How do esports companies support their community’s wellness?

Miah, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0137-674X 2020, 'How do esports companies support their community’s wellness?' , International Journal of Esports, 1 (1) .

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Abstract

Background: With the growing professionalisation of esports, there is greater public scrutiny of the health and wellness of their communities, but no research outlining the approaches taken by esports companies to deploy services and support. Aims: This paper aims to understand the prevalence and effectiveness of wellness initiatives within the esports industry, so as to inform best practice, knowledge of critical concerns, and pathways to greater provision for esports professionals. Methods & Results: The research identified a sample of 70 gaming companies (developers/publishers, game titles, streaming platforms, tournament organizers), based on their prominence within the international gaming industry. Subsequently, it undertook a qualitative analysis of their public, digital assets to identify evidence of policies, programmes, and partnerships that aim to support the wellness of the esports community. Conclusion: There is a varied and fragmented approach to wellness monitoring and support across the esports industry. Mostly, the approach is reactionary, with little evidence of cross-platform conversations on minimal or ideal standards or monitoring processes to determine their effectiveness. The paper argues on behalf of an integrated, in-platform solution, which provides comparability and shared ownership with the healthcare sector.

Item Type:	Article
Schools:	Schools > School of Arts & Media > Arts, Media and Communication Research Centre Schools > School of Computing, Science and Engineering > Salford Innovation Research Centre Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Applied Research in Health, Welfare and Policy
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Esports
Publisher:	IJEsports
Related URLs:	Publication
Depositing User:	Professor Andy Miah
Date Deposited:	06 Oct 2020 07:53
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2022 05:47
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/58476

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