Study on the Accessibility of esports in South Korea

Transcription

1 2017 UIC RESEARCH PROJECT KOREA Study on the Accessibility of esports in South Korea Jiho Kil, YoungMok Yoo Underwood International College Yonsei University

2 <ABSTRACT> This study aims to examine how the accessibility of esports in South Korea has appealed to the domestic consumers and contributes to its massive success. Due to the rapid development of internet and digital technology which completely transformed the method of entertainment consumption, esports has taken the position of one of the most popular genres of competition since 2000 globally. Amazingly however, the largest market for competitive gaming lies in no other than South Korea, where it integrated esports into mainstream culture more successfully than any other nation and is also maintaining its position as the most powerful esports empire by monopolizing international titles of multiple competitions such as League of Legends and Overwatch. Then how has Korea displayed such overwhelming popularity and dominance in terms of esports? By surveying over 1500 Korean and global online participants and conducting in-depth interviews with three experts, it was concluded that Korea had been providing differentiated accessibility to fans through multiple unique factors compared to other regions.thus this paper seeks to contribute to an increasing research into the growing industry in the digital market through a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Korean esports infrastructure, as well as different Korean and western esports cultures. In sum, various original forms of accessibility are what had set apart South Korea from the rest of the world, and is also a preview of the future global trend. [Key Words] esports, accessibility, South Korea, culture, digital market, global trend I. Introduction In recent years, the world has witnessed the massive growth of esports and its potential and it is widely expected that the scene will continue to increase worldwide. South Korea has especially proven itself to be the prime example of esports success; unlike some parts of the world where console-based games still dominated the gaming business and esports based on multiplayer online games hasn t yet settled as a stable business, South Korea s gaming industry largely depends on online games which has significantly shaped its

3 transition into a digital economy. Analyzing the huge market and unique gaming culture Korea possesses will bring the various benefits individually and socially. People will be able to understand the youth culture and their consumer behavior in the digital market, which will eventually lead to national revenue and benefits in the sports tourism industry, as well as effectiveness in shortening the generation gap that is triggered today because of the difficulty of keeping up with technology and the resulting trend. There are economic and social benefits of comprehending esports fandom which must be studied in order to adapt to the upcoming new norm. II. Literature Review With esports becoming more mainstream around the world, accessibility is being pointed out as the main reason for its success. However, to understand how exactly it had contributed to Korea s esports success, one must highlight the characteristics of esports and how it differs from traditional physical sports. Although there is little academic research done for esports which has been a fairly new topic, some theories discuss the fundamental aspects of esports that are necessary in order to comprehend consumer involvement in the market. 1. Comparing esports to Traditional Sports The general academia currently identify esports through technology and professional competition, which can be considered an extension of online gaming culture. Revenue of esports is created through executive ownership, development, distribution, and cultural recognition of the gaming system as a commercial product (Karhulahti, 2017). The key difference between the two areas is that in esports, executive ownership by the developer controls the rules and competition of the esport (Karhulahti, 2017). In traditional sports, one can play the sport with whatever rules one chooses anytime and anywhere. However, esports is severely restricted in terms of this matter. Therefore, the executive ownership is required to update the game to date so that it is playable and appealing to the consumers, unlike traditional sports where the sport does not have to be updated as frequently.

4 Another difference is that aesthetic experiences that is seen through traditional sports are evolved into a more holistic level through digital spectator experience which makes the viewing experience more attractive and fantasy-like, which contributes to the overwhelming frequency of esports consumption (Hamari and Sjoblom 2017). Furthermore, acknowledgment of player skill from sharing the experience of playing the same game creates bonds that maintains solid viewership. In traditional sports, all of the outcome-defining events occur in the real world, whereas in esports, the outcome-defining activities happen in the virtual world. However, even the activities in the virtual world depend on the actions that occur in the real world. In other words, the player s physical abilities and circumstances do not necessarily determine the results, but the confines of the virtual reality of the game itself do (Hamari and Sjoblom 2017). Therefore, Hamari and Sjoblom define esports as a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic systems; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the esports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces. Although there are distinctive differences between esports and traditional sports, the new phenomenon of esports mostly fulfills the definition and notion of traditional sports, which requires physical and mental strain to accomplish your goals (Llorens, 2017). A distinctive feature of the sport being conducted in a digitalized environment, as well as the fact that there will be new modes of cheating (hacking) and game-fixing is something that needs to be considered in order for esports to be fully recognized as sports. Legislations will undergo alterations if gamers were to be officially recognized as athletes. According to the Sport Accord (2015), a sport qualifies as a sport if it possesses an element of competition, not rely on luck specific to that sport, not pose any hazard to the athletes or participants or any living creature and not rely on equipment provided by a single supplier (Karhulahti 2017). Despite esports suiting the first four criteria, it does not satisfy the fifth criterion which demands that a sport not rely on equipment provided by a single supplier (Karhulahti 2017). As previously mentioned, esports is controlled by an executive ownership that updates the game, while traditional sports can be played anytime and anywhere, in any way one wants to play.

5 2. How esports Became Popular The rapid rise in online games have been a product of sociocultural, historical elements which contributed to the citizens digital literacy (Jin and Chee, 2008). The IMF Asian Financial Crisis led to booming PC Bang (Internet Cafes) businesses which led to the massive popularity of online games in South Korea, leading to the first ever esports scene in the world since Firms now consider online games as one of the most important media technologies for boosting the digital economy. South Korea s digital boom was not the only thing which fueled the popularity of esports in Korea. The deregulation of advanced telecom applications of the mid-nineties had caused Korea s broadband infrastructure to grow. The resulting vast broadband infrastructure created television stations that specialized in esports competitions, which proved to be immensely popular. As a result, esports players gradually became celebrities similar to star athletes in traditional sports (Wagner 2006). The most popular games in the Korean esports scene included games such as Lineage, a MMORPG (Massively Multi-user Online Role Playing Games) game released in 1998 by NCSoft and Starcraft and Warcraft, RTS (Real Time Strategy) games released by Blizzard Entertainment in 1998 and In the United States and Europe, competitive gaming started out with FPS (First Person Shooter) games such as Doom (1993) and Quake (1996), all developed by id software (Wagner 2006). In 1999, Valve s Counter-Strike, a mod version of Half-Life, became extremely popular and has maintained its position as the key game of the western esports scene. The key difference in preference is that while western fans prefer FPS games, Korean fans prefer RTS and MMORPG games more (Wagner 2006). III. Research Methods Research was conducted using mixed methods, which combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. The quantitative research was conducted by posting online

6 surveys on prominent online esports community websites such as Inven, which is based in Korea, and Reddit, an American discussion website which consists of users of diverse nationalities, after gaining acceptance from the moderators. The qualitative part of the research utilized interviews with prominent esports casters and journalists, Wolf Schröder, Harsha Bandi and Josh Wilkinson. The quantitative research focused mainly on the difference between online users accessibility to esports around the world. Both surveys were online-based surveys produced using Google Forms and focused on accessibility of esports. Most of the questions were in the form of multiple-choice and short-answer. The surveys were distributed through Inven, Reddit and various SNS sites such as KakaoTalk and Facebook. With most of the participants from countries other than South Korea, the only way to efficiently hand out surveys was online. The qualitative research was through interviews as mentioned before. The interviewees are all currently actively involved in the esports industry and possess keen knowledge of how the esports industry has evolved over the years both in Korea and the non-korean part of the world. The researchers retained objectivity and impartiality throughout the whole research. The research was conducted with a mixed method. IV. Analysis 1) Survey The surveys were conducted in a non-compulsive manner and the questions were formulated without bias. The survey was completely voluntary and the participants were aware that their anonymity would be assured. The method for the questionnaire was non-probabilistic sampling, and two surveys were distributed in order to compare the perspectives of Korean and international users. The Korean survey was given out on Inven, the most popular Korean gaming forum website. This survey was in Korean. The

7 international survey was given out on Reddit, a popular American online forum website with a significant international gaming community. Many of the respondents were from western countries such as the United States, Canada and various European nations. Most questions were the same for both communities, with some questions customized to suit the different backgrounds of each community. A total of 118 people participated in the Korean survey, and a total of 1,454 people participated in the international survey. Nationality (International Survey) The charts show the nationalities of those who participated in the international survey, by number and percentage respectively. Most of the respondents were from the United States (n=524), followed by Canada (n=112) and the United Kingdom (n=98).

8 Table 1: Consumer Preference towards Game Types Korea Global FPS (First Person Shooter) 56 ( 47.5 % ) 1,331 ( 91.5 % ) RPG (Role Playing Game) 48 ( 40.7 % ) 886 ( 60.9 % ) MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) 66 ( 55.9 % ) 409 ( 28.1 % ) RTS (Real Time Strategy) 44 ( 37.3 % ) 497 ( 34.2 % ) TCG & CCG (Trading Card Game & Collectible Card Game) 20 ( 16.9 % ) 269 ( 18.5 % ) Fighting Games 7 ( 5.9 % ) 222 ( 15.3 % ) Others 11 ( 9.3 % ) 195 ( 13.4 % ) As seen from table 1, the first comparison revealed the difference in game genre preference among users from Korea and the west. This question was designed as multiple-choice since participants may have more than one favorite genre. In terms of preference, Koreans favored MOBA games (55.9%) the most while international participants preferred FPS games (91.5%) the most. The result was expected, as Koreans have historically shown success in League of Legends while international gamers, predominantly from the West, have shown competency in FPS games such as Counter-Strike and Call of Duty. The least preferred genre among both Koreans and international gamers was fighting games, scoring 5.9% and 15.3% respectively. Table 2: Reasons for the Preference of Chat Service in Stream Platforms Korea Global To converse with the streamer 37 (55.2%) 482 (61.5%) Make jokes/memes throughout chat 43 (64.2%) 593 (75.6%) To inform people 16 (23.9%) 393 (50.1%) To ask questions to the streamer or viewers 32 (47.8%) 503 (64.2%) All of the above 0 (0%) 11 (1.4%)

9 Other 4 (6%) 48 (4.8%) Table 2 showed how esports viewers use the chat service on streaming platforms. When it comes to accessibility in esports, a crucial part is the communication between the gamer/streamer and the audience. Unlike traditional physical sports where fans cannot communicate freely with the players outside the games, esports fans have the privilege of being able to talk to their favorite players directly in a convenient way. The findings confirm that Korean respondents mostly use chat to make jokes/memes (64.2%) and also to converse with the streamer (55.2%). Results were a little different for international viewers, as they mainly used chat to make jokes/memes (75.6%) and to ask questions to the streamers or viewers (64.2%). As attested by table 2, viewers do use chat to get closer to their favorite players and streamers, but they enjoy making jokes/memes even more than communicating with the streamer. This outcome is parallel to the argument spoken by Wolf Schröder, who has stated in the interview that streaming platforms such as Twitch, have its own unique culture based around its chat service. People will post memes and trending terms such as PogChamp or monkas to have fun and achieve satisfaction from the action. It is a way to appeal to not only people using chat but also the gamer/streamers themselves. Table 3: The Time Required to Travel to the Nearest esports Stadium Global Less than 1 hour 45 (13.8%) 1~2 hours 47 (14.4%) 3~4 hours 29 (8.9%) 4~5 hours 22 (6.7%) More than 6 hours 111 (34%) Other 72 (22.2%) Korean Less than 1 hour 5 (19.2%)

10 1~2 hours 12 (46.1%) 3~4 hours 1 (3.8%) 4 hours or more 8 (30.8%) Due to the different measurements used for each survey considering the geological factors, the statistics has been divided into two separate charts. When it comes down to the number of hours it takes to get to the nearest esports stadium, Koreans in general took less time than the non-koreans. Of course, due to Korea s smaller land mass compared to the United States and Europe, most Korean respondents would not take any more than 4 hours to get to an esports stadium. As evident in the table, a high percentage of Korean fans (46.1%) required only 1~2 hours to travel, whereas a significantly lower percentage (14.4%) of Western fans required 1~2 hours to travel. Korea s small geography and well developed public transportation would inevitably make traveling easier. On the other hand, fans in the Americas and Europe would take much longer than Koreans because of the nation size and borders, even when using faster transportation methods such as an airplane. Table 4: Streamers Participating in esports Events Global None 641 (44.1%) (13.7%) (16.3%) 3 74 (5.1%) 4 or more 303 (20.8%) There are some unique factors which contribute to the growth of Korean esports compared to the West. Table 5 attested to how unlike Korean esports where large and small casual streamers participate actively in the development of esports directly by hosting various tournaments, the west does not witness such events. A high percentage of participants replied that no streamers in their region get involved in esports (44.1%), and only a relatively

11 small portion have 4 or more streamers take part in the esports community (20.8%). It is probable that the early streaming culture combined with fast exposure in Korea which began in the 2000s brought about a different kind of culture which involved famous streamers, which will be further explored in the interview with Wolf Schröder. Table 5: Government Commitment in Advocating esports Global None 833 (57.3%) Seldom Committed 489 (33.6%) Committed 112 (7.7%) Very Committed 20 (1.4%) The Korean government s esports advocacy is very well known, but the opposite seems to have shown up regarding the global audience. 57.3% (n=833) have answered that their government is not committed at all and 33.6% (n=489) have answered that their government is only seldom committed in supporting esports. Korea is already known for the administrative support of esports through the activities of Korean esports Association (KeSPA), which is part of the Korean Olympic Committee created to manage esports in South Korea. Table 6: esports Availability though Cable TV esports Availability in One s Region Global Yes 559 (38.4%) No 895 (61.6%) Out of 1354 respondents in the international survey, 61.6% of respondents (n=895) responded that esports is not available on cable TV in their region. On the other hand, 38.4% (n=559) of respondents have responded that esports is available on cable TV in their region. Compared to Korea where esports is part of the mainstream culture and has dedicated channels, esports is not as popular in other parts of the world. As attested by the table,

12 respondents from other parts of the world have significantly less accessibility compared to respondents from Korea who can access esports whenever and wherever they want to. Table 7: Frequency of Watching esports through TV How Often Does One Watch esports on TV Global None 501 (89.6%) 1 Time a Week 42 (7.5%) 2 Times a Week 7 (1.3%) 3 Times a Week 5 (0.9%) 4 Times a Week 1 (0.2%) 5 Times or More 3 (0.5%) As shown in the previous table, most global respondents do not watch esports regularly on TV. 89.6% (n=501) of respondents have answered that they do not watch esports on TV at all, while only 7.5% (n=42) of respondents answered that they watch esports 1 time a week. In other words, a vast majority of non-korean esports fans do not watch esports on TV even if it might be available to them. Table 8: Most Watched esports Channel Which esports Channel? Global None 968 (66.6%) OGN 246 (16.9%) ESL 180 (12.4%) TBS 85 (5.8%) Ginx TV 11 (0.8%) ESPN 7 (0.5%) PlayOverwatch 4 (0.3%) Disney XD 3 (0.2%) Blizzard 3 (0.2%)

13 Other 106 (7.3%) Of all respondents, 66.6% (n=968) did not watch esports on TV. Among the rest, 16.9% (n=246) of respondents watched OGN the most, then ESL by 12.4% (n=180). OGN, a Korean esports channel, is well renowned among all esports fans for its excellent production value including superb casting, competition storylines and in-game-observers. OGN provides accessibility to many popular games through different streaming channels, which may be why it is famous among global respondents who watch esports on TV. Table 9: Reason for Feeling Close to esports Korea Global Accessibility 27 (27%) 15 (1.5%) Love of esports/gaming 25 (25%) 13 (1.3%) Communication/Bond with Players and esports 23 (23%) 33 (3.3%) Easiness of playing the game 7 (7%) 6 (0.6%) Other 18 (18%) 944 (93.3%) For this questionnaire which was optional, most participants in the global survey either posted unrelated answers or did not answer at all, which was categorized into 'Other'. As shown by table 10, most respondents answered that the easy accessibility of esports has made it feel closer to them than traditional physical sports. For Korean respondents, 27% (n=27) of respondents answered that accessibility was the main factor. For global respondents, 1.5% (n=15) of respondents answered that way. 2) Interviews the following: Interviewees were selected based on their expertise and experience. They consisted of

14 Wolf Schröder, who is an American esports caster living in Korea who has casted Starcraft 2, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch and Playerunknown s Battlegrounds (PUBG) in both Korea and abroad. His extensive experience in casting these games contributed to his knowledge of how esports popularity had evolved both in Korea and in the West. Harsha Bandi, who is an Overwatch analyst and currently a coaching member for the Overwatch League team San Francisco Shock. He provided insight into the most trending esport in 2018 and how its structure interacts with the community along with Sideshow Gaming. Josh Wilkinson, aka Sideshow who is an Australian esports journalist who has been a Team Fortress esports analyst and currently an Overwatch League caster. The interview was centered on Wolf Schröder, who is one of the most knowledgeable people in the history of global esports in different scenes backed up by his 10-year experience in the field. Additional interviews from Harsha Bandi and Josh Wilkinson provided information on the future prospects of esports with Overwatch League as the primary example. Data collected from the interviews can be organized into the following: Earliness, Accessibility, and Fan culture. Earliness here refers to how an esports scene was first exposed in a particular region which led to its gradual expansion and development. South Korea has had enormous success in the esports scene mostly because of the nations' early exposure to the internet culture following the IMF Crisis in 1997 and governmental policies supporting high speed network technology. The early dissemination of the internet led to a unique PC Bang culture where teenagers and adults visit a seperate computer cafe to enjoy playing online games together with their acquaintances. Unlike typical stereotypes where people argue that games hinder communication and social life, PC Bangs acted as a place of connections and relationships for Koreans. This became the background for the Starcraft esports scene which became the topic of conversation for all people. The vibrant community eventually led to investment and sponsorship from major

15 Korean firms such as SK Telecom in the 2000s which allowed esports to be treated in a similar way as traditional sports through the media. Wolf Schröder explained how early sponsors have a major impact on the maintenance of fandom and community, especially when the esports scene shifts from one to another. "I think that a lot of the old fans latched onto two things. One, players thought they were very good and could relate to, maybe their personalities in interviews, or their playstyle they attached to the teams themselves right? You have big sponsor teams like SKT, KT, and Samsung. I ve discussed this with my peers, I think a lot of people really strongly feel that one of the reasons fans attached to teams back in the old times was because everyone knows SKT right? Everyone knows KT. Huge telecom companies everyone knows. Samsung, CJ and when you re thinking this esports thing is getting bigger, they saw those teams, and they were like 'this is really happening, these are real sponsors, Shinhan is sponsoring this tournament'. The thing that I like, maybe my friends think is weird, is actually a big thing now. There s money in it, these are big sponsors, this is legitimate now. And I think that those fans latched onto those teams/players, and then when Starcraft 2 came out, those players and sponsors didn t go, so the new fans were on their separate starting point, and when the Brood War fans joined, they started watching Starcraft 2 when those teams came over and they were attached those teams and names. It was those attachment to those old players that really drew the crowds. You can also see this with the Lunatic-Hai fans for the squad in PUBG." (Schröder) In other words, the standard for the fans' transition to different games depends on their affection towards the initial players and sponsors. Thus the early start of this trend for Korea and the popularization of esports through the mass media proved to be extremely beneficial to its success and growth in esports. As seen in Table 6, esports in the west is still not a mainstream culture and only available online for most regions, with sponsorships from large companies being a recent activity. Harsha and Josh argues on how the most recent major esports, Overwatch League, is the perfect example of esports successfully integrating into mainstream culture in the west.

16 " I think that immediately tapping into the entire pool of players was a really big deal from a (Blizzard) marketing standpoint, and when you see ads on YouTube, Snapchat, Google, and even TV, it s very clear that a lot of money was poured into marketing this game. I would have guessed that geolocation wouldn t play a large role earlier, but I ll have to rescind that sentiment after seeing the results of watch parties and the general feeling on social media. It seems that for all that they were criticized in attempting, Blizzard was able to do fairly well in their plans by using a regular broadcast schedule, creating natural affinities, drawing from the mainstream audience at the right time, and marketing effectively. Even if you were a diehard hater of Overwatch, you still probably tuned in for opening week just to scope out the scene." ( Bandi) We have seen the power of Blizzard's marketing with regards to the launch of the game, and with the introduction of powerhouse franchise owners for the Overwatch League this marketing power has increased massively. Not only have they been successful enough internally to sell this idea to enormous companies and investors, they now have their tools to push the OWL out to the masses. (Wilkinson) When the earlier esports scene is run by local communities and the players' image maintained by fans, it is not able to avoid the limitations of not having a sustainable structure for the environment in the long run. The League of Legends esports scene became the springboard for the popularization of esports, and the Overwatch League managed by Blizzard Entertainment aims to take one step further by implementing the concept of geolocation, which was a method used in traditional sports such as soccer. Geolocation seems to be the key idea for the next stage of esports. As seen in Table 3, it is inevitable that unlike Korea global fans have a difficulty gaining access to esports stadiums due to the large landmass. The U.S and Europe respondents in particular have stated that the process of visiting an esports stadium from one's home is very vexing and troublesome with the exception of some states. An attempt to solve this issue and make esports directly available to all regions being made by Blizzard Entertainment to create a regional fanbase just like renowned traditional sports teams have been doing for decades. In Overwatch League, teams no longer bear the names of their sponsors such as KT Rolster and

17 Samsung Galaxy. While they still have major sponsors their names are combined with cities, such as London Spitfire and Shanghai Dragons. As a result, esports stadiums sponsored by conglomerates catering to specific regions, coupled with the development of local fan base is stated to make offline accessibility more feasible. "I think in the West, there are obviously challenges to having consistent offline tournaments. There are 50 states in the US, I don t even know how many countries in Europe. Haha. Wherever you are, it s tough to have a central location without people having to fly all the way. That s why you have weekend tournaments. At least on the weekend everyone s in one place. I think that to me, I don t like online tournaments personally there s that lack of fan interaction." (Schröder) "Geolocation sounds like an idea that only very casual people would get behind but that's exactly why it works so well. Casual game viewers are familiar with traditional sports and have no idea how esports has historically functioned. They make the perfect bait for local marketing campaigns of teams." (Wilkinson) Korea's success at esports is also greatly attributed to the early streaming culture which guaranteed constant accessibility to pros even when he/she was not participating in a tournament. Online accessibility is global today because of the development of Twitch, but western fans had no regular access to players back in the 2000s except Korea, which already had its own unique streaming platform called Afreeca TV, which famous pro gamers used to actively communicate with the fans in their everyday life. "If you re a fan of a Brood War player, because Brood War was huge on Afreeca, they lose in the tournament, they do a small interview afterwards, you think that s it, we won t see him for 3 months. But when you return home he streams and then he talks for about 1 hour without playing the game about what he felt about the game, you can learn so much. I think that the fact that everyone was able to personally broadcast their personal feelings to everybody was huge. Because no one s gonna be like, all right, I lost today, meet me at this coffee shop, how s the microphone? Let me tell you how I felt about that last

18 game. The fact that they can just go home and press a live button and broadcast to the world has definitely had a huge impact." (Schröder) The idea of streaming post-match became a very strong marketing strategy in Korea which led to the creation of player personalities, something that is not witnessed in traditional sports. And after Twitch was created, streaming games became a global phenomenon, for both casual and professional gamers. People finally attained a way to enjoy esports from a single mainstream source, and this led to the dramatic development of esports in the west in the 2010s. "Twitch made esports mainstream in a way. Because when you, in the past before Twitch, you would have to kind of, a lot of esports would not be broadcast and you would have to go to watch it or listen to radio broadcasts. Or somebody would post on the forums, he s there and everyone s like what s happening and everyone s pressing F5, and he s like he just built a hatchery. He s doing this and you re like refresh and refresh and don t know what s happening. But Twitch in a way is a channel that anyone can access and is mainstream. Anyone in the world with Internet can type Twitch.TV and browse and every game and channel is there. Afreeca existed before but only in Korea and difficult to access for the West. Twitch made esports globally accessible, live to anyone who had internet connection at any time. That s something even YouTube could not do because not all the footage was there." (Schröder) One of the unique features of streaming that brings people closer to professional players is chat. According to Table 2, most fans used chat while watching the streams to either have a conversation with the streamer or make jokes/memes through chat that could be shared with the rest of the viewers. Twitch was able to outrun its competitors by creating an innovative chat system where people could express their emotions by posting picture--like emotes such as PogChamp which they were already familiar with. "A lot of streaming clones after Twitch, like Hitbox TV, Zooboo saw the money of Twitch and were like we could do the same thing we could do better quality and people will like us. What people miss is that Twitch is actually a culture. You can t create that culture. It was built over time because it was the first one. Twitch has a great interface and Twitch chat language is now part of everyday language." (Schröder)

19 " Twitch provides a distribution network that viewers are already using to check for ongoing esports games and entertainment in general. The quirks of the platform such as the Twitch chat with its unique emotes are desired by users because they are familiar with them. Even when competitors offer superior services, for example a higher quality in terms of both bitrate and FPS which makes Overwatch far easier to watch on the official website, viewers still massively use Twitch both out of habit (and a desire for familiarity)" (Wilkinson) When the esports scene had to maintain its structure on its own without major sponsors in Korea, streamers played a pivotal role in the development of the community that circulated the gaming culture, by hosting minor tournaments and running their own fanbase. Allowing third parties to continuously run tournaments provided various opportunities to many which spurred the growth of the esports scene. "It is important for streamers to exist in esports because it gives amateurs an opportunity to train and practice and make money. It also helps casters and content creators during the down time between tournaments and build their own brand. A lot of casters who host big tournaments today got known because they made these mini tournaments. I myself made a tournament called Open Wolf Cup back in 2010 during Starcraft 2 beta to give players an opportunity to play the game because I wanted to be a caster and I was like I wanna run a tournament, I ll invite these players. I invited some Pros or otherwise it was open. I got practice in commentating, I got to practice learning how to run a tournament and all the challenges behind that. Learn the strategies and stuff like that. That led me to getting more casting jobs, and eventually coming to Korea to cast Starcraft 2. I kind of ran one of these tournaments during the downtime and that s how I ended up being here in the first place. " (Schröder) Meanwhile, as seen in Table 4, influx into the esports scene is still relatively limited in the west because of lack of streamer participation which prevents additional newcomers from joining the fanbase. Thus the unique trait of personal connection between the casual

20 gamers and the pro players that made esports popular wasn't properly established in the 2000s. V. Conclusion Understanding Korean esports in the general is one of the most effective ways in how the new generation communicates in the digital world. Everything about esports culture is shared and distributed online, and studying the accessibility it provides to consumers helps people understand the general behavior of esports fans, which display a completely different pattern compared to traditional sports consumers. The increased accessibility has allowed the younger generation to enjoy esports anytime and anywhere through streaming. Its ever-increasing presence has changed the way sports is enjoyed by the many and will continue its influence into the future. However, despite the ubiquitous nature of streaming culture, parents still do not understand communication in streaming and how it leads to high revenue. The generation gap is caused by stereotypes and negative views of esports. Therefore, they cannot yet empathize with the younger audience in terms of accepting esports as an actual competitive sport. South Korea, even as the chief pioneer of esports, still continues to struggle with this very problem. However, the country has demonstrated that esports can become mainstream and has proven so through the efforts of KeSPA and the South Korean government s continued advocacy of esports. Furthermore, South Korea s youth market and fan culture possesses massive buying power and influence. It also represents new trends and behaviors that can help interpret the dynamic volatility of the digital market. With such potential, growth is also being witnessed in non-korean regions. The professional training environments, famous sponsors and adequate funding are finally emerging in the western esports scene. Although not having reached the level that Korea is at, the rest of the world will eventually catch up and esports will globally be seen with positivity. Further efforts to adopt esports as both a legitimate academic area and a form of sports will contribute greatly to its development and eventual acceptance among more diverse age groups.

21 VI. Reference Wagner, M.G. (2006). On the Scientific Relevance of esports Jin, D.Y., & Florence, C. Age of New Media Empires. Games and Culture, vol. 3, no. 1, 2008, pp , doi: / Rosell, L.M. ESport Gaming: The Rise of a New Sports Practice. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, vol. 11, no. 4, 2017, pp , doi: / Karhulahti, V.M. Reconsidering Esport: Economics and Executive Ownership. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, vol. 74, no. 1, 2017, doi: /pcssr Hamari, J. & Sjöblom, M. What Is ESports and Why Do People Watch It? Internet Research, vol. 27, no. 2, 2017, pp , doi: /intr Schröder, W. Personal interview. 22 Jan Bandi, H. Personal interview. 23 Jan 2018 Wilkinson, J. Personal interview. 23 Jan 2018