Search Results

This study aimed to investigate the viewpoints and attitudes about virtual e-cycling apps with respect to the manipulation of an avatar’s stated body weight. An adaptation of the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale delivered in the form of an online questionnaire was created to assess the act of intentional avatar weight manipulation in e-cycling apps. The level of agreement to 12 items was measured on a 5-point Likert scale, and 638 responses were received. Content analysis was performed on the responses to two open-ended questions. The respondent’s disagreed with nine of the 12 Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale statements suggesting that they saw no value to the practice of intentional avatar weight manipulation. The qualitative analysis revealed that many respondents appeared to accept that e-doping was common practice, and that prevention measures and punishment were ineffective. The results of the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale questionnaire and content analysis by the majority of the respondents support that the act of avatar weight manipulation in virtual cycling esport sees similar results, feedback, and undesirability to other forms of sporting fraud such as the use of performance-enhancing drugs. It is, therefore, proposed that the act of avatar weight manipulation should be treated as an illicit, deceptive, or wholly negative practice.

Competitive racing through virtual cycling has established itself as an entirely new discipline within cycling. This study explores what equipment racers use and examines important power metrics for racing. Data were collected from three different races from the current ranking of the most highly regulated and professionally organized race series on the virtual cycling platform Zwift. Power output data from 116 race participants, over five power durations (5 s–20 min), and two separate power measuring sources were collected and analyzed using the Bland–Altman method. The findings indicate that the physiological efforts of these races are comparable to those found in traditional competitive cycling. Furthermore, findings also support that the equipment typically used produces similar power outputs with good agreement between different power meters for most measurement points. Finally, the implications of these results for the status of virtual racing are discussed.

This study explored the experiences of retired esports players, focusing particularly on their transition out of esports. Utilizing a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with four retired professional esports players in South Korea. A thematic analysis revealed four recurring themes: career pressure and uncertainty, lack of preretirement planning, demand for mentorship support, and necessity for a realistic perspective on talent. The findings indicated that significant pressure and financial insecurity during their careers often catalyzed the players’ decisions to retire. Players were unprepared for postesports life due to inadequate preretirement planning. This study highlights the crucial roles of mentorship and realistic talent assessments in facilitating smoother career transitions. The main contribution of this research lies in its empirical evidence, which stresses the need for structured support systems for esports players transitioning out of professional gaming. Stakeholders within the esports industry can utilize these findings to formulate policies and programs aimed at providing financial assistance, career planning, mentorship, and guidance to players during their careers and upon retirement. The outcomes of this study can serve as a foundation for future research by clarifying the necessity for broader investigations into the experiences of esports players and the development of practical strategies to mitigate their transition challenges.

Within gamers, disabled people remain an understudied minority. While research indicates that they actively play single-player games, we lack an understanding of their experience with multiplayer games. This study aims to answer the following research questions: (a) What kind of games do disabled people play? and (b) Why do disabled people not play multiplayer games? The questions are answered using survey data focusing on playing digital games as a person with disabilities. In total, 92 answers were analyzed. The findings suggest that disabled people play both single-player and multiplayer games and they play games for the same commonly reported reasons as players without disabilities do, although demographics seem to be a key differentiating factor among them in their playing habits, rather than disability differences. However, disabled people reported that they play single-player games more often. We identified four themes from our data that explain why multiplayer games are played less, which are: playing company and insecurity about one’s own skills, lack of relaxation while playing, lack of game accessibility, and lack of interest. Our results indicate that much more work is needed to ensure, especially the social, as well as the technical accessibility of multiplayer games.

With the rapid growth of both the gaming and esports industries, millions of individuals are now playing games as a hobby or career. The intense and repetitive nature of gaming can likely increase an individual’s susceptibility to musculoskeletal injuries and pain. The purpose of this study was to assess demographic information and gaming habits of gamers and determine any association with upper-body, gaming-related pain. An online survey was used to obtain demographic information and gaming habits of individuals, as well as the location and description of upper-body pain experienced when gaming. Of the 522 respondents, 77.8% (n = 406) reported experiencing gaming-related pain in the upper body. The most prevalent areas of pain were the neck (43.9%), lower back (41.4%), and the distal upper limb (37.9%). Few strong correlations were found between any demographics or gaming habits and the presence or intensity of pain in the upper body. The results of this study demonstrate that gaming-related pain is a problem; however, due to its complex nature, it is likely that a multifaceted interaction of both gaming habits and unaccounted lifestyle factors contributes to individualized pain development.

Given the competitive nature of esports (e.g., maintaining focus and adaptive coping) and the increasing interest from practitioners in addressing stress management issues, empirical evidence on stress management strategies is needed that is tailored to the unique demands of esports. To ensure that ethical and professional standards are being met, it is important to first explore the factors that practitioners perceive to negatively impact the performance of esports players and the stress management strategies that are currently being used to support these players. Therefore, an online survey of 25 practitioners was conducted with results highlighting a variety of factors that were perceived to negatively impact players’ performance such as players’ ability to cope and lack of self-confidence. In addition, stress management strategies used before and after competition most frequently included strategies such as imagery, breathing techniques, and social support. Future research directions, limitations, and practical implications are discussed.

Background: Participation in esports (excluding active video games) has raised concerns due to its sedentary nature and the potential negative effects this may have on player health. As well, research suggests that physical activity (PA)/exercise improves specific cognitive skills that have been identified as positive contributors to esports performance. The aim of this systematic review was to assess whether evidence supports that PA/exercise positively impacts esports player performance. Methods: The systematic literature search comprised PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science up until March 31, 2022. An additional search included reference list searching, citation searching, and hand searching. Results: Emerging evidence suggests that PA/exercise as an intervention may have a positive effect on esports performance. While it appears that the majority of esports players believe PA/exercise to be beneficial to esports performance, only a minority currently undertake PA/exercise for the purpose of improving esports performance. Conclusion: Although further controlled experimental research is necessary, results highlight that PA/exercise may positively correlate with esports performance. These effects are consistent with the majority of player perceptions that PA/exercise is beneficial to esports performance. Qualified fitness and health professionals should be utilized to implement training to enhance esports performance, improve health, and extend player career length.