Esport is a competitive, digitally enabled phenomenon. The term has emerged from a LAN-Party community of video game enthusiasts. As the esport industry has grown, so have the number of academic researchers studying it. In recent years, research on esport has included business and legal studies. However, more research is necessary to address how esports can best be understood, as well as what future directions may be taken.
The esport ecosystem is made up of players, organisations, and publishers. These actors need to be organized in a way that supports a healthy competitive environment. Research on esport can also provide insights into the relationship between organizations, as they often form partnerships to share resources. Organizations acquire these resources through sponsorship deals, price money, and having their players compete in leagues.
Although esport has gained much attention from scholars in the past several years, many questions remain about how esport works and what the future holds. This article provides an overview of the esport ecosystem, identifies potential research questions, and outlines future research directions. It will be useful for students, scholars, and professionals in the field of sports studies, information science, and related fields.
One of the most significant challenges to the esports industry is the lack of an employment relationship similar to traditional sports. Because of the industry’s unique structure, many esports teams are privately owned and the esport ecosystem is complex, making it difficult to unionize. Moreover, esports organizations typically have a multitude of teams that specialize in different games. They also need to have governance and control mechanisms in place to ensure that the esports ecosystem is functioning properly.
A review of the esports industry revealed that comparisons with existing sports leagues underestimated the complexity of the esport ecosystem. Ultimately, most scholars agreed that esports will likely fall into a framework of regulation similar to traditional sports. This will include protections such as antitrust, gambling, broadcasting, and labor rights.
Despite the industry’s growing popularity, esport injuries are relatively uncommon. Among the common injuries are concussions, knee, and groin sprains. There are also less serious issues, such as wrist and ankle sprains. Researchers have found that esports are not as dangerous as other sports. Moreover, esports are associated with positive effects on cognitive function, mood, and mental health.
However, many scholars still disagree about whether esports should be categorized as a sport. This debate typically centers around unilateral investigations, rather than a collective examination of all the relevant factors. Consequently, more research is needed to develop new theories and methodologies.
Research into esport has also covered sports management and media management. As esports evolve, it will be important to find ways to improve the governance and control of the esports ecosystem. Many games have ranked modes, which can be easily accessible to players, but which have different rules from a standard game. If a ranked mode is unbalanced, it can become boring.
Another important factor in esports success is publisher support. If a game has first-party esports support, it can be easy to join a team. Also, a good player can have managerial skills that are desirable in the gaming world.
