PurposeThis paper studies early stages of actor mobilization for institutional change within Swed... more PurposeThis paper studies early stages of actor mobilization for institutional change within Swedish esports.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ interpretative phenomenological analysis.FindingsThe authors’ findings explain how actors become motivated to act in critical reflections linked to conflicting legitimacy judgments and emotionally charged personal struggles. Moreover, the findings show how, as actors get activated in collective action, they identify efficacy lines around valid domains and experience emotionally charged collective endeavors. Furthermore, the findings explain how particularities in early experiences project legitimacy aspirations that orient collective action toward validity ends and particular values and ideals shaping actors' grassroots movements.Originality/valueThis study adds to legitimacy and institutional change theory through individual actors' perspectives, providing key insights into how they are motivated, activated, and oriented....
Viime vuosikymmenten aikana esiin on noussut kaksi rinnakkaista suuntausta, rahapelikäytäntöjen l... more Viime vuosikymmenten aikana esiin on noussut kaksi rinnakkaista suuntausta, rahapelikäytäntöjen lisääntynyt vapauttaminen sekä pelien kasvanut merkitys viihdemedioina ja kulttuurisina kiinnekohtina. Näistä suuntauksista johtuen video- ja rahapelien välillä tapahtunut nopea lähentyminen ei siis ole yllättävää. Prosessin aikana perinteiset erot ovat yhä enemmän hämärtyneet, luoneet uusia toimintoja sekä vaikuttaneet uudenlaisten sosiaalisten suhteiden ja kulutuskäytäntöjen kehittymiseen. Digitaaliteknologian mahdollistama pelaamisen ja rahapelien lähentyminen on saanut viime vuosina yhä enemmän huomiota myös akateemisessa yhteisössä, näiden digitaalisten mediatuotteiden nopeasti kasvavien sosiaalisten ja taloudellisten vaikutusten vuoksi. Pelien sisäisiin kohteisiin, yllätyslaatikoihin (eng. loot boxes), on kiinnitetty paljon huomiota, mutta esimerkkejä rahapelien kaltaisesta mekaniikasta pelaajien sitouttamiseksi ja siten taloudellisen kannattavuuden edistämiseksi on olemassa paljon ...
Background and aims Loot boxes are in-game items which distribute rewards to players via random-n... more Background and aims Loot boxes are in-game items which distribute rewards to players via random-number generation; many games require players to make in-game payments to access their contents. The combination of financial outlay and random rewards has raised concern about similarities to gambling. This debate paper presents a series of themes identified by an inter-institutional working group in Finland, alongside suggested actions, and are presented with the intention of stimulating debate among stakeholders. Methods This work uses an exploratory research approach to gather data from a range of sources, including state-of-the-art reports from several fields and qualitative content analysis of invited presentations from a range of stakeholders, including affected individuals, practitioners, and field-specific experts. Results and Discussion Several significant themes emerged from the work and are presented alongside a series of proposed action points. Based on this preliminary explo...
In recent years, gambling has become increasingly prominent in everyday life; the term ‘gamblific... more In recent years, gambling has become increasingly prominent in everyday life; the term ‘gamblification’ first emerged in the late 2000s and was used to describe the colonisation of sports and sporting cultures by the gambling industry. Since that time, gamblification has been used to describe a range of phenomena in increasingly diffuse contexts; it has been variously used as a proxy for the convergence of gaming and gambling, to describe specific monetisation practices, or as a means of motivating consumer behaviours. Conceptual clarity has been further muddied by the positioning of gamblification as a form of gamification. This work provides a definition of gamblification, which draws upon and consolidates existing uses of the term while also providing a lens through which the differing aspects of gamblification can be understood and appraised. By doing so, this work will establish a clear conceptual framework, which can structure in-depth discussions of this multi-dimensional phe...
Loot boxes are a common monetization mechanic in the contemporary games industry. However, an inc... more Loot boxes are a common monetization mechanic in the contemporary games industry. However, an increasing number of regulatory bodies have been investigating loot boxes, with several having concluded that they constitute gambling. There is, however, a lack of consensus, with some authorities concentrating on the way loot boxes are obtained, while others consider the value of their contents. Overwatch is particularly affected by this disparity as it remains legal in some jurisdictions but not in others. In order to understand the role and function of loot boxes, an expert analysis must be complemented with consumer voices. This chapter utilizes content analysis to investigate discussions of loot boxes in Overwatch fan communities, identifying several prominent themes: monetization, effects, contents, gambling, regulation, alternatives, and their specifics in Overwatch.
Supplemental material, RR2_Appendices_What_predicts_esports_betting_Macey_Abarbanel_and_Hamari fo... more Supplemental material, RR2_Appendices_What_predicts_esports_betting_Macey_Abarbanel_and_Hamari for What predicts esports betting? A study on consumption of video games, esports, gambling and demographic factors by Joseph Macey, Brett Abarbanel and Juho Hamari in New Media & Society
Supplemental material, NMS-17-0746.R2_3RD_REVISED_VERSION_Appendices for eSports, skins and loot ... more Supplemental material, NMS-17-0746.R2_3RD_REVISED_VERSION_Appendices for eSports, skins and loot boxes: Participants, practices and problematic behaviour associated with emergent forms of gambling by Joseph Macey and Juho Hamari in New Media & Society
Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2018
This work examined experiences and perceptions of verbal abuse in an online game, Dota 2, in rega... more This work examined experiences and perceptions of verbal abuse in an online game, Dota 2, in regard to age. A dataset (n=364) was gathered via an online survey with a normal age distribution, but skewed to male respondents. Statistically significant relationships were found between age and: perception of seriousness of communication abuse, number of times placed in the low priority pool, and participation in communication abuse. No statistically significant relationship was found between age and number of times target of communication abuse. Findings suggest that as player age increases, so does participation in communication abuse. Although this runs counter to existing research, it may be explained by differing perceptions of communication abuse according to age. The findings have implications both for the ways in which online abuse and harassment is investigated, and for the ways in which it can be addressed by game developers and wider society.
The parallel media related to sports, gaming and gambling are expanding, exemplified by the emerg... more The parallel media related to sports, gaming and gambling are expanding, exemplified by the emergence of esports and game-related gambling (e.g. loot boxes, esports betting). The increasing convergence of these phenomena means it is essential to understand how they interact. Given the expanding consumer base of esports, it is important to know how individuals’ backgrounds and consumption of game media may lead to esports betting. This study employs survey data ( N = 1368) to investigate how demographics, alongside consumption of video games, esports and gambling can predict esports betting activity. Results reveal that both spectating esports and participation in general forms of gambling are associated with increased esports betting, no direct association was observed between the consumption of video games and esports betting. Findings suggest that while games may act as a vehicle for gambling content, highlighting the convergence of gaming and gambling, there is no intrinsic aspec...
PurposeEsports (electronic sports) are watched by hundreds of millions of people every year and m... more PurposeEsports (electronic sports) are watched by hundreds of millions of people every year and many esports have overtaken large traditional sports in spectator numbers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate spectating differences between online spectating of esports and live attendance of esports events. This is done in order to further understand attendance behaviour for a cultural phenomenon that is primarily mediated through internet technologies, and to be able to predict behavioural patterns.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs the Motivation Scale for Sports Consumption to investigate the gratifications spectators derive from esports, both from attending tournaments physically and spectating online, in order to explore which factors may explain the esports spectating behaviour. The authors investigate how these gratifications lead into continued spectatorship online and offline, as well as the likelihood of recommending esports to others. The authors employ tw...
PurposeThis paper studies early stages of actor mobilization for institutional change within Swed... more PurposeThis paper studies early stages of actor mobilization for institutional change within Swedish esports.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ interpretative phenomenological analysis.FindingsThe authors’ findings explain how actors become motivated to act in critical reflections linked to conflicting legitimacy judgments and emotionally charged personal struggles. Moreover, the findings show how, as actors get activated in collective action, they identify efficacy lines around valid domains and experience emotionally charged collective endeavors. Furthermore, the findings explain how particularities in early experiences project legitimacy aspirations that orient collective action toward validity ends and particular values and ideals shaping actors' grassroots movements.Originality/valueThis study adds to legitimacy and institutional change theory through individual actors' perspectives, providing key insights into how they are motivated, activated, and oriented....
Viime vuosikymmenten aikana esiin on noussut kaksi rinnakkaista suuntausta, rahapelikäytäntöjen l... more Viime vuosikymmenten aikana esiin on noussut kaksi rinnakkaista suuntausta, rahapelikäytäntöjen lisääntynyt vapauttaminen sekä pelien kasvanut merkitys viihdemedioina ja kulttuurisina kiinnekohtina. Näistä suuntauksista johtuen video- ja rahapelien välillä tapahtunut nopea lähentyminen ei siis ole yllättävää. Prosessin aikana perinteiset erot ovat yhä enemmän hämärtyneet, luoneet uusia toimintoja sekä vaikuttaneet uudenlaisten sosiaalisten suhteiden ja kulutuskäytäntöjen kehittymiseen. Digitaaliteknologian mahdollistama pelaamisen ja rahapelien lähentyminen on saanut viime vuosina yhä enemmän huomiota myös akateemisessa yhteisössä, näiden digitaalisten mediatuotteiden nopeasti kasvavien sosiaalisten ja taloudellisten vaikutusten vuoksi. Pelien sisäisiin kohteisiin, yllätyslaatikoihin (eng. loot boxes), on kiinnitetty paljon huomiota, mutta esimerkkejä rahapelien kaltaisesta mekaniikasta pelaajien sitouttamiseksi ja siten taloudellisen kannattavuuden edistämiseksi on olemassa paljon ...
Background and aims Loot boxes are in-game items which distribute rewards to players via random-n... more Background and aims Loot boxes are in-game items which distribute rewards to players via random-number generation; many games require players to make in-game payments to access their contents. The combination of financial outlay and random rewards has raised concern about similarities to gambling. This debate paper presents a series of themes identified by an inter-institutional working group in Finland, alongside suggested actions, and are presented with the intention of stimulating debate among stakeholders. Methods This work uses an exploratory research approach to gather data from a range of sources, including state-of-the-art reports from several fields and qualitative content analysis of invited presentations from a range of stakeholders, including affected individuals, practitioners, and field-specific experts. Results and Discussion Several significant themes emerged from the work and are presented alongside a series of proposed action points. Based on this preliminary explo...
In recent years, gambling has become increasingly prominent in everyday life; the term ‘gamblific... more In recent years, gambling has become increasingly prominent in everyday life; the term ‘gamblification’ first emerged in the late 2000s and was used to describe the colonisation of sports and sporting cultures by the gambling industry. Since that time, gamblification has been used to describe a range of phenomena in increasingly diffuse contexts; it has been variously used as a proxy for the convergence of gaming and gambling, to describe specific monetisation practices, or as a means of motivating consumer behaviours. Conceptual clarity has been further muddied by the positioning of gamblification as a form of gamification. This work provides a definition of gamblification, which draws upon and consolidates existing uses of the term while also providing a lens through which the differing aspects of gamblification can be understood and appraised. By doing so, this work will establish a clear conceptual framework, which can structure in-depth discussions of this multi-dimensional phe...
Loot boxes are a common monetization mechanic in the contemporary games industry. However, an inc... more Loot boxes are a common monetization mechanic in the contemporary games industry. However, an increasing number of regulatory bodies have been investigating loot boxes, with several having concluded that they constitute gambling. There is, however, a lack of consensus, with some authorities concentrating on the way loot boxes are obtained, while others consider the value of their contents. Overwatch is particularly affected by this disparity as it remains legal in some jurisdictions but not in others. In order to understand the role and function of loot boxes, an expert analysis must be complemented with consumer voices. This chapter utilizes content analysis to investigate discussions of loot boxes in Overwatch fan communities, identifying several prominent themes: monetization, effects, contents, gambling, regulation, alternatives, and their specifics in Overwatch.
Supplemental material, RR2_Appendices_What_predicts_esports_betting_Macey_Abarbanel_and_Hamari fo... more Supplemental material, RR2_Appendices_What_predicts_esports_betting_Macey_Abarbanel_and_Hamari for What predicts esports betting? A study on consumption of video games, esports, gambling and demographic factors by Joseph Macey, Brett Abarbanel and Juho Hamari in New Media & Society
Supplemental material, NMS-17-0746.R2_3RD_REVISED_VERSION_Appendices for eSports, skins and loot ... more Supplemental material, NMS-17-0746.R2_3RD_REVISED_VERSION_Appendices for eSports, skins and loot boxes: Participants, practices and problematic behaviour associated with emergent forms of gambling by Joseph Macey and Juho Hamari in New Media & Society
Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2018
This work examined experiences and perceptions of verbal abuse in an online game, Dota 2, in rega... more This work examined experiences and perceptions of verbal abuse in an online game, Dota 2, in regard to age. A dataset (n=364) was gathered via an online survey with a normal age distribution, but skewed to male respondents. Statistically significant relationships were found between age and: perception of seriousness of communication abuse, number of times placed in the low priority pool, and participation in communication abuse. No statistically significant relationship was found between age and number of times target of communication abuse. Findings suggest that as player age increases, so does participation in communication abuse. Although this runs counter to existing research, it may be explained by differing perceptions of communication abuse according to age. The findings have implications both for the ways in which online abuse and harassment is investigated, and for the ways in which it can be addressed by game developers and wider society.
The parallel media related to sports, gaming and gambling are expanding, exemplified by the emerg... more The parallel media related to sports, gaming and gambling are expanding, exemplified by the emergence of esports and game-related gambling (e.g. loot boxes, esports betting). The increasing convergence of these phenomena means it is essential to understand how they interact. Given the expanding consumer base of esports, it is important to know how individuals’ backgrounds and consumption of game media may lead to esports betting. This study employs survey data ( N = 1368) to investigate how demographics, alongside consumption of video games, esports and gambling can predict esports betting activity. Results reveal that both spectating esports and participation in general forms of gambling are associated with increased esports betting, no direct association was observed between the consumption of video games and esports betting. Findings suggest that while games may act as a vehicle for gambling content, highlighting the convergence of gaming and gambling, there is no intrinsic aspec...
PurposeEsports (electronic sports) are watched by hundreds of millions of people every year and m... more PurposeEsports (electronic sports) are watched by hundreds of millions of people every year and many esports have overtaken large traditional sports in spectator numbers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate spectating differences between online spectating of esports and live attendance of esports events. This is done in order to further understand attendance behaviour for a cultural phenomenon that is primarily mediated through internet technologies, and to be able to predict behavioural patterns.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs the Motivation Scale for Sports Consumption to investigate the gratifications spectators derive from esports, both from attending tournaments physically and spectating online, in order to explore which factors may explain the esports spectating behaviour. The authors investigate how these gratifications lead into continued spectatorship online and offline, as well as the likelihood of recommending esports to others. The authors employ tw...
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