Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Abstract

E-sports have been growing exponentially since the launch of StartCraft in 1998. Their growth was first observed in South Korea, where the national government incorporated it into the cultural mainstream. South Korea established several e-sports competitions, which encouraged the youth’s widespread acceptance of e-sports. The culture quickly spread to other nations, such as neighboring China. With the proliferation of smartphones, consumption of esports increased in countries such as India and Africa – this technology led to the introduction of e-sports in new regions. The Chinese government was also researching 5G to increase the consumption of e-sports in the country, where government policy plays a significant role in such consumption. Accordingly, infrastructure must be constructed to support participation in e-sports. The policies surrounding e-sports are key to its growth and development. Since existing global federations lack control of all e-sports stakeholders, vital regulations that establish and govern a common arena are not followed. This allows large firms to monopolize tournaments and leagues. Consequently, small firms struggle to penetrate the industry. Additionally, sponsors for e-sports events are very challenging for the organizers. This is mainly attributed to the variation in players’ skills and tournament quality. Quality teams and leagues, such as Liquid Team and League of Legends, will attract many sponsors. Like traditional sports, e-sports teams need stadia to increase their revenue collection. They can also establish their own e-games and leagues, thus disrupting the monopoly of the publishers. Furthermore, developing young e-sports talents offers a promising future for e-sports. Organizations such as the North America Scholastic e-sports Federation (NASEF) are key for transforming young talents into pro-gamers. Establishing a single umbrella body for all e-sports activities will offer necessary guidelines on nurturing young talents.

Advisor

Dr. Sungho Cho

Second Reader

Dr. J. Lucy Lee

Semester

Spring

Year

2021

Degree

M.Ed.

Program

Sport Administration

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