What is eSports and why do people watch it
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate why people spectate eSports on the internet and find that escapism, acquiring knowledge about the games being played, novelty and eSports athlete aggressiveness positively predict eSport spectating frequency.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate why do people spectate eSports on the internet. The authors define eSports (electronic sports) as “a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic systems; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the eSports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces.” In more practical terms, eSports refer to competitive video gaming (broadcasted on the internet).,The study employs the motivations scale for sports consumption which is one of the most widely applied measurement instruments for sports consumption in general. The questionnaire was designed and pre-tested before distributing to target respondents (n=888). The reliability and validity of the instrument both met the commonly accepted guidelines. The model was assessed first by examining its measurement model and then the structural model.,The results indicate that escapism, acquiring knowledge about the games being played, novelty and eSports athlete aggressiveness were found to positively predict eSport spectating frequency.,During recent years, eSports (electronic sports) and video game streaming have become rapidly growing forms of new media in the internet driven by the growing provenance of (online) games and online broadcasting technologies. Today, hundreds of millions of people spectate eSports. The present investigation presents a large study on gratification-related determinants of why people spectate eSports on the internet. Moreover, the study proposes a definition for eSports and further discusses how eSports can be seen as a form of sports.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored and evaluated the dimensions and consequences of online spectator demand in online games and identified preliminary dimensions of online esports online demand based on a series of metrics.
Abstract: This study explored and evaluated the dimensions and consequences of esports online spectator demand In doing so, we identified preliminary dimensions of esports online spectator demand based on s
72 citations
01 Oct 2018
TL;DR: This study is the first examining the relation among consumption values, expectancy for character growth, and online gamer loyalty and contributes novel insights enabling electronic commerce managers to make more targeted decisions on resource allocation to effectively enhance gamers' expectations and loyalty.
Abstract: Most online games are commercial systems that attempt to motivate gamers to continue playing by enticing them to progress from one game level to the next. This indicates that the expectancy for character growth (i.e., the anticipation of an increase in game level) may enhance loyalty. However, no research has yet examined the antecedents of expectancy for character growth. Hence, this study adopts the theory of consumption values to examine the relationship among consumption values, expectancy for character growth, and online gamer loyalty. Responses from 1440 online gamers were analyzed using the structural equation modeling method. Learning, novelty, enjoyment, and social value were positively related to expectancy for character growth, and thus loyalty. This study is the first examining the relation among consumption values, expectancy for character growth, and online gamer loyalty. It contributes novel insights enabling electronic commerce managers to make more targeted decisions on resource allocation to effectively enhance gamers' expectations and loyalty, thus creating promising revenues and competitive advantage.
70 citations
TL;DR: The mediation model demonstrated a significant positive direct and significant mediated effect via escapism between the higher levels of psychiatric distress and gaming disorder, but esport and recreational gamers showed no significant differences in the model.
67 citations
TL;DR: The study indicates that elite e-athletes are active athletes as well, those of age 18 and older exercising physically more than three times the daily 21-minute activity recommendation given by World Health Organization.
Abstract: This article offers possibly the first peer-reviewed study on the training routines of elite e-athletes with special focus on the subjects' physical exercise routines. The study is based on a sample of 115 elite e-athletes. According to the responses, e-athletes train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year on the elite level. Approximately 1.08 hours of that training is physical exercise. More than half 55.6% of the elite e-athletes believe that integrating physical exercise in their training programs has a positive effect on esport performance; however, no less than 47.0% of the elite e-athletes do their physical exercise chiefly to maintain overall health. Accordingly, the study indicates that elite e-athletes are active athletes as well, those of age 18 and older exercising physically more than three times the daily 21-minute activity recommendation given by World Health Organization.
67 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an alternative conceptual frame based on the economic notion of executive ownership is proposed to provide a theoretical grounding for esport as a cultural phenomenon and a reframed look at the history of esport and suggests commercial analog gaming (especially Magic: The Gathering) as its point of origin.
Abstract: Abstract This article starts with a literary review of the conceptual frames through which esport has been labeled academically. It shows how the concept of “electronic” has been taken as the core term for labelingesport, often accompanied by a strong emphasis on “professionalism.” The literary review is followed by the submission of an alternative conceptual frame based on the economic notion of executive ownership, which provides a theoretical grounding for esport as a cultural phenomenon. In accordance with the above, the article concludes with a reframed look at the history of esport and suggests commercial analog gaming (especially Magic: The Gathering) as its point of origin.
66 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the statistical tests used in the analysis of structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error are examined, and a drawback of the commonly applied chi square test, in additit...
Abstract: The statistical tests used in the analysis of structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error are examined. A drawback of the commonly applied chi square test, in addit...
56,555 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide guidance for substantive researchers on the use of structural equation modeling in practice for theory testing and development, and present a comprehensive, two-step modeling approach that employs a series of nested models and sequential chi-square difference tests.
Abstract: In this article, we provide guidance for substantive researchers on the use of structural equation modeling in practice for theory testing and development. We present a comprehensive, two-step modeling approach that employs a series of nested models and sequential chi-square difference tests. We discuss the comparative advantages of this approach over a one-step approach. Considerations in specification, assessment of fit, and respecification of measurement models using confirmatory factor analysis are reviewed. As background to the two-step approach, the distinction between exploratory and confirmatory analysis, the distinction between complementary approaches for theory testing versus predictive application, and some developments in estimation methods also are discussed.
34,720 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the ability to predict peoples' computer acceptance from a measure of their intentions, and explain their intentions in terms of their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and related variables.
Abstract: Computer systems cannot improve organizational performance if they aren't used. Unfortunately, resistance to end-user systems by managers and professionals is a widespread problem. To better predict, explain, and increase user acceptance, we need to better understand why people accept or reject computers. This research addresses the ability to predict peoples' computer acceptance from a measure of their intentions, and the ability to explain their intentions in terms of their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and related variables. In a longitudinal study of 107 users, intentions to use a specific system, measured after a one-hour introduction to the system, were correlated 0.35 with system use 14 weeks later. The intention-usage correlation was 0.63 at the end of this time period. Perceived usefulness strongly influenced peoples' intentions, explaining more than half of the variance in intentions at the end of 14 weeks. Perceived ease of use had a small but significant effect on intentions as well, although this effect subsided over time. Attitudes only partially mediated the effects of these beliefs on intentions. Subjective norms had no effect on intentions. These results suggest the possibility of simple but powerful models of the determinants of user acceptance, with practical value for evaluating systems and guiding managerial interventions aimed at reducing the problem of underutilized computer technology.
21,880 citations
01 Jan 1998
10,147 citations
TL;DR: A new latent variable modeling approach is provided that can give more accurate estimates of interaction effects by accounting for the measurement error that attenuates the estimated relationships.
Abstract: The ability to detect and accurately estimate the strength of interaction effects are critical issues that are fundamental to social science research in general and IS research in particular. Within the IS discipline, a significant percentage of research has been devoted to examining the conditions and contexts under which relationships may vary, often under the general umbrella of contingency theory (cf. McKeen et al. 1994, Weill and Olson 1989). In our survey of such studies, the majority failed to either detect or provide an estimate of the effect size. In cases where effect sizes are estimated, the numbers are generally small. These results have led some researchers to question both the usefulness of contingency theory and the need to detect interaction effects (e.g., Weill and Olson 1989). This paper addresses this issue by providing a new latent variable modeling approach that can give more accurate estimates of interaction effects by accounting for the measurement error that attenuates the estimated relationships. The capacity of this approach at recovering true effects in comparison to summated regression is demonstrated in a Monte Carlo study that creates a simulated data set in which the underlying true effects are known. Analysis of a second, empirical data set is included to demonstrate the technique's use within IS theory. In this second analysis, substantial direct and interaction effects of enjoyment on electronic-mail adoption are shown to exist.
5,639 citations