Esports, video gaming and their fuzziness: a conceptualization and categorization
Sport, Business and Management
ISSN: 2042-678X
Article publication date: 23 October 2023
Issue publication date: 2 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The social and economic importance esports has gained over the past decades has led to a quickly evolving academic interest in the topic. Yet, current perspectives on esports frequently are not precise enough, too context-specific and/or focus on the question whether esports is sports or not. This means that no precise structural concept has been provided thus far. Such a conceptualization as well as a categorization of esports and related types of video gaming are provided in this paper.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a narrative review considering academic literature from 2000 to 2021 and publications of relevant esports organizations. The review is conceptually extended by structural parallels to traditional sports.
Findings
The central outcome of this research is conceptualizing esports as a victory-driven, organized performance comparison of exclusively human players playing video games in a competitive setting. This comparison is based solely on the performance achieved during a defined time frame according to fixed rules with comparably equal team (starting) conditions. This conceptualization is embedded in a general categorization of video gaming based on structural similarities with and differences to esports. Moreover, characteristics that were rejected in regards to the conceptualization and the categorization are discussed.
Originality/value
This paper provides a comprehensive categorization of esports and other types of video gaming based on structural similarities and differences. It is thus of high relevance for academia and sport management practice alike and can further the development in both fields.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Since acceptance of this article, the following author(s) have updated their affiliation: “Max de Zoeten” is at the “Hochschule für angewandtes Management, Ismaning, Germany”.
Citation
de Zoeten, M. and Könecke, T. (2024), "Esports, video gaming and their fuzziness: a conceptualization and categorization", Sport, Business and Management, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 99-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-10-2022-0097
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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