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Journal ArticleDOI

What is eSports and why do people watch it

22 Mar 2017-Internet Research (Emerald Publishing Limited)-Vol. 27, Iss: 2, pp 211-232
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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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The convergence of online games and online gambling has initiated a new means of consuming Internet-based media as mentioned in this paper, and the convergence of games and gambling has created a new way of consuming online media.
Abstract: Twenty years since the Internet transformed gambling products and services, the convergence of online games and gambling has initiated a new means of consuming Internet-based media. Gambling specif...

62 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the Motivation Scale of Esports Spectatorship (MSES) was developed to tackle the idiosyncrasies associated with esports online spectatorship, and the study was designed to: (a) develop the motivation scale of esports spectatorship and (b) id
Abstract: Research questions: To tackle the idiosyncrasies associated with esports online spectatorship, the study was designed to: (a) develop the Motivation Scale of Esports Spectatorship (MSES) and (b) id...

62 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Min Xiao1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors employ the theory of reasoned action to examine factors that correlate with the behavioral intentions of watching eSports and a structural equation modeling analysis is performed to analyze the behavioral intention of watching games.
Abstract: The current study employs the theory of reasoned action to examine factors that correlate with the behavioral intentions of watching eSports. A structural equation modeling analysis is performed to...

59 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: 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).

56 citations

Proceedings ArticleDOI
15 Oct 2017
TL;DR: The findings regarding how emotional and esteem support are built from instrumental support interactions in eSports not only provide a rich description of players' experiences in highly competitive digital environments and the consequences of their social interactions but also suggest a number of future research opportunities.
Abstract: In this paper we report an empirical study of how and what types of social support eSports players can experience from their gameplay. Specifically, we interviewed 26 eSports players and sought out their first-person descriptions of experiences of social support. We found that even though most players started out as strangers, the context of eSports facilitated frequent acts of helping through both tangible and intangible means within the game. Such in-game informational and instrumental support often led to emotional and esteem support, and these different types of support functions not only remained within the context of the game but also "bled" out into in-person interactions and relationships. We contribute to CSCW and HCI by both confirming and augmenting existing theories of mediated social support in this underexplored context. Our findings regarding how emotional and esteem support are built from instrumental support interactions in eSports not only provide a rich description of players' experiences in highly competitive digital environments and the consequences of their social interactions but also suggest a number of future research opportunities.

54 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
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

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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

Journal ArticleDOI
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

Journal ArticleDOI
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