Exploring E-sports

Exploring E-sports: An Analysis of E-sports booming in the Young Generation in China

Abstract:

This study critically looks at how Uses and Gratification theory has contributed to the success of e-sports and by extension the entire online gaming industry in china. The study seeks to demonstrate the roles e-sports are playing among the youth in China and the uses and gratifications the youth derive from the e-sports. The study also critically analyses the psychological needs that drives the young generation in China to e-sports and the gratification derived in these sports.

Introduction

According to Asia Pulse (2012) e-sports, otherwise known as e-gaming, are not relatively well known to the general public but are events or activities keenly followed by e-sports players and /or gamers and people who are technologically savvy in China. In fact the amount of money that is paid out as prize money to those who participate and win runs into hundreds of thousands of U.S dollars (Asia Pulse, 2012).The events that gamers compete in  and which are backed by corporate sponsors are StarCraft, Fighting games and various World Cyber Games. In fact e-sports are offering legitimate careers to the players. Top players are making up to U.S$ 500,000 in a year through earnings from the sports themselves and endorsements by popular brands and advertisements (Asia Pulse, 2012).

According to Asia Pulse (2012) gamers compete in varied games namely; first-person

shooters, fighting games, and real-time strategy games.  Players in e-sport games just like in football and other physical field games play in leagues and in the process professional teams are formed. E- Sports games are also broadcast live just like other physical field games such as football (Asia Pulse, 2012). These games require strict discipline and players practice for up to 20 hours in a day to become proficient in eye-coordination, map studying and fast clicking of the mouse  which is  rated in actions per minute (APM). Teams have coaches who provide guidance and critique the players (Asia Pulse, 2012).

According to Kshetri (2009) the online gaming market in China is on an upward trajectory. According to a research study done in 2008 by a firm known as Pearl Research,  it was estimated that China’s online games market was to be worth US$ 3 billion in 2010 and US$ 6 billion by 2012 (Kshetri, 2009). A research firm based in Shanghai in China known as iResearch estimated that by the year 2010, China would have about 81 million online gamers (Kshetri, 2009). This exponential growth has been facilitated by increased investments in fixed and mobile broadband networks which have seen a huge growth in e-sports in China (Kshetri, 2009). In 2006 China Internet Network Information Center conducted a survey which showed that just over 120 million internet users played internet games each year and the number was increasing annually. Of this number about 21 percent played for about 10 hours while the rest played for about 7.3 hours a day on average (Kshetri, 2009).

The Uses and Gratifications Theory was developed in 1940 in a research on the effectiveness of radio communication (Huang, 2008).According to Huang (2008) the theory tries to identify the psychological needs that lead people to adopt a certain media to gratify those needs (Huang, 2008).

Statement of the problem

In 2008, e-gaming competitions hosted by C Y Foundation Group Limited dubbed E-sports Festival (IEF) in Wuhan, China, were a huge success (PR Newswire Asia, 2008). The 3-day event was viewed as the “Olympics” of E-sports of the online gaming industry (PR Newswire Asia, 2008). The event attracted what in e-sports are classified as world-class players and a little over150, 000 spectators (PR Newswire Asia, 2008).The event saw for the first time competitive online tournaments and drew contestants from all over the world. There were over 120 participants and winners pocketed over RMB 1 million in cash and other gift prizes (PR Newswire Asia, 2008).

The main competitive events at the tournament were Warcraft, StarCraft and Counter Strike (PR Newswire Asia, 2008). Live broadcasts of the event were estimated to have received a viewership of about 5 million people (PR Newswire Asia, 2008). Judging from this event alone we can deduce that the e-sports industry is clearly a huge industry despite the fact that it is relatively unknown and unappreciated by the general public in China.

This study explores the popularity of e-sports or e-gaming among young generation audiences and the not so young audiences in China using the Uses and Gratification theory. The study also seeks to establish why e-sports popularity is rising even though the sports are relatively unknown and unappreciated by the public in China.

Justification for the study

Even though Uses and gratification theory has been used with a lot of success in investigating how people use mass media to gratify their psychological and social needs e-sports are relatively unknown and unaccepted by a wide spectrum of people. The study will use the Uses and Gratification theory to show what motivates young Chinese youth and other not so young audience to patronize e-sports in such copious numbers. The study seeks to isolate the uses and gratifications that the Chinese youth derive from the E-sports. The study also seeks to understand the reasons behind the booming e-sports industry in China.

Electronic Sport (E-Sports)

Electronic Sports or e-sports are simply video games played in front of a crowd. Players are known to earn a lot of money from these sports. The games are organized in leagues and even the teams have coaches (The Economist, 2011).According to Asia Pulse (2012) e-sports, otherwise known as e-gaming, are not well known to the general public but are events or activities keenly followed by e-sports players and /or gamers and people who are technologically savvy in China. The amount of money that is paid out as prize money to those who participate and win runs into hundreds of thousands of U.S dollars (Asia Pulse, 2012). The most commonly played games are StarCraft, Warcraft and a variety of World Cyber games one of which is Counter Strike (Asia Pulse, 2012). In fact StarCraft alone has sold more than 11 million’ copies worldwide (Ward,  2009). The study seeks to apply the Uses and Gratification theory to explore the psychological and social needs which make the young generation in China patronize e-sports in such large numbers.

E-sport in China

China is currently the biggest market for online games in the world and it is likely to continue like that in future (Kwong, 2010) According to Ewing (2007) the number of internet users in China exceeds 140 million whereas the number that uses internet cafes to play online games exceeds 30 million.  The total revenue realized from e-sports in 2007 was US$1.65 million (China Business Newsweekly, 2008). These revenues have been increasing yearly and in 2011 the largest on line gaming operator,  Tencent, generated revenues totaling us$ 1.4 billion (Deagon, 2011).  According to PR Newswire Asia (2010) e-sports have slowly been acknowledged in China and even all over the world as a competitive sport and might be included as one of the official competitive sporting events in the 2014 Asian Games in Inchon, Korea and in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China (PR Newswire Asia, 2010). The General Administration of Sports in China has set in its plans strategies to set up e-sport centers all over China and develop an e-sport industrial chain (PR Newswire Asia, 2010).

Theoretical Framework

This study explored the Uses and Gratifications theory in a bid to explain the success of e-sports in china. Uses and gratifications theory seeks to understand the psychological and social needs that drive the current monumental success in e-sports in China. According to the theory people choose media content which meets their own individual gratifications and needs. The other theory that i referred to was generational cohort theory (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).

Uses and Gratifications Theory        

According to the Uses and Gratification theory people know their needs and this informs their decision to patronize a particular media in an effort to satisfy those needs (Chen, Chen, & Hsiao-Han, 2008). According to Dou, Wang & Zhou (2006) the Uses and Gratifications theory attempts to interpret the motives that users have for choosing a particular media program in order to gratify their  psychological and sociological needs. The theory attempts to explain why people choose a particular media and what needs motivate them to choose that media (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). The theory has been used in the past to decide on the promotion strategies to be applied in popularizing radio and television (Stafford , Stafford & Schkade, 2004). The theory assumes that media users are directed at achieving a known particular goal. In simple terms the theory assumes that computer users know their needs and they will choose a media that gratifies those needs (La Ferle & Edwards, 2009). The needs people have for using a particular media may be varied (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). According to Mukherji,  Mukherji & Nicovich (1998) individuals choose a particular  media because of the gratification they will derive from the media chosen

Major parts of the Uses and Gratification Theory

According to the Uses and Gratification theory the choice of media is determined by two main categories of needs and these are surveillance and diversion needs (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). Surveillance needs are related to people’s desire to understand fluctuations in the environment. People motivation by these needs will choose media which is informative, has a lot of news content, has information on available job opportunities and is generally informing them on what is happening around them (Parker & Plank, 2000). On the other hand people motivated by diversion needs are motivated by the desire to entertain themselves and for a moment to escape from the mainly routine and boring daily activities and also to reduce stress (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).  Diversion needs are motivated by the desire for   emotional release  from pressures of daily living (Mukherji,  Mukherji & Nicovich, 1998) These are generally people living in secure but highly competitive and stressful environments (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).

Implications of the Uses and Gratification Theory

The young generation in China is made up of people who were born after 1974 and these came of age during China’s economic reform years (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). This group has witnessed the rapid growth in the economy and has more opportunities to develop and get better college education as compared to other generations in China’s history (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). This group is also more exposed to European and American popular culture through music, cinema, television, art, magazines etc. This group also loves entertainment and is more materialistic and money minded than other generations that have preceded them (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).

The need for entertainment might explain why this group loves e-sports. This is because computer online video games are very entertaining and some analysts have even claimed that they are also addictive. The diversion need of entertainment is really met by playing these games (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).Given the fact that this young generation of Chinese was born and bred during a period that saw China adopt market economy thereby witnessing rapid economic transformation and growth they have characteristics that make them outstanding and different as compared to earlier generations (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).

The young generation of Chinese citizens is relatively media and technologically savvy as compared to the preceding generations. They are also very materialistic and are willing to try new things (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). This group also is more individualistic than previous generations and cares more about personal enjoyment, wealth accumulation and fame. Since the Chinese economy has of essence turned to capitalism this poses a challenge to this group in that they are finding it hard to find gainful employment in a highly competitive environment (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).

Young Chinese citizens generally have lesser need for surveillance based information resources. People in this category feel less threatened by external aggression unlike previous generation. Their surveillance needs as espoused by the Users and Gratification theory are fewer in this generation than in preceding ones (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). This means that this group does not really use media programs or media content that gratifies the surveillance needs. There is lesser demand therefore for news, information based media programs and business reports that primarily satisfy surveillance needs according to the Uses and Gratification theory (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).

The diversion need is therefore more prevalent in the lives of the younger Chinese generation or what has in some quarters been termed as Generation X.  The younger generation of Chinese is under intense pressure to make it in life. They are faced with a very competitive culture which favors only those who succeed materially.  Due to the tremendous pressure that they are in, the need for diversion to relieve the increasing stress levels is immense. They are looking for avenues to enjoy themselves and feel more appreciated (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006).Young Chinese give more preference to media content that holds more entertainment content than informative content (Dou, Wang & Zhou, 2006). According to Kshetri (2009) the need for entertainment among younger Chinese citizens has boosted e-sports because these younger Chinese gamers perceive online gaming as some kind of entertainment just like baby boomers in America perceived television.

According to Kshetri (2009) the Chinese gamers are either unwilling or unable to afford packaged games. This is because most of the enthusiastic gamers are young and do not have a lot of money. The need to play online games for entertainment has however not been diminished by this. The problem has been solved by the increase in the numbers and sizes of internet cafes. E-sports players do not require purchasing hardware to participate or play these games. They can play the games in the internet cafes as long as they can afford to pay (Kshetri, 2009).

Online games are also downloaded online through the peer to peer network which makes them easily accessible to e-sports players unlike in the past when one needed to buy packaged games from retailers and dealers (Kshetri, 2009).The peer to peer network has enabled e-sports players to download many different games which serves to provide variety and keeps the players thoroughly entertained. The need for entertainment is one of the needs that have contributed to the boom in e-sports in China (Kshetri, 2009).

In relation to the Uses and Gratification theory another need that has served to boost e-sports in China is the affordability and accessibility of the online games (Kshetri, 2009). Young people generally need affordable and easily accessible online games. China has been able to achieve the lowest prices in the world for the internet broadband in the country. It is estimated that internet prices are as low as 13 cents in some towns and this was as per a survey done in 2006 (Kshetri, 2009). The prices are even lower currently. The need to access internet at affordable rates has enabled many young e-sports players to play the games in the numerous internet cyber cafes for long hours (Kshetri, 2009). This not only meets their need for entertainment which is met by the large variety of online games but also offers them the practice needed to become experts in the games to participate in competitive tournaments (Kshetri, 2009).

According to Kshetri (2009) e-sports enthusiasts differ in tastes. Some online games popular in Japan and other western countries are not popular in China. The need to offer online games to the taste of Chinese e-sports enthusiasts was solved by the fact that the major players in the industry developed online games with themes based on the Chinese culture (Kshetri, 2009). The need to be identified with Chinese culture made the players view the games as homegrown and this enabled them to feel like they own them. The e-sports players receive gratification in the fact that the games are based on their culture and thus represent characters who they can relate with. This has gone a long way in boosting e-sports in China (Kshetri, 2009).

An example of a game based on the Chinese culture and which saw a lot of interest was the NetEase’s Fantasy Westward Journey (FWJ) which was modeled on the sixteenth-century Chinese classic Journey to the West (Kshetri, 2009). FWJ was the most popular e-sport game in 2006.  The game recorded upwards of 25 million registered players and at one time it had about 1.3 million concurrent users (Kshetri, 2009).

Yet another game that was based on Chinese culture and which witnessed phenomenal success was Sohu’s Tian Long Ba Bu. This game was modeled and developed in relation to historical martial arts themes found in a popular historical martial arts novel sold in China bookshops (Kshetri, 2009). Another example of an online game based on Chinese culture is the ZhuXian. This online game includes aspects of Chinese culture and traditional Chinese arts, philosophy and history (Kshetri, 2009). Zon/New Chengo is another interesting game that allows players to interact with the virtual world. Players of the game can sample editorial content in major newspapers, read major newspapers, watch breaking news in TV and even look for jobs (Kshetri, 2009).Since most gamers are young unemployed Chinese, these games offer them an opportunity to meet the twin need of finding meaningful work to engage in and getting entertained. Wulin 2 is a  modern 3D Q edition Wu Xia fantasy online game  developed based on  Chinese culture which brings players to a Wulin world where they play to become heroes in that world which is full of danger( PR Newswire, 2006)

Another need that fueled the boom and which is in line with Users and Gratification theory, of exploring the boom in e-sports, is the desire for feelings of national pride. The fact that Chinese have a national pride which makes “chineseness” a more preferred brand than international ones is a need that young Chinese citizens have (Kshetri, 2009). Many Chinese online gamers have biasness towards domestic online games. Currently local companies account for most of the market for the e-games( Health & Beauty Close – Up,2009) This saw an upsurge in domestic games development. In fact in 2006 alone the major online gaming companies developed about 218 online games. The trend has been maintained up to date. In 2006 the sales of these locally developed online games amounted US$529 million which was an increase of about 87.4 per cent the sales made in 2005(Kshetri, 2009).  Chinese youth have a strong national pride which makes them to prefer locally developed online games(Kshetri, 2009).The fact that online games adopted the Chinese language also served to fulfill the need among young Chinese of fostering the gratification of being proud of their nation and language (Kshetri, 2009).

The prevalence of software development skills among Chinese software engineers has contributed to the boom in e-sports in China. The use of these skills has elevated China to a new level and China as a result is now considered a major hub for e-sports games software development in Asia (Kshetri, 2009).The number of video games development centres has grown exponentially and China has an inexpensive pool of talented software development professionals ready to design new e-games. The cost of developing e-games software is estimated to be less than one-tenth of what it costs to develop the same in the most developed countries (Kshetri, 2009).These games are offered to the market at much lower rates than imported games. Since most young Chinese who play these games are not financially well off the games locally developed are affordable and in plenty which serves the need for variety also.

According to Kshetri (2006) the deliberate decision by the government to support the online games industry has also played a key role in fueling the boom in e-sports in China.  The government has developed and launched a training programme to boost the skills of online games developers and designers (Kshetri, 2009). This has gone a long way in ensuring a steady flow of new online games with Chinese culture encapsulated in them and also introduction of a wide variety of online games for the e-sports players to sample. The government intervention also ensures that the e-sports enthusiasts do not get fatigued from playing the same games over and over due introduction of new ones frequently (Kshetri, 2009). Faster development of new games ensures new more interesting and more challenging games are introduced into the industry within short durations. The need for entertainment is therefore constantly being met as the developers promise new more challenging and interesting games in quick succession (Kshetri, 2009).

According to Kshetri (2009) the adoption of innovative business models by online games companies has also fueled this boom. Notable online games companies such as Shanda sell online gaming play time using pre-paid cards. This makes the costs of playing games more affordable and accessible. The companies also host the games in their servers and make them accessible at internet cafes (Kshetri, 2009).  The companies are also engaged in constant online surveys to determine whether the needs of the e-sports players are being met and they also get suggestions on how they can improve on the content and quality of the games they introduce into the market (Kshetri, 2009).  This ensures the games remain entertaining and affordable at all times. This also serves the psychological need of entertainment and affordability among young Chinese players.

The psychological need of being treated fairly is also addressed by how the online games play time is administered by the online gaming companies. According to the business model adopted by the main online games companies the e-sports games software is literary given away to entice e-sports players to open online accounts based on subscription (Kshetri, 2009). The e-sorts players play time is charged hourly or monthly and in case a player needs additional accessories such as weapons and systems to increase the entertainment content of the online games experience they pay additional charges (Kshetri, 2009). This method has made piracy impractical since playing the e-sports games involve creation of live experiences by connecting many online e-sports players (Kshetri, 2009). The need of feeling treated fairly is therefore enhanced among the e-sports players.

The online gaming experience has also been made not only affordable but user friendly by the introduction of scratch cards by the major gaming companies like Shanda (Kshetri, 2009).  Shanda and other companies have designed and developed scratch cards of varied values which can be bought from registered merchants. The e-sports players scratch off to get a number which allows them to play an online game (Kshetri, 2009). The players are therefore able to time themselves to ensure they play up to their satisfaction.

Gaming companies have also developed new strategies of enticing players to play e-sports games. Shanda and other leading companies offer games for free and only charge for add-ons such as weapons that make the gaming experience more interesting (Kshetri, 2009). The online games that are most likely offered for free are the old ones (Kshetri, 2009). According to the Uses and Gratification theory this arrangement serves the need among the youth to play games for free even when they do not have money to pay for the play time. They get the gratification of enjoying games without money.

E-sports have also served to ensure the young generation participates in the politics of the country. E-sports provide numerous avenues for participation in public life (Kshetri, 2009). E-sports create a new space which acts as an avenue of stimulating participation in the public life in the country. Due to the fact that e-sports are interactive in nature they serve to enhance public involvement and engagement (Kshetri, 2009). In fact political analysts have praised the online gaming culture for its positive contribution towards enhancing public involvement in the politics of the country (Kshetri, 2009).

Analysts argue that the online games energize and contribute towards the development of the civil society.  E-sports have contributed towards meeting the need for nationalism and patriotism longings among the youthful generation in China in line with the Uses and Gratification theory (Kshetri, 2009). In fact analysts have observed a marked increase in nationalism feelings among the youthful Chinese due to their involvement in e-sports (Kshetri, 2009).  E-sports have offered a platform for young Chinese citizens to express their patriotic longings which serves to meet the need for belongingness which is in line with the Users and Gratification theory (Kshetri, 2009). The Chinese government has also encouraged the youth to take up the sports due to its need to cultivate nationalism among the Chinese youth and citizenry at large. The Government has over the years used nationalism to ensure its legitimacy and also cultivate public support to keep the citizens away from focusing on the domestic problems facing the country (Kshetri, 2009).This is also a need according to the Uses and Gratification theory on the part of the Chinese government which has fueled the boom in e-sports among the youthful generation in China.

The government’s desire to develop a deep sense of “Chineseness” in its desire to inculcate nationalism to ensure its continued stay in power has immensely led to the boom in online gaming culture among the young Chinese youth. In China this effort has been described as another form of “racial” nationalism (Kshetri, 2009). E-sports have had a reinforcing effect on civil society development in that the e-sports have provided new avenues for civil society participation whereas the civil society has provided a basis for social interaction which has provided a rich perspective to the games. The uses of the internet to the civil society and the gratification they derive from facilitating public discourse on important national topics has had a big effect in fostering the boom in e-sports among the young generation. According to the theory the state has a need to mobilize social forces to achieve its national agenda. The state uses e-sports to achieve this end (Kshetri, 2009).

Infusion of political culture in e-sports has also fueled the boom in the online sports among the youth. Two of the renowned Chinese gaming firms, PowerNet Technologies and CCYL in 2005 joined resources and introduced into the market an online game that was basically Anti-Japanese in its content. The content of the game was drawn from the Japanese invasion in China which started in 1937 and ended in 1945 during the Second World War. E-sports enthusiasts were able to play simulations of the main events during the invasion. The game was intended to cultivate a national spirit and educate youthful Chinese on the history of the country.

The need to use e-sports to teach the youth about the country’s history has played a part in the boom of e-sports among the youthful generation in China. Other games that have been developed with the intention of developing a national patriotic spirit among the youth involve the Long March of the communist army which started in 1934  and ended in 1936 (Kshetri, 2009).

Another factor that has fueled the boom of e-sports in China is the need by government agencies to fight social problems such as corruption using online games (Kshetri, 2009).One of the online games that was developed for this purpose is a game called the Incorruptible Warrior  championed by Ningbo city officials(Kshetri, 2009). In the game the incorruptible warrior uses an array of weapons and supernatural powers to eliminate corrupt government officials (Kshetri, 2009).This game received a lot of attention and play and it was downloaded more than 100,000 times (Kshetri, 2009). The Uses and Gratification theory also apply to the government just like to the youthful Chinese e-sports players.

Another uses and gratification theory factor that has fueled the boom in e-sports is the need for belongingness. The current culture tends to isolate individuals and for them to feel as part of a wider society and also feel appreciated and needed they partake in e-sports. This is because e-sports are interactive and therefore meet the social needs of the participants. Team members feel as belonging to an important segment of the society (Kshetri, 2009). E- Sports also serve to reduce stress and depression levels among the players and also make people laugh (Kshetri, 2009). These are all needs that make the youthful generation choose to partake of e-sports in China. E-sports provide livelihood to the youth. The amount of money that is paid out as prize money to those who participate and win runs into hundreds of thousands of U.S dollars (Asia Pulse, 2012). One of the major challenges facing the youth in China is diminishing employment opportunities. This need is effectively met by e-sports.

Many companies are also using e-sports to market their products. Since e-sports offer a lot of entertainment to the youth they are an important avenue to market products (Kshetri, 2009). Major advertising firms are using e-sports to reach the millions of youthful Chinese consumers. The firms sponsor players and even tournaments (Kshetri, 2009). They also use celebrated e-sports stars to endorse their products. Many youthful Chinese professionals like many youths all over the world desire to become rich quickly and with the huge amounts paid out in these games this need is met for those who excel and they receive the gratification that comes with being famous and rich. (Kshetri, 2009)

Conclusion

According to Gerlich, Drumheller &Sollosy (2012) the Uses and Gratification theory in some instances include several scales that  measure the driving factors that lead people to undertake media related activities such as  internet use, participating in e-sports, watching television etc The needs among the young generation have contributed to the boom of e-sports in China. These needs include the need for belongingness and to feel loved, the need for entertainment, the need to relax, the need to socialize, the need to participate in public discourse, the need to express nationalistic and patriotic feelings etc.

The other players who have played a role include the government, the business community and the civil society. All these players have needs that necessitated the choice of e-sports avenue to gratify these needs. The government is motivated by its desire to achieve legitimacy and get public support and has used e-sports as the preferred avenue to achieve this. The government tries to cultivate a spirit of nationalism and patriotism among the populace. The only available media that can reach millions of Chinese youth is provided by e-sports. The civil society is also eager to get youthful support and ideas in developing discourse on important issues in the country and the choice of medium to reach the youth is the e-sports platform. All these uses have contributed to the boom of e-sports among the young generation in China.

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