Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 7-30-2020 3:30 PM Professional gaming and work: Challenges, trajectories, and labour market impacts amongst professional gamers Michael Haight, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Adams, Tracey., The University of Western Ontario : Quan-Haase, Anabel., The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Sociology © Michael Haight 2020 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Other Sociology Commons, and the Work, Economy and Organizations Commons Recommended Citation Haight, Michael, "Professional gaming and work: Challenges, trajectories, and labour market impacts amongst professional gamers" (2020). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7563. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7563 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Abstract Over the last decade the popularity of video games has risen tremendously. A new industry around professional gaming has emerged alongside this growth in the popularity of video games. In professional gaming, individuals play video games competitively while their matches and games are streamed online to a global audience. As a result of the growth in the sector, compensation for some individuals has reached well into six and seven figures. Knowledge of these salaries has resulted in an influx of individuals interested in working in professional gaming. This study investigates not only those individuals who play video games professionally, but also those who work in the periphery and infrastructure of the gaming industry.