Esports and the"Game Celebrity"Economy in the Digital Age
The industrial development of professional esports not only brings about a positive image of game players but also gives rise to the"game celebrity"economy.The"game celebrity"economy refers to the business model built around professional esports players based on the celebrity effect.Based on participant observation and interviews with industry practitioners of the"game celebrity"economy organization process of X Club,this study explores the commercialization logic and influencing factors of"game celebrity".The research finds that the media image of professional esports players in competitions and on social media and live streaming platforms is the main form of commercialization.The business model of the"game celebrity"image includes sponsor endorsements and virtual game items/gift trading.Digital technology transforms fans'online behavior towards specific professional esports players into quantifiable data to attract investment from advertisers and sponsors.Traffic is the data foundation of the"game celebrity"image.Online reputation and positive evaluations are the prerequisites for traffic monetization.Both traffic and positive evaluations are driven by the competitive strength and achievements of professional esports players.The main path of the"game celebrity"economy is"competition-fans-commercialization(endorsements or virtual products)".
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