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Hey fellow TLers and gamers.
I am taking an english class on theory and criticism, and i have chosen to write my final paper on the topic of e-sports.
To make it simple, I am trying to argue that the general public's perception concerning gaming is flawed. Most people think it is very harmful (parents anyone?) and that the negative aspects to it largely overshadow its positive counterparts.
I believe that most anything in excess is potentially harmful, and gaming is no exception. However, I believe that there are so many potential good things that can come from the proliferation of gaming that have begun to take place, but has not yet become realized to its fullest potential.
And so, my question to you is, what is your take on this? Do you think that gaming could provide many benefits to society?
PS. This is not necessarily a homework help blog, i'm just asking for people's opinions on the issue, and at the most, it would just provide me with more insight from fellow peers and gamers on the subject matter. My actual paper has to be thoroughly grounded on the theories that i've been learning in class so this couldn't be considered cheating at all.
And in the case that you would like to read up the short and concise paper proposal I drafted, it's here below in the spoilers:
+ Show Spoiler +
I want to write a paper about e-sports, or electronic sports – video gaming, not just as a hobby or recreation, but as a career, occupation, etc. I haven’t yet come up with my thesis yet, I would like to do some more research first, but it will be something about how the general public’s perception of gaming, and its effect on not just the individual, but also to society, is flawed. I believe there could be many benefits to its rise as a legitimate “sport” and I will list and explain many reasons how.
The key topic I will be discussing in regards to e-sports will be ideologies. So far, the key one I have chosen to use is Althusser’s discussion of ISAs (institutional state apparatuses) – they play a tremendous role in the perception and its development concerning e-sports. For example, the perceptions are created mainly through the family ISA – parents don’t want their children to game too much (which is reasonable – excess in most anything could potentially be harmful). And then, I will talk about some other countries outside the US where the government had to intervene to control gaming and its massive proliferation in their specific cultures. It may not necessarily have been through State Apparatuses, but the control-measures were a direct result of government intervention.
This topic is extremely relevant at the present, and it has never been more relevant at any prior time. E-sports, or even just video gaming, is a relatively new phenomenon. It was never available before, because its existence was predicated on the development of certain technologies, which were pretty recently made.
I also want to talk about how Anderson’s concept of “imagined communities” applies here, and I believe that there are a bunch of things to talk about. The gamer community is definitely an imagined community, as defined by him, and within that general gaming imagined community exists a plethora of sub-communities (could be divided by criteria such as specific games and genres, and then even things as controversial and complex as gender). And then there’s the existence of the gaming community as an actual community. In bigger events, they are held at a chosen location, so in these kinds of events, the gamers shift to become an actual community, even if it’s only for a duration of a few days or so. This is a bit analogous to actual sports. When teams are practicing, it is with themselves, at their own home gym or court. And when actual games take place, they meet up at a specified location to compete against other teams, and with a huge crowd watching, and for the duration of that game event, they become a real actualized community.
There are a bunch of other topics and things I might like to discuss, but I hope for now what I have discussed above has persuaded you into believing that a paper on e-sports is appropriate and could actually work out!
EDIT: On second thuoght, I think this blog might be appropriate as a topic in the general forum, as it could provide some good and insightful discussion beyond what blogs usually allow for. So if a mod deems it appropriate, maybe move this to the general forum? thanks!
 
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That would definitely be a fun paper to write, and it looks like one in which you would also learn quite a bit about the world of e-sports. I did a pretty successful speech on e-sports (and Starcraft in particular) for my speech class this last summer and it worked out pretty well. As far as benefits to society, yes I definitely do think gaming can provide benefits (in moderation as with all things). As the population of earth increases and more and more people begin to live in very close quarters, the room in which traditional communities (centered around sports or some other social aspect) has begun to decrease quite rapidly. Stuck in rooms with little to do, many people have turned to gaming as a past time and a way of interacting with others. It used to be gaming was something you did with a computer, and perhaps talked to friends about the next day. Yet with the rise of MMOs and other online games, this is beginning to quickly change.
Communities like Teamliquid and various Reddit sub-communities have formed, with people dedicated to improving or simply enjoying particular games such as SW:TOR, Starcraft, and Skyrim. People join clans dedicated to certain games, and with skype and other voice chat software, there is an ever-increasing social aspect to it. With the rise of e-sports, gaming has become something akin to football or soccer, but without the need for large expensive fields and well-scheduled meetings. Players can meet up on voice chat software, or in game/on forums and discuss the pro scene, and their own play. With gaming you can easily improve on your own time; with systems in place such as Starcraft's ladder rankings, you gain a measure of skill that physical sports lack, and you can then use that individual practice time very effectively when playing with or against your friends. One of the main reasons e-sports works so well is because of the flexible scheduling and "easy to learn, hard to master" nature of it. Like most professional physical sports today, you can easily understand how the game is played, and why the players are so skilled. However unlike those physical sports, e-sports allows you to watch a game between pros, then get online and play some games yourself. You don't need to find a team and location to practice, you simply buy the game then log in. That ease of access is key to the recent gaming craze.
Many consider South Korea's "national sport" to be Starcraft. So why is it so popular in Korea? Look at their culture and current situation. Like Japan, they're a bit smashed together on their Island. With little room and a lot of people, there isn't much room to sports playing fields, and even when there is, only good players usually end up playing on them. Starcraft, however, is a one time purchase that you can play in your own home or at an Internet Cafe for as long as you want. You begin to make friends on the game, discuss the e-sports scene, and improve at the game at your own pace. There are plenty of tournaments online to watch and play in, and as you begin to find players you especially love watching, you want to get the chance to meet those players. Enter the "real" community of e-sports. Fans and enthusiasts are willing to travel to tournaments much like fans of physical sports travel to watch their team play. This supports the professional players playing, allowing them to focus on their craft (no pun intended) instead of worrying about paying for their own travel. E-sports is becoming mainstream because gaming is becoming mainstream.
With a huge audience and the truly high levels of skill required for the professionals in the game, well-balanced games have become more than just games. They've become hobbies for many, and careers for some. With gas prices rising and economic woes the world around, it's much easier to spend 60 dollars for a game that has limitless entertainment than the expenses and hassles of a more physical sport. Challenging games like Starcraft 2 attract communities of some of the brightest people in the gaming scene. As these communities gel, sites like Team Liquid are created, where members talk about everything from politics and next-generation science to cooking and philosophy. The key is the community, and that's why e-sports works.
EDIT: I rambled as usual, and I ended up saying the same thing over and over, but I guess that goes to how much I believe that point. The reason I'm taking the time to make this exorbitantly long post instead of saying the community is because I just got my wisdom teeth and and I have nothing to do (can't sit up without getting nauseous yet, so I'm typing this on my laptop). I'd love to read your opinions on the matter, and what your paper ends up looking like. The blog section of TL is probably one of my favorite because of all the interesting stuff you see, and the people you meet. Playing a game like Starcraft, and following the e-sports scene brings us together and gives us somewhere to go when the "real" world frustrates us. That's why I love e-sports so much.
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seems interesting. good luck, i would definitely be interested in seeing your finished work.
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On March 03 2012 11:03 Vronti wrote:
That would definitely be a fun paper to write, and it looks like one in which you would also learn quite a bit about the world of e-sports. I did a pretty successful speech on e-sports (and Starcraft in particular) for my speech class this last summer and it worked out pretty well. As far as benefits to society, yes I definitely do think gaming can provide benefits (in moderation as with all things). As the population of earth increases and more and more people begin to live in very close quarters, the room in which traditional communities (centered around sports or some other social aspect) has begun to decrease quite rapidly. Stuck in rooms with little to do, many people have turned to gaming as a past time and a way of interacting with others. It used to be gaming was something you did with a computer, and perhaps talked to friends about the next day. Yet with the rise of MMOs and other online games, this is beginning to quickly change.
Communities like Teamliquid and various Reddit sub-communities have formed, with people dedicated to improving or simply enjoying particular games such as SW:TOR, Starcraft, and Skyrim. People join clans dedicated to certain games, and with skype and other voice chat software, there is an ever-increasing social aspect to it. With the rise of e-sports, gaming has become something akin to football or soccer, but without the need for large expensive fields and well-scheduled meetings. Players can meet up on voice chat software, or in game/on forums and discuss the pro scene, and their own play. With gaming you can easily improve on your own time; with systems in place such as Starcraft's ladder rankings, you gain a measure of skill that physical sports lack, and you can then use that individual practice time very effectively when playing with or against your friends. One of the main reasons e-sports works so well is because of the flexible scheduling and "easy to learn, hard to master" nature of it. Like most professional physical sports today, you can easily understand how the game is played, and why the players are so skilled. However unlike those physical sports, e-sports allows you to watch a game between pros, then get online and play some games yourself. You don't need to find a team and location to practice, you simply buy the game then log in. That ease of access is key to the recent gaming craze.
Many consider South Korea's "national sport" to be Starcraft. So why is it so popular in Korea? Look at their culture and current situation. Like Japan, they're a bit smashed together on their Island. With little room and a lot of people, there isn't much room to sports playing fields, and even when there is, only good players usually end up playing on them. Starcraft, however, is a one time purchase that you can play in your own home or at an Internet Cafe for as long as you want. You begin to make friends on the game, discuss the e-sports scene, and improve at the game at your own pace. There are plenty of tournaments online to watch and play in, and as you begin to find players you especially love watching, you want to get the chance to meet those players. Enter the "real" community of e-sports. Fans and enthusiasts are willing to travel to tournaments much like fans of physical sports travel to watch their team play. This supports the professional players playing, allowing them to focus on their craft (no pun intended) instead of worrying about paying for their own travel. E-sports is becoming mainstream because gaming is becoming mainstream.
With a huge audience and the truly high levels of skill required for the professionals in the game, well-balanced games have become more than just games. They've become hobbies for many, and careers for some. With gas prices rising and economic woes the world around, it's much easier to spend 60 dollars for a game that has limitless entertainment than the expenses and hassles of a more physical sport. Challenging games like Starcraft 2 attract communities of some of the brightest people in the gaming scene. As these communities gel, sites like Team Liquid are created, where members talk about everything from politics and next-generation science to cooking and philosophy. The key is the community, and that's why e-sports works.
EDIT: I rambled as usual, and I ended up saying the same thing over and over, but I guess that goes to how much I believe that point. The reason I'm taking the time to make this exorbitantly long post instead of saying the community is because I just got my wisdom teeth and and I have nothing to do (can't sit up without getting nauseous yet, so I'm typing this on my laptop). I'd love to read your opinions on the matter, and what your paper ends up looking like. The blog section of TL is probably one of my favorite because of all the interesting stuff you see, and the people you meet. Playing a game like Starcraft, and following the e-sports scene brings us together and gives us somewhere to go when the "real" world frustrates us. That's why I love e-sports so much.
Wow man that was an awesome writeup, and there were a lot of insightful stuff.
I especially liked the part where you mentioned Korea and its smaller geographical area, which then led to the topic of starcraft's accessibility to anyone. I'm going to include something about accessibility in my paper for sure :D
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i really support your effort! good luck with the paper 
this reminds me of my sophomore high school english class, in which my teacher always tried to tell us to keep an open mind etc etc. except one day one of my friends jokingly mentioned that he wanted to become a professional gamer and suddenly everyone in the class, my teacher included, started shitting on that idea.
^^
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@dmasterding Yeah I love how hypocritical so many teachers can be. What they don't realize is that if you have talent and practice, that's actually an option in today's world. I wouldn't personally suggest it (or at least I'd say have a backup plan) but it's definitely doable. Lol @ them over reacting to his joke though.
@BlueRoyal Accessibility is definitely key, glad you'll include some of it in your paper, as it's one of the main things that differentiates it from sports like football and soccer, and it's also the reason that e-sports has so much potential for growth. It's so incredibly easy to pick up. Other things you could mention would be community leaders like Day9, Tastosis (I basically count them as one entity lol), TotalBiscuit etc and their influence; the costs of physical sports compared to e-sports (equipment is expensive, Starcraft 2 is not); and individual personalities having a much bigger role in e-sports. Since in games like Starcraft it's one on one, you can pick players you like and really get to know them. Whereas in stuff like soccer/football, there is pretty much the team. Unless you're pretty big into it you don't know much about the players. I guess you could compare it more to tennis, but on a deeper level. Anyhow, I look forward to seeing this paper :D
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As an introduction to your paper, make sure to depict the current state of e-sports. Most people wouldn't think, that maybe 60.000 - 90.000 nerds are watching streams from big events like Dreamhack, TSLs, GSLs etc. That's actually a LARGE stadium crowd, which in my eyes, is very impressive.
Also make sure to note how production quality has improved drastically (1080p streams, great audio, multiple camera productions) and that leaps in technology over the last decade has made all this possible.
Production costs have decreased drastically and almost anyone with a dream and some effort, can now get to produce high quality entertainment formerly only available through large scale coorporations like BBC, ABC, HBC or whatever.
2cents4u.
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Dude, I already did one of those recently xD It was an extended project of mine for school. See my blog to read it (link below), the conditions for referencing it are at the bottom, and my source list is there too. You sound like youre taking it from a slightly different slant than mine, so I look forward to reading it. Glhf (Y)
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=308454
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there are a lot of good academic papers on how south korea grew its infrastructure for the internet and how this led to how strong the "internet culture" is in south korea, which lead to popularity of PC bangs, where starcraft grew, etc. my biggest recommendation is don't focus too much on why the game is good, but rather on the culture around it that fosters the game because that will really interest most prof's and make it feel more relevant.
good luck, it feels like you're already headed in an outstanding direction
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On March 04 2012 03:11 Pyre_Fly wrote:Dude, I already did one of those recently xD It was an extended project of mine for school. See my blog to read it (link below), the conditions for referencing it are at the bottom, and my source list is there too. You sound like youre taking it from a slightly different slant than mine, so I look forward to reading it. Glhf (Y) http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=308454
awesome man! a lot of good information in there which is undoubtedly going to have some effects on my paper 
On March 04 2012 03:28 shindigs wrote:
there are a lot of good academic papers on how south korea grew its infrastructure for the internet and how this led to how strong the "internet culture" is in south korea, which lead to popularity of PC bangs, where starcraft grew, etc. my biggest recommendation is don't focus too much on why the game is good, but rather on the culture around it that fosters the game because that will really interest most prof's and make it feel more relevant.
good luck, it feels like you're already headed in an outstanding direction
Hey, one of the requirements for my paper is that I need to use and source at least 2 scholarly articles, and I think they are supposed to be peer-reviewed by other scholars or something like that.
So are these academic papers/reports you're talking about also reviewed by other scholars? :D
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If you mention IdrA's bm in the paper, you will get an automatic A+
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EPT
