COR 4120 The Economic, Social and Wellness Dynamics of the eSports Phenomenon
This course will examine the global rise of competitive gaming as a billion-dollar industry and a mass spectator sport over the last 10 years. While it has increasingly consumed the time and energies of particularly male teenagers and young adults, the long-term societal and gender ramifications of widespread video game play are not well understood. Moreover, as competitive gaming has become a major economic engine, the structure of the industry – unlike traditional sport league structures – is evolving, with many issues around control, media rights, revenue distribution and labor agreements still to be determined. In addition, the explosive growth of eSports has been accompanied by concerns over treatment of women, substance abuse by athletes, match corruption, and the health and wellness of both competitors and fans.
In examining the domestic, international and intercollegiate eSports eco-system, students will touch on economics, organizational management, finance, media, psychology, sociology and technology issues. It will not require a depth of expertise in any particular area but rather an ability to apply ethical reasoning to the inter-relationship of multiple factors in forming a new and sometimes challenged industry. This course is writing intensive.
Prerequisite
Open to students in their third or fourth year of study.