Dota 2, a complex team based video game, was used to study expertise and attentional allocation in a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) setting. Pre- and post-play survey questions and... Show More

Dota 2, a complex team based video game, was used to study expertise and attentional allocation in a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) setting. Pre- and post-play survey questions and eye-tracker data were collected from 67 video game players during a session of Dota 2 play. Questions explored abstract versus concrete conceptualizations of game-play and individual versus team focus. Quantitative eye-tracker data was evaluated for differences in visual attention and scan patterns. The authors noted that novices reflected on more concrete game elements and were likely to look back at the same location twice in a row. There was no difference among player categories in amount of time looking at mini-map or in self vs. team focus; however, experts were more able to reflect on abstract game concepts. Expert-novice differences in this study are similar to expertise research findings from other domains. The qualitative and unique quantitative metrics that can be gathered from complex games may provide insight into the development of expertise.

Professional digital gaming has established itself as e-sport. The gendered usage of digital games has an impact on the social structure of participants in the professional realm: gamers... Show More

Professional digital gaming has established itself as e-sport. The gendered usage of digital games has an impact on the social structure of participants in the professional realm: gamers, organizers, commentators and fans are mostly identified as white men. The background of this phenomena are streaming platforms, where harassment is experienced by most female identified gamers at some point. The community has never been silent about these problems, but how to deal with the gender gap in tournament participants is another question. Gender segregation can facilitate visibility and solidarity – but is this an unnecessary dramatization of the socially constructed line? Do these segregations maybe just reinforce stereotypes? What does it mean for female identified people to participate? And how do gaming communities react? The paper discusses problems and possibilities of female-only tournaments with vivid examples from different games and takes diverse perspectives of (female) gamers, fans and organizations into consideration, while pointing out crucial facts about the topic.

This paper focuses on the problem of social legitimization of eSport in the context of traditional sports. Its objective is to investigate knowledge and attitudes towards eSports, as well as their... Show More

This paper focuses on the problem of social legitimization of eSport in the context of traditional sports. Its objective is to investigate knowledge and attitudes towards eSports, as well as their recognition as legitimate sports. The first part of the paper consists of the definition and differentiation between eSport and eSports. The second part provides an analysis of various definitions of sport and comparison of main qualities of eSport and sport. The third part includes identification of the most problematic features of eSports in public opinion and their analysis.

This article offers possibly the first peer-reviewed study on the training routines of elite e-athletes with special focus on the subjects' physical exercise routines. The study is based on a sample... Show More

This article offers possibly the first peer-reviewed study on the training routines of elite e-athletes with special focus on the subjects' physical exercise routines. The study is based on a sample of 115 elite e-athletes. According to the responses, e-athletes train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year on the elite level. Approximately 1.08 hours of that training is physical exercise. More than half (55.6%) of the elite e-athletes believe that integrating physical exercise in their training programs has a positive effect on esport performance; however, no less than 47.0% of the elite e-athletes do their physical exercise chiefly to maintain overall health. Accordingly, the study indicates that elite e-athletes are active athletes as well, those of age 18 and older exercising physically more than three times the daily 21-minute activity recommendation given by World Health Organization.