LO1. Conceptualise a systematic understanding and critical awareness of the structure of the global esports ecosystem.
LO2. Critically analyse the current research in esports to develop insights and interventions relevant for complex and unpredictable contexts.
LO3. Develop a critical and regional understanding of the relationship between players, publishers, and esports organisations.
LO4. Develop written scholarly approaches to explain, debate and research the chosen area of investigation in a clear and consistent format.

Assessment 1: 50%
Video Presentation (10-minutes)
Individual

LO1, LO3
Students will be required to conduct a deep analysis of the esports market and culture in a country or region as determined by the tutor. This analysis will be submitted in an engaging video form and will be presented to the class. The presentations will form a central database for the class to draw upon to use in the final assessment, the critical analysis.

Assessment 2: 50%
Critical Analysis (2,000)
Individual

LO2, LO4
Using a combination of industry reports and academic literature, students will be required to critically analyse one global issue facing the esports sector. The focus of the analysis will be determined by the tutor.

This module looks at the differences in markets for esports globally: aspects of similarity and aspects of difference, country to country and region to region, which inform the development of the sector.

Global games and esports
Contemporary esports issues
Inclusivity and diversity
Media: Production, Consumption, Distribution
Regionality
Cultures
Governance
Political economy
Professional player practices
Critical approaches to esports ecosystems

The esports industry has seen substantial growth globally over the past decade, however this growth has not always been even. With many different industry and cultural practices developing across different platforms, games and regions, it has become crucial to critically frame this emerging ecosystem globally. This module gives critical focus to esports issues both at global and local levels, with attention to inclusivity, governance, and cultures.

Students will be expected to engage in a variety of learning strategies, including but not limited to:
- Tutor led formal presentations
- Workshops and group-based tutorials
- Discussion/debate cantered learning
- Participation in group activities, including presentations and discussion panels
- Directed reading
- Self-directed/independent research

Carter, M., Fordyce, R., Gibbs, M., & Witkowski, E. (2017) ‘eSports Futures in Australia’. In Proceedings of the Digital Games Research Association Conference (DiGRA), Melbourne, Australia.
Cydde, W, P III,. And Bull, I (2021) ‘What is Esports History a History Of?: An Introduction to the Special Issue’, Romchip a Journal of Game Histories, Volume 3 (1).
Jin, D. Y. (2010) Korea's Online Gaming Empire. MIT Press.
Jin, D. Y. (2021) Global esports: Transformation of Cultural Perceptions of Competitive Gaming. Bloomsbury Academic.
Kerr, A. (2017) Global Games: Production, Circulation and Policy in the Networked Era, New York: Routledge.
Taylor, T. L. (2012) Raising the Stakes: E-sports and the Professionalization of Computer Gaming. MIT Press.
Orme, S (2020) Playing to Win: The Global Esports Industry and key Issues, Routledge.
Rogers, R (2019) Understanding Esports, An Introduction to the Global Phenomenon, Lexington Books.
Owings, L (2020) The World of Esports – The Best of Gaming, Updog Books.

University Library
IT
Blackboard
Reading list
VLE learning support material to be provided for independent /self-directed learning.
Module handbooks
Open Textbook Library