Document Type : Original Article
Author
Associate Professor in Sport Management, Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22051/sbj.2024.46500.1144
Abstract
Purpose: Exploring Consumer Behaviors in eSports Consumption in Iran and its Implications for the Cultural Landscape.
Methodology: This qualitative research employed a grounded theory approach to investigate Consumer Behaviors in eSports Consumption in Iran. The study utilized situational analysis as the chosen approach within the grounded theory to provide a comprehensive understanding of the context, arena/social worlds, and positions of eSports Consumption.
Findings: The findings reveal that Consumer Behaviors of eSports Consumption in Iran are significantly influenced by two key factors: (1) game preferences and (2) social interactions. The study identifies five distinct eSports Consumption positions that emerge from these factors' interplay. These findings contribute to the literature by comprehensively describing consumer behaviors in eSports consumption, shedding light on the cultural dynamics and preferences within the Iranian context.
Originality: This research has practical implications for stakeholders, including eSports industry professionals, marketers, and policymakers. The insights gained from understanding consumer behaviors in eSports consumption can inform strategic decision-making processes, such as game development, marketing campaigns, and creating engaging social environments for eSports enthusiasts. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this study paves the way for developing tailored approaches to cater to the unique needs and preferences of Iranian eSports consumers.
Keywords
Anderson, D., Sweeney, K., Pasquini, E., Estes, B., & Zapalac, R. (2021). An exploration of esports consumer consumption patterns, fandom, and motives. International Journal of eSports Research (IJER), 1(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJER.20210101.oa3
Balhara, Y. P. S., Singh, S., Saini, R., Kattula, D., Chukkali, S., & Bhargava, R. (2020). Development and validation of gaming disorder and hazardous gaming scale (GDHGS) based on the WHO framework (ICD-11 criteria) of disordered gaming. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 102348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102348
Bányai, F., Griffiths, M. D., Király, O., & Demetrovics, Z. (2019). The Psychology of Esports: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Gambling Studies, 35(2), 351-365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-9763-1
Biegun, J., Edgerton, J. D., & Roberts, L. W. (2020). Measuring Problem Online Video Gaming and Its Association With Problem Gambling and Suspected Motivational, Mental Health, and Behavioral Risk Factors in a Sample of University Students. Games and Culture, 16(4), 434-456. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019897524
Block, S., & Haack, F. (2021). eSports: a new industry The 20th International Scientific Conference Globalization and its Socio-Economic Consequences 2020, https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219204002
Bourdieu, P. (2004). Structures and the habitus. In Material culture: Critical concepts in the social sciences (Vol. 1, pp. 107-134). https://www.google.com/books/edition/Material_Culture/ksHMUr7sonEC?hl=en
Bourdieu, P. (2011). The forms of capital. In The sociology of economic life (pp. 15). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429494338-6/forms-capital-pierre-bourdieu
Bourdieu, P. (2018). Distinction a social critique of the judgement of taste. In Inequality (pp. 32). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429499838-20/distinction-social-critique-judgement-taste-pierre-bourdieu
Bousquet, J., & Ertz, M. (2021). eSports: Historical Review, Current State, and Future Challenges. In Handbook of Research on Pathways and Opportunities Into the Business of Esports (pp. 24). IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/esports/281914
Clarke, A. E. (2003). Situational analyses: Grounded theory mapping after the postmodern turn. Symbolic Interaction, 26(4), 553-576. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2003.26.4.553
Clarke, A. E. (2021). From grounded theory to situational analysis: What’s new? Why? How? In Developing grounded theory (pp. 44). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315169170-16/grounded-theory-situational-analysis-adele-clarke
Clarke, A. E. (2022). Situating grounded theory and situational analysis in interpretive qualitative inquiry. In Situational analysis in practice (2nd ed., pp. 50). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003035923-6/situating-grounded-theory-situational-analysis-interpretive-qualitative-inquiry-adele-clarke
Clarke, A. E., Friese, C., & Washburn, R. S. (2017). Situational analysis: Grounded theory after the interpretive turn. Sage publications. https://books.google.com/books?id=ha8kDwAAQBAJ
Crawford, G., & Gosling, V. (2009). More than a Game: Sports-Themed Video Games and Player Narratives. Sociology of Sport, 26(1), 50-66. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.26.1.50
Cunningham, G. B., Fairley, S., Ferkins, L., Kerwin, S., Lock, D., Shaw, S., & Wicker, P. (2018). eSport: Construct specifications and implications for sport management. Sport Management Review, 21(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.11.002
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Self-determination theory. In Handbook of theories of social psychology (Vol. 1). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446249215
DIREC. (2019). The Most Significant Information of Digital Games Consumption in Iran. https://direc.ircg.ir/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EnglishLandscape13990805.pdf
Dominteanu, T., Smîdu, N., Voinea, A., Dinciu, C.-C., Porfireanu, M.-C., & Iacobini, A. (2023). What are Esports? Introduction to the Global Phenomenon of Esports. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, 17(1), 1421-1430. https://doi.org/doi:10.2478/picbe-2023-0128
Egliston, B. (2018). E-sport, phenomenality and affect. Transformations, 31, 156-176. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/202495/
Fakazlı, A. (2020). The Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on Digital Games and eSports. International Journal of Sport Culture and Science, 8(4), 335-344. https://doi.org/10.14486/IntJSCS.2020.621
Formosa, J., O'Donnell, N., Horton, E. M., Türkay, S., Mandryk, R. L., Hawks, M., & Johnson, D. (2022). Definitions of Esports: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CHI PLAY), 1 - 45. https://doi.org/10.1145/3549490
Funk, D. C., Pizzo, A. D., & Baker, B. J. (2018). eSport management: Embracing eSport education and research opportunities. Sport Management Review, 21(1), 7-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.07.008
Goldman, M., & Hedlund, D. (2020). Rebooting Content: Broadcasting Sport and Esports to Homes During COVID-19. International Journal of Sport Communication, 13(3), 370-380. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2020-0227
Gros, D., Wanner, B., Hackenholt, A., Zawadzki, P., & Knautz, K. (2017). World of Streaming. Motivation and Gratification on Twitch Social Computing and Social Media. Human Behavior, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-58559-8_5#citeas
Hallmann, K., & Giel, T. (2018). eSports–Competitive sports or recreational activity? Sport Management Review, 21(1), 14-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.07.011
Hamari, J., & Sjöblom, M. (2017). What is eSports and why do people watch it? Internet Research, 27(2), 211-232. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-04-2016-0085
Hogg, M. A. (2016). Social identity theory. In Understanding Peace and Conflict Through Social Identity Theory (pp. 3-17). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-29869-6_1
Huang, X. (2019). Understanding Bourdieu-cultural capital and habitus. Review of European Studies, 11(3), 45. https://doi.org/10.5539/res.v11n3p45
Huston, C., Gracia B Cruz, A., & Zoppos, E. (2021). Dimensionalizing esports consumption: Alternative journeys to professional play. Journal of Consumer Culture, 22(2), 456-475. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540520982364
Jang, W., & Byon, K. K. (2020). Antecedents and consequence associated with esports gameplay. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 21(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-01-2019-0013
Jenny, S. E., Gawrysiak, J., & Besombes, N. (2021). Esports. edu: An inventory and analysis of global higher education esports academic programming and curricula. International Journal of Esports. https://hal.science/hal-03731250/
Jenny, S. E., Keiper, M. C., Taylor, B. J., Williams, D. P., Gawrysiak, J., Manning, R. D., & Tutka, P. M. (2018). eSports venues: A new sport business opportunity. Journal of Applied Sport Management, 10(1), 34-49. https://doi.org/10.18666/JASM-2018-V10-I1-8469
Jenny, S. E., Manning, R. D., Keiper, M. C., & Olrich, T. W. (2017). Virtual (ly) athletes: where eSports fit within the definition of “Sport”. Quest, 69(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2016.1144517
Jeong, D., Youk, S., & Baek, H. (2023). Refining esports: A quantitative cartography of esports literature. Entertainment Computing, 47, 100597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2023.100597
Johnson, M. R. (2021). Behind the Streams: The Off-Camera Labour of Game Live Streaming. Games and Culture, 16(8), 1001-1020. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211005239
Jonasson, K., & Thiborg, J. (2010). Electronic sport and its impact on future sport. Sport in Society, 13(2), 287-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430430903522996
Kovács, J. M., & Szabó, Á. (2022). Esport and simracing markets–The effects of COVID-19, difficulties and opportunities. Society and Economy, 44(4), 498-514. https://doi.org/10.1556/204.2022.00012
Kuss, D. J. (2013). Internet gaming addiction: current perspectives. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 6, 125-137. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S39476
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Internet Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 10(2), 278-296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-011-9318-5
Lee, D., & Schoenstedt, L. J. (2011). Comparison of eSports and traditional sports consumption motives. ICHPER-SD Journal Of Research, 6(2), 39-44.
Lepp, A., Dowdell, B., Yim, B., & Barkley, J. E. (2023). Esports Gamers, Recreational Gamers, and the Active Couch Potato Lifestyle. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15598276231184159. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276231184159
Lettieri, E., & Orsenigo, C. (2020). Predicting soccer consumption: do eSports matter? Empirical insights from a machine learning approach. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, 10(5), 523-544. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-10-2019-0093
Macey, J., Tyrväinen, V., Pirkkalainen, H., & Hamari, J. (2022). Does esports spectating influence game consumption? Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(1), 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2020.1797876
Mangeloja, E. (2019). Economics of esports. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 24(2), 34-42. http://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol24_no2_pages_34-42.pdf
McLeod, C. M., Xue, H., & Newman, J. I. (2021). Opportunity and inequality in the emerging esports labor market. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 57(8), 1279-1300. https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902211064093
Mostafa, R. B. (2021). From social capital to consumer engagement: the mediating role of consumer e-empowerment. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 15(2), 316-335. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-09-2020-0197
Oh, T., Lee, S., & Jang, H. (2023). Outcome Uncertainty and ESports Viewership: The Case of Overwatch League. Journal of Sports Economics, 24(8), 971-992. https://doi.org/10.1177/15270025231187106
Örsoğlu, T., Yüzbaşıoğlu, B., & Pekel, H. A. (2023). eSports: Digital Games and Its Future From the Traditional Athletes’ and eSports Players’ Perspectives. Simulation & Gaming, 54(5), 534-553. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781231188668
Pizzo, A., Baker, B., Na, S., Lee, M. A., Kim, D., & Funk, D. (2017). eSport vs Sport: A Comparison of Spectator Motives. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 27(2), 108-123. https://doi.org/10.32731/SMQ.272.062018.04
Pu, H., Kim, J., & Daprano, C. M. (2021). Can Esports Substitute Traditional Sports? The Convergence of Sports and Video Gaming during the Pandemic and Beyond. Societies, 11(4), 129. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc11040129
Qian, T. Y., Wang, J. J., Zhang, J. J., & Hulland, J. (2022). Fulfilling the basic psychological needs of esports fans: A self-determination theory approach. Communication & sport, 10(2), 216-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479520943875
Reitman, J. G., Anderson-Coto, M. J., Wu, M., Lee, J. S., & Steinkuehler, C. (2019). Esports Research: A Literature Review. Games and Culture, 15(1), 32-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019840892
Rietz, J., & Hallmann, K. (2023). A systematic review on spectator behavior in esports: why do people watch? International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 24(1), 38-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-12-2021-0241
Rogers, E. M. (2014). Diffusion of innovations. In An integrated approach to communication theory and research (pp. 432-448). Routledge.
Siisiainen, M. (2003). Two concepts of social capital: Bourdieu vs. Putnam. International journal of contemporary sociology, 40(2), 183-204. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292604014_Two_concepts_of_social_capital_Bourdieu_vs_Putnam
Siuda, P., Jasny, M., Mańkowski, D., & Sitek, M. (2023). The problematic nature of evaluating esports’“genuineness” using traditional sports’ criteria: In-depth interviews with traditional sports and electronic sports journalists. Leisure Studies, 43(2), 235-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2023.2215471
Sjöblom, M., Törhönen, M., Hamari, J., & Macey, J. (2017). Content structure is king: An empirical study on gratifications, game genres and content type on Twitch. Computers in Human Behavior, 73, 161-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.03.036
Steinkuehler, C. (2019). Esports Research: Critical, Empirical, and Historical Studies of Competitive Videogame Play. Games and Culture, 15(1), 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019836855
Summerley, R. (2019). The Development of Sports: A Comparative Analysis of the Early Institutionalization of Traditional Sports and E-Sports. Games and Culture, 15(1), 51-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019838094
Sweeney, K., Tuttle, M. H., & Berg, M. D. (2019). Esports Gambling: Market Structure and Biases. Games and Culture, 16(1), 65-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019872389
Trail, G. T., & James, J. D. (2001). The motivation scale for sport consumption: Assessment of the scale's psychometric properties. Journal of Sport Behavior, 24(1), 108. https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A15%3A9135471/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A4114024&crl=c
Wagner, M. G. (2006, June 26-29). On the Scientific Relevance of eSports Proceedings of the 2006 International Conference on Internet Computing & Conference on Computer Games Development, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220968200_On_the_Scientific_Relevance_of_eSports
Wohn, D. Y., & Freeman, G. (2019). Live Streaming, Playing, and Money Spending Behaviors in eSports. Games and Culture, 15(1), 73-88. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019859184
Wu, Y.-T., Hong, J.-C., Wu, Y.-F., & Ye, J.-H. (2021). eSport addiction, purchasing motivation and continuous purchasing intention on eSport peripheral products. International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning, 11(1), 21-33. https://doi.org/10.17706/ijeeee.2021.11.1.21-33
Wulf, T., Schneider, F. M., & Beckert, S. (2018). Watching Players: An Exploration of Media Enjoyment on Twitch. Games and Culture, 15(3), 328-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412018788161
)