary foundations and investigates a diverse range of research questions concerning various aspects of the ecosystem. Research on esports addresses broad social and economic questions, organizational and institutional level concerns, and individual-level factors related to participants and fans. As an emerging context with broad application, esports researchers are drawn from a wide array of academic fields, employing theoretical and methodological approaches native to their disciplinary home. This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of research on esports, including its historical development, the diverse disciplinary and contextual perspectives it encompasses, and the possibilities for future research. Key highlights include: 1) A brief review of the history of esports research, 2) A high-level overview of esports research as a multi-disciplinary field, 3) An analysis of the evolution of the number of esports publications per year over the last 20 years, 4) The introduction of the “Esports Research Matrix,” which organizes existing and future esports research into 10 major field categories based on research scope, perspective, and domain, 5) A discussion about the various designs and methodologies used for esports research, and 6) A brief assessment the current state of esports scholarship.
Routledge Handbook of Esports, 2024
The Routledge Handbook of Esports offers the first fully comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of esports, one of the fastest growing sectors of the contemporary sports and entertainment industries. Global in coverage, the book emphasizes the multifaceted nature of esports and explores the most pressing issues defining the competitive video gaming landscape today. Featuring the work of 93 leading esports academics and industry specialists from around the world, and rigorously peer-reviewed, the book is structured around ten key themes: 1) Introduction to Esports, 2) Esports Research, 3) Esports Players, 4) Esports Business and Management, 5) Esports Media and Communication, 6) Esports Education, 7) Critical Concerns in Esports, 8) Global Esports Cultures, 9) Esports Future Directions, and 10) Key Terms Definitions. Examining the current state of esports, emerging areas of interest and the ongoing debates shaping the esports industry, each of the 62 chapters offers key highlights, an assessment of the latest research, practical esports examples and recommendations, and is complemented by enlightening case studies or industry interviews. For further academic and professional depth, chapters also include a guide to recommended additional resources. Explaining technical terms and gaming jargon in a user-friendly manner, and maintaining a balanced tone throughout, this handbook is essential reading for any student or researcher with an interest in esports, gaming, or sport studies, and for any practitioner or policy-maker working in the esports industry.
Introduction to Esports Research (Chapter 2.1, Routledge Handbook of Esports)
Routledge Handbook of Esports, 2024
This chapter offers a brief introduction to the “Esports Research” section of the Routledge Handbook of Esports, which includes chapters on Current Status and Key Topics Esports in Research (2.2), Organizations, Labs/Centers, and Journals Related to Esports Research (2.3), General Recommendations for Esports Research (2.4), Qualitative Esports Research Methodology (2.5), Survey Esports Research Methodology (2.6), and Experimental/Intervention Esports Research Methodology (2.7). Keywords: esports research, journals, research labs, research centers, research method, survey, qualitative, experimental
Introduction to Esports (Chapter 1.1, Routledge Handbook of Esports)
Routledge Handbook of Esports, 2024
This chapter offers a brief overview of the “Introduction to Esports” section of the Routledge Handbook of Esports, which includes chapters on Defining and Spelling Esports (1.2), Global History of Esports (1.3), Esports Ecosystems and Stakeholders (1.4), Esports Genres and Games (1.5), Esports Developers, Publishers, and Game Design Considerations (1.6), and Esports Equipment and Infrastructure (1.7). Keywords: defining esports, esports history, esports stakeholders, esports genres, video games, game design, publishers, equipment, infrastructure
International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS) , 2018
Despite eSports' relatively long history, the attention paid by academia to this phenomenon has been much more recent and is still in an embryonic state in all of the views. The scientific production has grown because of the global success associated with the widespread growth of live events and the large following of competitions retransmitted via streaming. This article aims to offer a literature review of the research carried out on eSports to date, based upon a systematic review on the sample of selected research. The results confirm the growing variety of approaches to the issue, but also a clear dominance of computer science perspectives rather than to sport science or game studies. While showing some balance between qualitative and quantitative approaches, the prevalence of theoretical perspectives may be taken as a sign of struggle for consolidation as a field. Finally, a discussion about main matters and an author and institution average profile are also provided.
The Future of Esports (Chapter 9.1, Routledge Handbook of Esports)
Routledge Handbook of Esports, 2024
The aim of this chapter is to stimulate discourse by offering an overview of potential future trends within esports, highlighting what is needed for the industry to thrive. After discussing past predictions on the future of esports, The Future of Sustainable Esports Model is proposed that, if followed, would help the industry grow and prosper. The four components of this model include esports economic, governance, social, and environmental sustainability, with crossover sub-components of: accountable, equitable, responsible, and viable. Strategies, challenges, and opportunities within the esports ecosystem are discussed across each of the four esports sustainability components that will affect whether esports thrives in the future. Key highlights include: 1) A broad overview of recent future of esports research, 2) Clear and concise definitions of esports sustainability, including esports economic, governance, social, and environmental sustainability, 3) An insightful interview with Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2 Esports and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Esports Commission, forecasting many facets of esports in the future, and 4) An argument for a morphogenetic approach regarding future interdisciplinary esports research.
On the Scientific Relevance of eSports
Competitive computer gaming or eSports is a phenomenon that has become a fundamental element in today's digital youth culture. So far very little effort has been made to study eSports in particular with respect to its potentials to positively influence research developments in other areas. This paper therefore tries to lay a foundation for a proper academic treatment of eSports. It presents a short overview on the history of eSports, provides a definition that is suitable for academic studies on eSports related issues and discusses first approaches to this topic that might lead to results that are applicable to problems in seemingly unrelated fields such as strategic decision making or management training.
Symposium: Handbook of Esports Book Project
ERNC22 Jonkoping Book of Abstracts, 2022
Past esports books focus on specific areas of esports (e.g., esports medicine, esports business/management, esports history, collegiate esports, etc.). A reference source is lacking in the literature that provides a broad overview of esports. The editors on this panel propose to address this gap with the creation of a wide-reaching, interdisciplinary Handbook of Esports, intended for publication with a well-established global publisher. The purpose of this interactive panel discussion is for the editors of the proposed Handbook of Esports to receive feedback on this project’s content outline, to discuss the expectations for chapter structure and style, and to solicit interest from the Esports Research Network (ERN) membership and conference attendees who would like to be considered for writing, co-writing, or peer reviewing chapters. Planned as an overall reference text, the objectives of the Handbook of Esports are for readers to be able to: 1) Describe a global overview of esports, 2) Utilize the handbook as an all encompassing esports reference tool, 3) Understand the interdisciplinary nature of esports, 4) Evaluate the current issues surrounding the esports ecosystem, and 5) Immediately implement practical evidence-based strategies and recommendations regarding a plethora of areas relating to esports.