This edited volume explores the various and unique motivations driving the rapidly-growing esports industry, which attracts attention and financial investment from major sponsors, athletic organizations, and entertainment values. Contributors draw on a variety of perspectives and theoretical vantage points to examine the multitude of traditions, cultures, expectations, and rituals that different stakeholders factor into their motivation to play and watch esports. Scholars of media studies,...

Understanding Esports: An Introduction to the Global Phenomenon places professional Esports, a rapidly growing industry, in both the cultural and athletic landscape. This book explores how the rise of professional gaming has shaped—and been shaped by—media trends, interpersonal communication, and what it means to be classified as an athlete. Ryan Rogers has assembled contributors from a variety of backgrounds and experiences in order to provide a broad view of the history, experie...