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The Case of Competitive Video Gaming and Its Fandom: Media Objects, Fan Practices, and Fan Identities

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The Case of Competitive Video Gaming and Its Fandom: Media Objects, Fan Practices, and Fan Identities THE CASE OF COMPETITIVE VIDEO GAMING AND ITS FANDOM: MEDIA OBJECTS, FAN PRACTICES, AND FAN IDENTITIES A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Elizabeth Marie Howell Newbury December 2017 THE CASE OF COMPETITIVE VIDEO GAMING AND ITS FANDOM: MEDIA OBJECTS, FAN PRACTICES, AND FAN IDENTITIES © Elizabeth Marie Howell Newbury 2017 2 MEDIA OBJECTS, FAN PRACTICES, AND FAN IDENTITIES: THE CASE OF COMPETITIVE VIDEO GAMING AND ITS FANDOM Elizabeth Marie Howell Newbury Cornell University 2017 This project focuses on exploring the growing spectacle of esports fandom: those who are followers of competitive video gaming. As esports bridges across fan practices exhibited in popular communication, sociology of sports, leisure studies and video game studies, so too does this research project. Going from the media object, to fan communal practices, to individual fan practices, this research draws on a range of theories from framing, sports geography, and fan identity to better understand this emerging media form. The nexus of all of these theories is to combine understanding fan practices with a grounded theory approach. The central argument of this research is that, by elucidating these practices, scholars can better understand not only the emerging practices of fans but how they reflect core identities of the fans. Fans shape not only through our practices of fandom what it means as a communal activity, but how central the identity is to their own everyday lives. A backbone of fan identity is how gender is reflected back through the practice of being a fan. No matter the medium of the fan object itself, video games or other, a central component to our understanding of being a fan is how fan practices reflect gender stereotypes – and esports is no exception. To examine these arguments, I executed three studies using multiple methods. I used textual analysis, field observation, and personal interviews to analyze fans from a multitude of perspectives. Bringing these different methods together in the end, I reflect on our understanding of what it means to be a fan of not just esports but more broadly of entertainment mediums like sports. The theoretical implications suggest a need to update the scholarship’s understanding of 3 sport and fandom. The practical applications are that, in this media rich world, we must better understand what fans do in everyday life. 4 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Background ................................................................................................................................................. 10 Spectating Through Livestreams ............................................................................................................ 12 Sport and Geek Cultures, Masculinities .................................................................................................. 15 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................................... 17 Pop Culture Framework .......................................................................................................................... 18 Sports Culture Framework ...................................................................................................................... 21 Game Studies .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Gender Studies ........................................................................................................................................ 25 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................................ 27 Games Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Audience Studies .................................................................................................................................... 29 Organization for the Dissertation ................................................................................................................ 30 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 37 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................................ 40 Media, Sport, and Perceived Norms ....................................................................................................... 41 Esports Broadcasts and Their Reflection of Fandom .............................................................................. 43 Framing in Sports. ............................................................................................................................... 44 Framing Representations: Gender ....................................................................................................... 47 Method ........................................................................................................................................................ 51 Sample .................................................................................................................................................... 51 5 Analysis Procedure ................................................................................................................................. 53 Findings ...................................................................................................................................................... 54 Livestreaming Technology: Interaction through Chat ............................................................................ 55 All the Trappings of Sport. ................................................................................................................. 57 Framing Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 60 Framing masculinity: Emotional displays. .......................................................................................... 64 Framing Beyond the Player: Interrogating esports Fans as Players, Spectators ..................................... 67 Selling esports: Esports Audiences as Fans, Consumers, Players....................................................... 69 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 73 Chapter 3: Not Just a Good Seat at the Bar: Esports Gatherings Beyond the LAN .................................... 77 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................... 77 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 78 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................................ 80 esports at LANs and Beyond .................................................................................................................. 80 Sports Bars: Social Context for Sport ..................................................................................................... 82 Method ........................................................................................................................................................ 86 Findings ...................................................................................................................................................... 87 Choice of Space ...................................................................................................................................... 88 Key Practices: Room to Play, Watch, Socialize and Learn .................................................................... 96 Performing Sport? ................................................................................................................................. 100 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 100 6 Chapter 4: Modelling Fandom: Esports Fans by Involvement and Investment ........................................ 104 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................... 104 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 105 A Model for Fan Practice: Investment and Involvement ...................................................................... 107 Bridging to Sport Fans Studies ............................................................................................................. 110 The Case of Esports .............................................................................................................................
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