2022
Ruotsalainen, Maria
Overwatch esports and the (re)configurations of gender and nationality Väitöskirja
Nykykulttuurin tutkimus, Jyväskylän yliopisto, 2022, ISBN: 978-951-39-9184-5.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: competitive gaming, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, esports, gender, nationalism, nationality, qualitative research
@phdthesis{Ruotsalainen2022,
title = {Overwatch esports and the (re)configurations of gender and nationality},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-9184-5},
isbn = {978-951-39-9184-5},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
school = {Nykykulttuurin tutkimus, Jyväskylän yliopisto},
abstract = {The dissertation comprises five research articles and a compilation portion, focusing on gender and nationality in competitive Overwatch. Overwatch is a team-based first-person shooter that Blizzard Entertainment published in 2014. From the beginning onwards, it has had an active esports scene. In 2018, the game’s publisher took hold of the whole esports scene and organised it in a league format—strikingly similar to how traditional sports leagues in North America are organised—and to a yearly (2016–2019) organised Overwatch World Cup. Against this backdrop, I examine how gender and nationality are portrayed within the production of competitive Overwatch Esports and how they are performed and negotiated within the reception of competitive Overwatch. Drawing from the concept of banal nationalism, I suggest the production choices of Overwatch esports are meant to evoke nationalist sentiments from the viewers and fans, intimately tying in with the ongoing sportification of Overwatch esports and esports in general. The ongoing sportification of Overwatch esports also affects how gender, particularly masculinity, is portrayed and positioned within this particular esports. The influence of traditional sports strengthens the position of hegemonic masculinity, often leading to portrayals of athletic masculinity as the desirable masculinity within the Overwatch esports ecosystem. However, examining the reception of Overwatch esports reveals a richer and more varied picture of how masculinity and gender are negotiated within Overwatch esports. The players, fans, and viewers both affirm and resist the nationalist ethos and the sportified aesthetics and the configurations of the masculinity they suggest, drawing also from alternative ways to frame competitive gaming. Particularly relevant for this is anime aesthetics which are used by fans to frame Overwatch esports. This also affects what kind of desirable masculinity is negotiated amongst fans: The hegemonic masculinity is reconfigured to a form of hybrid masculinity, with elements of athletic masculinity, geek masculinity, and Kawaii masculinity, allowing (white and Asian) men to have more varied gender expression. Unfortunately, this allowance has little to no bearing on the positions of the others and women continue being marginalised in Overwatch esports.},
keywords = {competitive gaming, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, esports, gender, nationalism, nationality, qualitative research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
The dissertation comprises five research articles and a compilation portion, focusing on gender and nationality in competitive Overwatch. Overwatch is a team-based first-person shooter that Blizzard Entertainment published in 2014. From the beginning onwards, it has had an active esports scene. In 2018, the game’s publisher took hold of the whole esports scene and organised it in a league format—strikingly similar to how traditional sports leagues in North America are organised—and to a yearly (2016–2019) organised Overwatch World Cup. Against this backdrop, I examine how gender and nationality are portrayed within the production of competitive Overwatch Esports and how they are performed and negotiated within the reception of competitive Overwatch. Drawing from the concept of banal nationalism, I suggest the production choices of Overwatch esports are meant to evoke nationalist sentiments from the viewers and fans, intimately tying in with the ongoing sportification of Overwatch esports and esports in general. The ongoing sportification of Overwatch esports also affects how gender, particularly masculinity, is portrayed and positioned within this particular esports. The influence of traditional sports strengthens the position of hegemonic masculinity, often leading to portrayals of athletic masculinity as the desirable masculinity within the Overwatch esports ecosystem. However, examining the reception of Overwatch esports reveals a richer and more varied picture of how masculinity and gender are negotiated within Overwatch esports. The players, fans, and viewers both affirm and resist the nationalist ethos and the sportified aesthetics and the configurations of the masculinity they suggest, drawing also from alternative ways to frame competitive gaming. Particularly relevant for this is anime aesthetics which are used by fans to frame Overwatch esports. This also affects what kind of desirable masculinity is negotiated amongst fans: The hegemonic masculinity is reconfigured to a form of hybrid masculinity, with elements of athletic masculinity, geek masculinity, and Kawaii masculinity, allowing (white and Asian) men to have more varied gender expression. Unfortunately, this allowance has little to no bearing on the positions of the others and women continue being marginalised in Overwatch esports.
2019
Sjöblom, Max
Spectating play: Investigating motivations for watching others play games Väitöskirja
Tietotekniikka, Aalto-yliopisto, 2019, ISBN: 978-952-60-8470-1 .
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Avainsanat: englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, esports, media consumption, streaming
@phdthesis{Sjöblom2019,
title = {Spectating play: Investigating motivations for watching others play games},
author = {Max Sjöblom},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-8470-1},
isbn = {978-952-60-8470-1 },
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
urldate = {2019-01-01},
school = {Tietotekniikka, Aalto-yliopisto},
abstract = {The games industry has, during the past decades, evolved into one of the largest forms of entertainment on the planet, surpassing previous entertainment industry giants such as the movie industry. While video games have existed for 60 years, a more recent phenomenon is the cultural activity of watching others play. While one might easily comprehend the reasons for choosing to engage in active playing of video games, the motivations for watching others do so, is one that perplexes many. Thus, this dissertation aims at investigating the motivations for spectating others playing video games.
The first topic that this dissertation covers is that of competitive video games, more commonly called esports (electronic sports). Through a seminal publication on esports, we help both define what the concept means, as well as empirically investigate motivations for spectating esports through the internet. This is then continued with a comparative study, utilizing data for both online spectating and live attendance of esports to further our understanding of what drives people to consume esports content.
The second approach of this dissertation is to look at the cultural phenomenon of video game live streaming, in this dissertation simply referred to by the term streaming. Streaming has become a popular pastime for many people, and for many also a career path on the Twitch platform, often in tandem with other forms of content creation on platforms such as YouTube. This dissertation studies the phenomenon of streaming through three separate studies. The first looks at motivations for consuming streaming content through the lens of uses and gratifications, while the second study delves deeper into the specifics of different types of streaming content and game genres. The third study focuses particularly on the social motivations present, and how these influence modes of engagement on the Twitch platform.
All of the five studies within this dissertation employ quantitative analysis methods, using large-scale international survey studies as the primary data collection instrument. This approach enables us to generate high level understanding of behavioral motivations related to these phenomena. Through the use of sophisticated statistical modelling methods in the form of partial-least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we are able to investigate which motivational factors predict continued usage, among other factors. Through five distinct scientific studies, this dissertation is able to effectively describe the motivations for consuming content in relation to two forms of spectating play: esports & game streaming. This dissertation, and the publications within, serves as one of the first empirical and quantitative investigations into the realm of spectating play.},
keywords = {englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, esports, media consumption, streaming},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
The games industry has, during the past decades, evolved into one of the largest forms of entertainment on the planet, surpassing previous entertainment industry giants such as the movie industry. While video games have existed for 60 years, a more recent phenomenon is the cultural activity of watching others play. While one might easily comprehend the reasons for choosing to engage in active playing of video games, the motivations for watching others do so, is one that perplexes many. Thus, this dissertation aims at investigating the motivations for spectating others playing video games.
The first topic that this dissertation covers is that of competitive video games, more commonly called esports (electronic sports). Through a seminal publication on esports, we help both define what the concept means, as well as empirically investigate motivations for spectating esports through the internet. This is then continued with a comparative study, utilizing data for both online spectating and live attendance of esports to further our understanding of what drives people to consume esports content.
The second approach of this dissertation is to look at the cultural phenomenon of video game live streaming, in this dissertation simply referred to by the term streaming. Streaming has become a popular pastime for many people, and for many also a career path on the Twitch platform, often in tandem with other forms of content creation on platforms such as YouTube. This dissertation studies the phenomenon of streaming through three separate studies. The first looks at motivations for consuming streaming content through the lens of uses and gratifications, while the second study delves deeper into the specifics of different types of streaming content and game genres. The third study focuses particularly on the social motivations present, and how these influence modes of engagement on the Twitch platform.
All of the five studies within this dissertation employ quantitative analysis methods, using large-scale international survey studies as the primary data collection instrument. This approach enables us to generate high level understanding of behavioral motivations related to these phenomena. Through the use of sophisticated statistical modelling methods in the form of partial-least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we are able to investigate which motivational factors predict continued usage, among other factors. Through five distinct scientific studies, this dissertation is able to effectively describe the motivations for consuming content in relation to two forms of spectating play: esports & game streaming. This dissertation, and the publications within, serves as one of the first empirical and quantitative investigations into the realm of spectating play.
The first topic that this dissertation covers is that of competitive video games, more commonly called esports (electronic sports). Through a seminal publication on esports, we help both define what the concept means, as well as empirically investigate motivations for spectating esports through the internet. This is then continued with a comparative study, utilizing data for both online spectating and live attendance of esports to further our understanding of what drives people to consume esports content.
The second approach of this dissertation is to look at the cultural phenomenon of video game live streaming, in this dissertation simply referred to by the term streaming. Streaming has become a popular pastime for many people, and for many also a career path on the Twitch platform, often in tandem with other forms of content creation on platforms such as YouTube. This dissertation studies the phenomenon of streaming through three separate studies. The first looks at motivations for consuming streaming content through the lens of uses and gratifications, while the second study delves deeper into the specifics of different types of streaming content and game genres. The third study focuses particularly on the social motivations present, and how these influence modes of engagement on the Twitch platform.
All of the five studies within this dissertation employ quantitative analysis methods, using large-scale international survey studies as the primary data collection instrument. This approach enables us to generate high level understanding of behavioral motivations related to these phenomena. Through the use of sophisticated statistical modelling methods in the form of partial-least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we are able to investigate which motivational factors predict continued usage, among other factors. Through five distinct scientific studies, this dissertation is able to effectively describe the motivations for consuming content in relation to two forms of spectating play: esports & game streaming. This dissertation, and the publications within, serves as one of the first empirical and quantitative investigations into the realm of spectating play.