2022
Arjoranta, Jonne; Friman, Usva; Koskimaa, Raine; Mäyrä, Frans; Sotamaa, Olli; Suominen, Jaakko; Välisalo, Tanja; Saarikoski, Petri (Ed.)
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2022
Suomen pelitutkimuksen seura, 2022, ISSN: 1798-355X.
Book Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Äänivaikutelmat, Ääniviestimet, Digitaaliset pelit, E-urheilu, FPS-pelit, Hybridileikki, Hyvinvointi, Identiteetti, Ikärajaluokitukset, Kirjat, Kuvaleikki, Leluleikki, Muistokirjoitukset, Nallehaaste, Nuoret, Nykyuskonnollisuus, Overwatch, Pehmolelut, Pelien sääntely, Pelikäytös, Pelikohu, Pelikulttuuri, Pelikulttuurinen toimijuus, Pelit, Rahapelaaminen, Sananvapaus, Sukupuoli, Sukupuolivähemmistöt, Syrjintä, Trash talk, Verkkopelaaminen, Videopelaaminen, Viestintäkäyttäytyminen
@book{Arjoranta2022c,
title = {Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2022},
editor = {Jonne Arjoranta and Usva Friman and Raine Koskimaa and Frans Mäyrä and Olli Sotamaa and Jaakko Suominen and Tanja Välisalo and Petri Saarikoski},
url = {https://pelitutkimus.journal.fi/issue/view/8827},
issn = {1798-355X},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-19},
urldate = {2022-12-19},
publisher = {Suomen pelitutkimuksen seura},
abstract = {Kirja sisältää neljä vertaisarvioitua artikkelia:
Äänivaikutelmat ja sukupuolen moninaisuus FPS-pelien ääniviestimissä (Vilppu Järvinen, Pekka Isotalus)
Pelit, sananvapaus ja sääntely (Riku Neuvonen)
Sanailua, suunsoittoa ja syrjintää: Nuorten kokemuksia pelikäytöksestä (Mikko Meriläinen, Maria Ruotsalainen)
Nallehaaste sosiaalisen hyvinvoinnin ja leikillisen resilienssin rakentajana: Tutkimus pandemianaikaisesta pehmoleluleikistä Suomessa (Katriina Heljakka)
Vuosikirjassa on myös arviot kirjoista Grimmin saduista Controliin – Esseitä pelien ja kirjallisuuden rajalta ja Pelit kulttuurina sekä kuusi lektiota.
Kirjan lopettaa kaksi muistokirjoitusta, Richard D. DukellTero Pasaselle.},
keywords = {Äänivaikutelmat, Ääniviestimet, Digitaaliset pelit, E-urheilu, FPS-pelit, Hybridileikki, Hyvinvointi, Identiteetti, Ikärajaluokitukset, Kirjat, Kuvaleikki, Leluleikki, Muistokirjoitukset, Nallehaaste, Nuoret, Nykyuskonnollisuus, Overwatch, Pehmolelut, Pelien sääntely, Pelikäytös, Pelikohu, Pelikulttuuri, Pelikulttuurinen toimijuus, Pelit, Rahapelaaminen, Sananvapaus, Sukupuoli, Sukupuolivähemmistöt, Syrjintä, Trash talk, Verkkopelaaminen, Videopelaaminen, Viestintäkäyttäytyminen},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
Kirja sisältää neljä vertaisarvioitua artikkelia:
Äänivaikutelmat ja sukupuolen moninaisuus FPS-pelien ääniviestimissä (Vilppu Järvinen, Pekka Isotalus)
Pelit, sananvapaus ja sääntely (Riku Neuvonen)
Sanailua, suunsoittoa ja syrjintää: Nuorten kokemuksia pelikäytöksestä (Mikko Meriläinen, Maria Ruotsalainen)
Nallehaaste sosiaalisen hyvinvoinnin ja leikillisen resilienssin rakentajana: Tutkimus pandemianaikaisesta pehmoleluleikistä Suomessa (Katriina Heljakka)
Vuosikirjassa on myös arviot kirjoista Grimmin saduista Controliin – Esseitä pelien ja kirjallisuuden rajalta ja Pelit kulttuurina sekä kuusi lektiota.
Kirjan lopettaa kaksi muistokirjoitusta, Richard D. DukellTero Pasaselle.
Äänivaikutelmat ja sukupuolen moninaisuus FPS-pelien ääniviestimissä (Vilppu Järvinen, Pekka Isotalus)
Pelit, sananvapaus ja sääntely (Riku Neuvonen)
Sanailua, suunsoittoa ja syrjintää: Nuorten kokemuksia pelikäytöksestä (Mikko Meriläinen, Maria Ruotsalainen)
Nallehaaste sosiaalisen hyvinvoinnin ja leikillisen resilienssin rakentajana: Tutkimus pandemianaikaisesta pehmoleluleikistä Suomessa (Katriina Heljakka)
Vuosikirjassa on myös arviot kirjoista Grimmin saduista Controliin – Esseitä pelien ja kirjallisuuden rajalta ja Pelit kulttuurina sekä kuusi lektiota.
Kirjan lopettaa kaksi muistokirjoitusta, Richard D. DukellTero Pasaselle.
Ruotsalainen, Maria
Overwatch-e-urheilu ja sukupuolen ja kansallisuuden (uudelleen)muotoutumiset
In: Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja, pp. 129–134, Suomen pelitutkimuksen seura, 2022, ISSN: 1798-355X.
Publication for professional or general audience Open access
Links | Tags: E-urheilu, Kansallisuus, Lektio, Overwatch, Sukupuoli, Väitöskirja
@other{Ruotsalainen2022e,
title = {Overwatch-e-urheilu ja sukupuolen ja kansallisuuden (uudelleen)muotoutumiset},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen},
url = {https://pelitutkimus.journal.fi/article/view/122870/75313
http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202301031051},
issn = {1798-355X},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-19},
urldate = {2022-12-19},
booktitle = {Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja},
pages = {129–134},
publisher = {Suomen pelitutkimuksen seura},
keywords = {E-urheilu, Kansallisuus, Lektio, Overwatch, Sukupuoli, Väitöskirja},
pubstate = {published},
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}
Välisalo, Tanja; Ruotsalainen, Maria
In: Game Studies: the international journal of computer game research, vol. 22, iss. 3, 2022, ISSN: 1604-7982.
Journal article Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Belonging, Discourse analysis, Homosexuality, MMO, Overwatch, Representation
@article{Välisalo2022b,
title = {“Sexuality Does Not Belong to the Game”: Discourses in Overwatch Community and the Privilege of Belonging},
author = {Tanja Välisalo and Maria Ruotsalainen},
url = {http://gamestudies.org/2203/articles/valisalo_ruotsalainen},
issn = {1604-7982},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-08-31},
urldate = {2022-08-31},
journal = {Game Studies: the international journal of computer game research},
volume = {22},
issue = {3},
abstract = {Players can experience a sense of belonging to videogames and the transmedial worlds surrounding them. There nevertheless exist ongoing negotiations over who has the right to belong to these spaces. Multiple works addressing related issues have highlighted that white heterosexual men still maintain the position of power in the majority of game communities (e.g., Consalvo, 2012; Paul, 2018). This position can translate into an ease of belonging while others can find themselves struggling for the right to belong.
We examine the transmedial world of Overwatch, an online game, as a place of belonging and non-belonging. Since the game’s launch, two characters have been revealed as queer. In contrast, a third character is considered a gay icon by fans, even though there is no official narrative supporting this. We analyze discussions around these cases using rhetoric-performative discourse analysis (Palonen & Saresma, 2017), an approach originally developed for research of political populism. In addition to similar affective and persuasive rhetoric in both contexts, politics have become an inherent part of online and fan communities (Dean, 2017), making this approach even more apt.
Our analysis makes visible how belonging and non-belonging are constructed in Overwatch communities in relation to gender, sexuality, their intersections and also to identities such as “player” and “fan.” We take into account ongoing design choices in the game’s development and analyze how the complex structures of production and reception interact with these discourses. Discussions analyzed here expand beyond Overwatch, touching upon highly politicized issues of gender and sexuality in games, the right to be represented and the current political climate in Western countries, and reenact divisions present more broadly in media discussions. Our findings also show how characters function as a nexus for these political debates and as limits and horizons for belonging.},
keywords = {Belonging, Discourse analysis, Homosexuality, MMO, Overwatch, Representation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Players can experience a sense of belonging to videogames and the transmedial worlds surrounding them. There nevertheless exist ongoing negotiations over who has the right to belong to these spaces. Multiple works addressing related issues have highlighted that white heterosexual men still maintain the position of power in the majority of game communities (e.g., Consalvo, 2012; Paul, 2018). This position can translate into an ease of belonging while others can find themselves struggling for the right to belong.
We examine the transmedial world of Overwatch, an online game, as a place of belonging and non-belonging. Since the game’s launch, two characters have been revealed as queer. In contrast, a third character is considered a gay icon by fans, even though there is no official narrative supporting this. We analyze discussions around these cases using rhetoric-performative discourse analysis (Palonen & Saresma, 2017), an approach originally developed for research of political populism. In addition to similar affective and persuasive rhetoric in both contexts, politics have become an inherent part of online and fan communities (Dean, 2017), making this approach even more apt.
Our analysis makes visible how belonging and non-belonging are constructed in Overwatch communities in relation to gender, sexuality, their intersections and also to identities such as “player” and “fan.” We take into account ongoing design choices in the game’s development and analyze how the complex structures of production and reception interact with these discourses. Discussions analyzed here expand beyond Overwatch, touching upon highly politicized issues of gender and sexuality in games, the right to be represented and the current political climate in Western countries, and reenact divisions present more broadly in media discussions. Our findings also show how characters function as a nexus for these political debates and as limits and horizons for belonging.
We examine the transmedial world of Overwatch, an online game, as a place of belonging and non-belonging. Since the game’s launch, two characters have been revealed as queer. In contrast, a third character is considered a gay icon by fans, even though there is no official narrative supporting this. We analyze discussions around these cases using rhetoric-performative discourse analysis (Palonen & Saresma, 2017), an approach originally developed for research of political populism. In addition to similar affective and persuasive rhetoric in both contexts, politics have become an inherent part of online and fan communities (Dean, 2017), making this approach even more apt.
Our analysis makes visible how belonging and non-belonging are constructed in Overwatch communities in relation to gender, sexuality, their intersections and also to identities such as “player” and “fan.” We take into account ongoing design choices in the game’s development and analyze how the complex structures of production and reception interact with these discourses. Discussions analyzed here expand beyond Overwatch, touching upon highly politicized issues of gender and sexuality in games, the right to be represented and the current political climate in Western countries, and reenact divisions present more broadly in media discussions. Our findings also show how characters function as a nexus for these political debates and as limits and horizons for belonging.
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.)
Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch
Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3030827663.
Book Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch
@book{Ruotsalainen2022,
title = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti
},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
isbn = {978-3030827663},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {This Open Access book provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly developing esport phenomenon by examining one of its contemporary flagship titles, Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016), through three central themes and from a rich variety of research methods and perspectives. As a game with more than 40 million individual players, an annual international World Cup, and a franchised professional league with teams from Canada, China, Europe, South Korea, and the US, Overwatch provides a multifaceted perspective to the cultural, social, and economic topics associated with the development of esports, which has begun to attract attention from both commercial and academic audiences.
A decade ago, it was still somewhat conventional to start a study by writing how “esports is a novel phenomenon.” As today more than a thousand studies have been published on esports, including several books and special issues, the need for more specific case studies keeps increasing. This multidisciplinary and multi-methodological book on Overwatch responds to that need. With 15 authors from various backgrounds, the book provides a far-reaching analysis of Overwatch and its modes of engagement. Ten chapters provide a foundation for understanding how a title like Overwatch operates both as an esport and a more general entertainment product at the same time.},
keywords = {Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
This Open Access book provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly developing esport phenomenon by examining one of its contemporary flagship titles, Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016), through three central themes and from a rich variety of research methods and perspectives. As a game with more than 40 million individual players, an annual international World Cup, and a franchised professional league with teams from Canada, China, Europe, South Korea, and the US, Overwatch provides a multifaceted perspective to the cultural, social, and economic topics associated with the development of esports, which has begun to attract attention from both commercial and academic audiences.
A decade ago, it was still somewhat conventional to start a study by writing how “esports is a novel phenomenon.” As today more than a thousand studies have been published on esports, including several books and special issues, the need for more specific case studies keeps increasing. This multidisciplinary and multi-methodological book on Overwatch responds to that need. With 15 authors from various backgrounds, the book provides a far-reaching analysis of Overwatch and its modes of engagement. Ten chapters provide a foundation for understanding how a title like Overwatch operates both as an esport and a more general entertainment product at the same time.
A decade ago, it was still somewhat conventional to start a study by writing how “esports is a novel phenomenon.” As today more than a thousand studies have been published on esports, including several books and special issues, the need for more specific case studies keeps increasing. This multidisciplinary and multi-methodological book on Overwatch responds to that need. With 15 authors from various backgrounds, the book provides a far-reaching analysis of Overwatch and its modes of engagement. Ten chapters provide a foundation for understanding how a title like Overwatch operates both as an esport and a more general entertainment product at the same time.
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
In: Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 1-7, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Links | Tags: Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch
@incollection{Ruotsalainen2022b,
title = {Introduction},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti
},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_1},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {1-7},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
keywords = {Digital culture, Digital media, Electronic sports, Game culture, Game development, Game studies, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Vahlo, Jukka; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 11-30, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Electronic sports, Overwatch, Player profiles
@incollection{Vahlo2022,
title = {Two Overwatch Player Profiles},
author = {Jukka Vahlo and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {11-30},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {What are Overwatch players like? The goal of this chapter is to map out surface characteristics of those who play Overwatch in order to better understand the game and its players’ roles in the larger context of esports play and players. To do this, we employ relatively large-scale esports survey data and carry out game-specific cluster analysis: the surveyed players are divided into groups, which are identified based on the players’ gaming habits. Ultimately, our study will identify six esports player clusters, two of which include distinct Overwatch players. By comparing these two Overwatch player clusters with each other as well as with other esports player clusters, this chapter sets hypotheses that help interpreting the rest of this book’s chapters and, we hope, also the accumulating and diversifying literature on esports players more widely.},
keywords = {Electronic sports, Overwatch, Player profiles},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
What are Overwatch players like? The goal of this chapter is to map out surface characteristics of those who play Overwatch in order to better understand the game and its players’ roles in the larger context of esports play and players. To do this, we employ relatively large-scale esports survey data and carry out game-specific cluster analysis: the surveyed players are divided into groups, which are identified based on the players’ gaming habits. Ultimately, our study will identify six esports player clusters, two of which include distinct Overwatch players. By comparing these two Overwatch player clusters with each other as well as with other esports player clusters, this chapter sets hypotheses that help interpreting the rest of this book’s chapters and, we hope, also the accumulating and diversifying literature on esports players more widely.
Blom, Joleen
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 49-66, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Author, Game characters, Implied player, Overwatch, Participatory culture, Reader-response criticism, Transmedia
@incollection{Blom2022,
title = {The Player’s Interpretative Agency and the Developer’s Disruptive Powers: How Blizzard Enforces Authorial Intention in Overwatch},
author = {Joleen Blom},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_4},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {49-66},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {With the overhaul of Mercy, one of Overwatch’s healer characters, in August 2017, Blizzard Entertainment changed the healer’s ultimate ability to resurrect all allies at once to one where her abilities were only amplified in order to prevent Mercy players to hide until her ability was ready to be used. This change to the hero caused the player to not only adjust to how they engage with Mercy inside the Overwatch game, but also influenced how they perceive her as a fictional being—as a character, that is. According to Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (2019), in our participatory culture of the digital age, the meaning of media works is constantly negotiated as more people participate in writing, reading, playing, and watching different media for work and leisure. The players of games, like anyone who engages with media content, do not simply consume, but take an active part in the construction of the game to create their own unique version of the work (Mortensen 2003). However, more than ever before, games require constant internet connection to be played, which grants developers, such as Blizzard Entertainment, the possibility to alter their content rapidly and frequently based on fluctuating financial and other strategic needs. Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016b) represents one such product: being systematically altered by Blizzard Entertainment so that the players’ interpretative agency over their meaning-making— how they make sense of the game and play it—is heavily subjected to the developer’s evolving authorial intentions.},
keywords = {Author, Game characters, Implied player, Overwatch, Participatory culture, Reader-response criticism, Transmedia},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
With the overhaul of Mercy, one of Overwatch’s healer characters, in August 2017, Blizzard Entertainment changed the healer’s ultimate ability to resurrect all allies at once to one where her abilities were only amplified in order to prevent Mercy players to hide until her ability was ready to be used. This change to the hero caused the player to not only adjust to how they engage with Mercy inside the Overwatch game, but also influenced how they perceive her as a fictional being—as a character, that is. According to Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (2019), in our participatory culture of the digital age, the meaning of media works is constantly negotiated as more people participate in writing, reading, playing, and watching different media for work and leisure. The players of games, like anyone who engages with media content, do not simply consume, but take an active part in the construction of the game to create their own unique version of the work (Mortensen 2003). However, more than ever before, games require constant internet connection to be played, which grants developers, such as Blizzard Entertainment, the possibility to alter their content rapidly and frequently based on fluctuating financial and other strategic needs. Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016b) represents one such product: being systematically altered by Blizzard Entertainment so that the players’ interpretative agency over their meaning-making— how they make sense of the game and play it—is heavily subjected to the developer’s evolving authorial intentions.
Välisalo, Tanja; Ruotsalainen, Maria
Player Reception of Change and Stability in Character Mechanics
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 67-86, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Close reading, Game characters, Overwatch, Transmedia
@incollection{Välisalo2022,
title = {Player Reception of Change and Stability in Character Mechanics},
author = {Tanja Välisalo and Maria Ruotsalainen},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_5},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {67-86},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {Change is a constant element of online games, and Overwatch as well as its playable characters have been through multiple changes since the launch of the game in 2016. In this chapter, we examine the relationships players have with the playable characters of Overwatch and specifically the role that character mechanics have in these relationships. Changes to game characters are a topic of avid discussion in Overwatch communities and evoke articulations of the meaning of game characters for the players.},
keywords = {Close reading, Game characters, Overwatch, Transmedia},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Change is a constant element of online games, and Overwatch as well as its playable characters have been through multiple changes since the launch of the game in 2016. In this chapter, we examine the relationships players have with the playable characters of Overwatch and specifically the role that character mechanics have in these relationships. Changes to game characters are a topic of avid discussion in Overwatch communities and evoke articulations of the meaning of game characters for the players.
Macey, Joseph; Bujić, Mila
The Talk of the Town: Community Perspectives on Loot Boxes
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 199-223, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Content analysis, Convergence, Gambling, Legal, Loot boxes, Overwatch
@incollection{Macey2022,
title = {The Talk of the Town: Community Perspectives on Loot Boxes},
author = {Joseph Macey and Mila Bujić
},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_11},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
urldate = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {199-223},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {Loot boxes are a common monetization mechanic in the contemporary games industry. However, an increasing number of regulatory bodies have been investigating loot boxes, with several having concluded that they constitute gambling. There is, however, a lack of consensus, with some authorities concentrating on the way loot boxes are obtained, while others consider the value of their contents. Overwatch is particularly affected by this disparity as it remains legal in some jurisdictions but not in others. In order to understand the role and function of loot boxes, an expert analysis must be complemented with consumer voices. This chapter utilizes content analysis to investigate discussions of loot boxes in Overwatch fan communities, identifying several prominent themes: monetization, effects, contents, gambling, regulation, alternatives, and their specifics in Overwatch.},
keywords = {Content analysis, Convergence, Gambling, Legal, Loot boxes, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Loot boxes are a common monetization mechanic in the contemporary games industry. However, an increasing number of regulatory bodies have been investigating loot boxes, with several having concluded that they constitute gambling. There is, however, a lack of consensus, with some authorities concentrating on the way loot boxes are obtained, while others consider the value of their contents. Overwatch is particularly affected by this disparity as it remains legal in some jurisdictions but not in others. In order to understand the role and function of loot boxes, an expert analysis must be complemented with consumer voices. This chapter utilizes content analysis to investigate discussions of loot boxes in Overwatch fan communities, identifying several prominent themes: monetization, effects, contents, gambling, regulation, alternatives, and their specifics in Overwatch.
Siitonen, Marko; Ruotsalainen, Maria
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 89-112, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Discourse analysis, Nationalism, Overwatch, Overwatch World Cup, Positioning, Spectatorship
@incollection{Siitonen2022,
title = {“KKona where’s your sense of patriotism?”: Positioning Nationality in the Spectatorship of Competitive Overwatch Play},
author = {Marko Siitonen and Maria Ruotsalainen},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_6},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {89-112},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {This chapter analyzes the discursive construction of nationality and ethnicity in the context of the Overwatch World Cup 2019 and especially among the discussions of the world cup’s spectators on the live-streaming platform Twitch. Drawing on the positioning theory and the concept of banal nationalism, our study demonstrates how esports fans are active negotiators and co-creators of the esports discourse. The analysis illustrates what kind of role nationality and ethnicity take in this environment, in other words what they come to mean for those participating in the discourses defining them.
},
keywords = {Discourse analysis, Nationalism, Overwatch, Overwatch World Cup, Positioning, Spectatorship},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
This chapter analyzes the discursive construction of nationality and ethnicity in the context of the Overwatch World Cup 2019 and especially among the discussions of the world cup’s spectators on the live-streaming platform Twitch. Drawing on the positioning theory and the concept of banal nationalism, our study demonstrates how esports fans are active negotiators and co-creators of the esports discourse. The analysis illustrates what kind of role nationality and ethnicity take in this environment, in other words what they come to mean for those participating in the discourses defining them.
Friman, Usva; Ruotsalainen, Maria
Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 135-154, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Community, Competitive gaming, Gender, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy, Women
@incollection{Friman2022,
title = {Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”},
author = {Usva Friman and Maria Ruotsalainen},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_8},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {135-154},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {This chapter examines toxic meritocracy in relation to gender in competitive Overwatch, asking how gender affects a player’s opportunities for engagement in that scene. It analyzes online news stories and community discussions concerning “Ellie” – a fabricated competitive woman gamer created as a “social experiment” by a man player. The confluences between gender and toxic meritocracy become visible in the assumption there must be an experienced man gamer behind the battletag, the gender-based harassment targeted at Ellie, and the reflections on the importance of setting an example as the first team taking a woman player for Contenders. The analysis shows that despite a strong belief in meritocracy upheld within the community, there are many barriers limiting the participation of those entering competitive Overwatch as women.},
keywords = {Community, Competitive gaming, Gender, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy, Women},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
This chapter examines toxic meritocracy in relation to gender in competitive Overwatch, asking how gender affects a player’s opportunities for engagement in that scene. It analyzes online news stories and community discussions concerning “Ellie” – a fabricated competitive woman gamer created as a “social experiment” by a man player. The confluences between gender and toxic meritocracy become visible in the assumption there must be an experienced man gamer behind the battletag, the gender-based harassment targeted at Ellie, and the reflections on the importance of setting an example as the first team taking a woman player for Contenders. The analysis shows that despite a strong belief in meritocracy upheld within the community, there are many barriers limiting the participation of those entering competitive Overwatch as women.
Apperley, Thomas H.
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 179-197, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Book chapter Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Gender, Misogyny, NSFW, Overwatch, Pornification, Sexuality
@incollection{Apperley2022,
title = {Overwatch to Oversnatch: The Mutually Reinforcing Gendered Power Relations of Pornography, Streaming, and Esports},
author = {Thomas H. Apperley},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_10},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {179-197},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {This chapter argues that the controversial policing of women’s bodies in esports and livestreaming is reflected in the pornification of Overwatch. This chapter makes three claims. First, mainstream heterosexual Overwatch pornography reinforces the assumed masculinity of esports. Second, the pornographic fantasies depicted reinforce everyday misogynistic attitudes to women in esports. Third, Overwatch porn also provides scope for more inclusive and diverse approaches to sexuality in emerging areas such as cosplay erotica. This chapter provides crucial insight into the porous boundaries between esports, mainstream pornography, and cosplay erotica which highlights how Overwatch pornography reinforces and reflects the discursive formations of heteronormative masculinity and misogyny in esports.
},
keywords = {Gender, Misogyny, NSFW, Overwatch, Pornification, Sexuality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
This chapter argues that the controversial policing of women’s bodies in esports and livestreaming is reflected in the pornification of Overwatch. This chapter makes three claims. First, mainstream heterosexual Overwatch pornography reinforces the assumed masculinity of esports. Second, the pornographic fantasies depicted reinforce everyday misogynistic attitudes to women in esports. Third, Overwatch porn also provides scope for more inclusive and diverse approaches to sexuality in emerging areas such as cosplay erotica. This chapter provides crucial insight into the porous boundaries between esports, mainstream pornography, and cosplay erotica which highlights how Overwatch pornography reinforces and reflects the discursive formations of heteronormative masculinity and misogyny in esports.
2021
Välisalo, Tanja; Ruotsalainen, Maria
Esports Fandom in the Age of Transmedia: The Reception of the Overwatch League
In: Eracle: Journal of Sport and Social Sciences, vol. 4, iss. 1, no. 11-35, 2021, ISSN: 2611-6693.
Journal article Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Esports audiences, Fan studies, Overwatch, Thematic analysis, Transmedia
@article{Välisalo2021b,
title = {Esports Fandom in the Age of Transmedia: The Reception of the Overwatch League},
author = {Tanja Välisalo and Maria Ruotsalainen},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202111295821},
doi = {10.6093/2611-6693/8517},
issn = {2611-6693},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-01},
journal = {Eracle: Journal of Sport and Social Sciences},
volume = {4},
number = {11-35},
issue = {1},
abstract = {In our article, we analyse the ways audiences engage with Overwatch esports and construct their fan relationships. We situate our research into several intersecting theoretical frames. To understand how Overwatch esports audiences engage with the esports through different media and media related practices we apply the framework of transmedia studies in our examination. To better understand how meanings related to esports are constructed through these practices we also draw from research on fandom and fan engagement. We reflect these findings on earlier research on sports fandom and esports viewership, enabling us to identify how Overwatch esports communities relate to traditional sports communities. Our study reveals how esports is intertwined with the everyday lived reality of the esports audiences, and how meanings are constructed through (mediated) audience practices. Our article contributes to the study of esports transmedia and to the understanding of the similarities and differences of esports and sports audiences.},
keywords = {Esports audiences, Fan studies, Overwatch, Thematic analysis, Transmedia},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In our article, we analyse the ways audiences engage with Overwatch esports and construct their fan relationships. We situate our research into several intersecting theoretical frames. To understand how Overwatch esports audiences engage with the esports through different media and media related practices we apply the framework of transmedia studies in our examination. To better understand how meanings related to esports are constructed through these practices we also draw from research on fandom and fan engagement. We reflect these findings on earlier research on sports fandom and esports viewership, enabling us to identify how Overwatch esports communities relate to traditional sports communities. Our study reveals how esports is intertwined with the everyday lived reality of the esports audiences, and how meanings are constructed through (mediated) audience practices. Our article contributes to the study of esports transmedia and to the understanding of the similarities and differences of esports and sports audiences.
2020
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Välisalo, Tanja
"Overwatch Is Anime": Exploring an Alternative Interpretational Framework for Competitive Gaming
In: DiGRA '20 : Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere, DiGRA, 2020, ISSN: 2342-9666.
In proceedings Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Anime, Electronic sports, Elektroninen urheilu, Overwatch
@inproceedings{Ruotsalainen2020,
title = {"Overwatch Is Anime": Exploring an Alternative Interpretational Framework for Competitive Gaming},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Tanja Välisalo},
url = {https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/72290},
issn = {2342-9666},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-02},
booktitle = {DiGRA '20 : Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere},
publisher = {DiGRA},
abstract = {Esports has often been likened and compared to traditional sports. This paper suggests an alternative interpretative framework for competitive gaming by focusing on the team-based first-person shooter game Overwatch. We explore Overwatch esports using multi-sited ethnography and demonstrate how the fans and viewers use a rich spectrum of cultural products to enrich and explain their relationship with esports. In the case of Overwatch, anime is particularly prominent, used not only to enrich and explain, but also to challenge ‘sports normativity’, which is visible in the media discussions on Overwatch as well as in the production choices of the esports tournament organizer. This also has consequences on the norms and the values of the fans and the viewer: for instance, it affects the way masculinity is constructed in the context of competitive Overwatch.},
keywords = {Anime, Electronic sports, Elektroninen urheilu, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Esports has often been likened and compared to traditional sports. This paper suggests an alternative interpretative framework for competitive gaming by focusing on the team-based first-person shooter game Overwatch. We explore Overwatch esports using multi-sited ethnography and demonstrate how the fans and viewers use a rich spectrum of cultural products to enrich and explain their relationship with esports. In the case of Overwatch, anime is particularly prominent, used not only to enrich and explain, but also to challenge ‘sports normativity’, which is visible in the media discussions on Overwatch as well as in the production choices of the esports tournament organizer. This also has consequences on the norms and the values of the fans and the viewer: for instance, it affects the way masculinity is constructed in the context of competitive Overwatch.
Turtiainen, Riikka; Friman, Usva; Ruotsalainen, Maria
In: Games and Culture, vol. 15, iss. 4, pp. 351-371, 2020, ISBN: 1555-4120.
Journal article Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Broadcasting, Electronic sports, FIFA, Overwatch, Sportification
@article{Turtiainen2020,
title = {“Not Only for a Celebration of Competitive Overwatch but Also for National Pride”: Sportificating the Overwatch World Cup 2016},
author = {Riikka Turtiainen and Usva Friman and Maria Ruotsalainen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202106145861},
doi = {doi:10.1177/1555412018795791},
isbn = {1555-4120},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-01},
journal = {Games and Culture},
volume = {15},
issue = {4},
pages = {351-371},
abstract = {While the most popular forms of organized competitive digital gaming, also known as eSports, have begun finding their place within and in relation to both mainstream entertainment culture and the field of traditional sports, their history is one of struggling to be accepted as “true sports.” Partly because of this history, great effort has been put into the sportification of eSports by presenting competitions in familiar ways adapted from traditional sports. In this article, we examine the process of sportification of eSports in the context of tournament broadcasts. We analyze the Overwatch World Cup 2016 tournament, comparing its final broadcast to the 2014 FIFA World Cup’s final broadcast, looking for similarities and differences in the areas of broadcast structure, commentary and expertise, game presentation, game highlights and acknowledgments, teams and players, and audience.},
keywords = {Broadcasting, Electronic sports, FIFA, Overwatch, Sportification},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
While the most popular forms of organized competitive digital gaming, also known as eSports, have begun finding their place within and in relation to both mainstream entertainment culture and the field of traditional sports, their history is one of struggling to be accepted as “true sports.” Partly because of this history, great effort has been put into the sportification of eSports by presenting competitions in familiar ways adapted from traditional sports. In this article, we examine the process of sportification of eSports in the context of tournament broadcasts. We analyze the Overwatch World Cup 2016 tournament, comparing its final broadcast to the 2014 FIFA World Cup’s final broadcast, looking for similarities and differences in the areas of broadcast structure, commentary and expertise, game presentation, game highlights and acknowledgments, teams and players, and audience.
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Välisalo, Tanja
Researching Overwatch and the Benefits of Co-Research
In: Tampere University, 2020.
Publication for professional or general audience Open access
Links | Tags: Co-research, Overwatch
@other{Ruotsalainen2020b,
title = {Researching Overwatch and the Benefits of Co-Research},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Tanja Välisalo},
url = {https://coe-gamecult.org/2020/05/12/researching-overwatch-and-the-benefits-of-co-research/},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-05-12},
journal = {Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies Blog},
publisher = {Tampere University},
keywords = {Co-research, Overwatch},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
2019
Välisalo, Tanja; Ruotsalainen, Maria
"I Never Gave Up": Engagement with Playable Characters and Esports Players of Overwatch
In: FDG '19: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, pp. 1-6, ACM, 2019, ISBN: 9781450372176.
In proceedings Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Electronic sports, Esports players, Fans, Game characters, Overwatch, Reader-response criticism
@inproceedings{Välisalo2019,
title = {"I Never Gave Up": Engagement with Playable Characters and Esports Players of Overwatch},
author = {Tanja Välisalo and Maria Ruotsalainen},
url = {https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/67440},
doi = {10.1145/3337722.3337769},
isbn = {9781450372176},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-26},
booktitle = {FDG '19: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games},
pages = {1-6},
publisher = {ACM},
abstract = {Esports phenomena have grown rapidly in recent years, and so has research on the topic. Some of the research has also addressed esports fandom (see e.g. Taylor 2012). Nevertheless, studies comparing and contrasting how players and fans engage with the game and the esports based on that game are scarce. This study compares and contrasts how players and fans engage with playable game characters and esports players. The paper draws on previous research in fan studies, sports fandom and esports to examine the relationships of players and fans of the videogame Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016) with the fictional heroes of the game as well as with their favorite professional players in the newly started Overwatch League. We analyse how these relationships are articulated by fans and players, and pay attention to emerging similarities and differences.
The findings show that personality is deemed important for engagement with both, game characters and esports players. In addition, gender and sexual orientation emerged as important factors. By contrast, nationality was deemed important for engagement with esports players, but not with player characters. Further research should concentrate on the connections between esports and identity politics, as well as player characters and identity construction.},
keywords = {Electronic sports, Esports players, Fans, Game characters, Overwatch, Reader-response criticism},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Esports phenomena have grown rapidly in recent years, and so has research on the topic. Some of the research has also addressed esports fandom (see e.g. Taylor 2012). Nevertheless, studies comparing and contrasting how players and fans engage with the game and the esports based on that game are scarce. This study compares and contrasts how players and fans engage with playable game characters and esports players. The paper draws on previous research in fan studies, sports fandom and esports to examine the relationships of players and fans of the videogame Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment 2016) with the fictional heroes of the game as well as with their favorite professional players in the newly started Overwatch League. We analyse how these relationships are articulated by fans and players, and pay attention to emerging similarities and differences.
The findings show that personality is deemed important for engagement with both, game characters and esports players. In addition, gender and sexual orientation emerged as important factors. By contrast, nationality was deemed important for engagement with esports players, but not with player characters. Further research should concentrate on the connections between esports and identity politics, as well as player characters and identity construction.
The findings show that personality is deemed important for engagement with both, game characters and esports players. In addition, gender and sexual orientation emerged as important factors. By contrast, nationality was deemed important for engagement with esports players, but not with player characters. Further research should concentrate on the connections between esports and identity politics, as well as player characters and identity construction.
2018
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Friman, Usva
In: DiGRA Nordic '18: Proceedings of 2018 International DiGRA Nordic Conference, 2018.
In proceedings Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Electronic sports, Gender, Hegemonic geek mascunility, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy
@inproceedings{Ruotsalainen2018,
title = {"There Are No Women and They All Play Mercy": Understanding and Explaining (the Lack of) Women’s Presence in Esports and Competitive Gaming},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Usva Friman},
url = {http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/there-are-no-women-and-they-all-play-mercy-understanding-and-explaining-the-lack-of-womens-presence-in-esports-and-competitive-gaming},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-11-01},
urldate = {2018-11-01},
booktitle = {DiGRA Nordic '18: Proceedings of 2018 International DiGRA Nordic Conference},
abstract = {In this paper, we explore women’s participation in esports and competitive gaming. We will analyze two different types of research material: online questionnaire responses by women explaining their reluctance to participate in esports, and online forum discussions regarding women’s participation in competitive Overwatch. We will examine the ways in which women’s participation – its conditions, limits and possibilities – are constructed in the discussions concerning women gamers, how women are negotiating their participation in their own words, and in what ways gender may affect these processes. Our findings support those made in previous studies concerning esports and competitive gaming as fields dominated by toxic meritocracy and hegemonic (geek) masculinity, and based on our analysis, women’s room for participation in competitive gaming is still extremely limited, both in terms of presence and ways of participation.},
keywords = {Electronic sports, Gender, Hegemonic geek mascunility, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In this paper, we explore women’s participation in esports and competitive gaming. We will analyze two different types of research material: online questionnaire responses by women explaining their reluctance to participate in esports, and online forum discussions regarding women’s participation in competitive Overwatch. We will examine the ways in which women’s participation – its conditions, limits and possibilities – are constructed in the discussions concerning women gamers, how women are negotiating their participation in their own words, and in what ways gender may affect these processes. Our findings support those made in previous studies concerning esports and competitive gaming as fields dominated by toxic meritocracy and hegemonic (geek) masculinity, and based on our analysis, women’s room for participation in competitive gaming is still extremely limited, both in terms of presence and ways of participation.