ESGE ESPORTS: Effects of competitive play in gaming consumption
Saari, Otso (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024060119625
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024060119625
Tiivistelmä
Esports has proven itself to be an ever-growing industry. Competitive play, the
platforms and various channels through which players consume media around it,
is an essential part of this growth. The way competitive and casual players
consume media and how to create distinct marketing strategies around these
differing consumption motives are at the forefront of this study.
This thesis intended to research why esports players play their respective games
and there are differences in competitive and casual consumption motivations. A
literature review of studies around competitive play was conducted to find what
motivates players to play esports games. The following motivators that affect
esports consumption were observed: socialization, escapism, competitiveness,
creativity, spectatorship habits, and playtime. The former six motivational factors
were utilized in the study to find similarities and differences in consumption
habits.
A survey was conducted utilizing the motivational factors mentioned and
distributed to active gaming communities on Discord. Discord is an internetbased
messaging application that allows groups or communities to be created
around shared interests. The survey consisted of 49 respondents who were
active video game players. The survey results showed that the following factors
impacted gamers’ motivations in playing video games: socialization,
competitiveness, escapism, creativity, content consumption and playtime.
Differing motivations were found in the following themes: competitiveness and
content consumption, which motivated competitive players and escapism, which
motivated casual players. Both groups shared motivations were socialization and
creativity, though creativity was divisive in how creative play was experienced by
the different camps.
platforms and various channels through which players consume media around it,
is an essential part of this growth. The way competitive and casual players
consume media and how to create distinct marketing strategies around these
differing consumption motives are at the forefront of this study.
This thesis intended to research why esports players play their respective games
and there are differences in competitive and casual consumption motivations. A
literature review of studies around competitive play was conducted to find what
motivates players to play esports games. The following motivators that affect
esports consumption were observed: socialization, escapism, competitiveness,
creativity, spectatorship habits, and playtime. The former six motivational factors
were utilized in the study to find similarities and differences in consumption
habits.
A survey was conducted utilizing the motivational factors mentioned and
distributed to active gaming communities on Discord. Discord is an internetbased
messaging application that allows groups or communities to be created
around shared interests. The survey consisted of 49 respondents who were
active video game players. The survey results showed that the following factors
impacted gamers’ motivations in playing video games: socialization,
competitiveness, escapism, creativity, content consumption and playtime.
Differing motivations were found in the following themes: competitiveness and
content consumption, which motivated competitive players and escapism, which
motivated casual players. Both groups shared motivations were socialization and
creativity, though creativity was divisive in how creative play was experienced by
the different camps.