Accompanying esports’ explosion in popularity, the amount of academic research focused on organized, competitive gaming has grown rapidly. From 2002 through March 2018, esports research has developed from nonexistent into a field of study spread across seven academic disciplines. We review work in business, sports science, cognitive science, informatics, law, media studies, and sociology to understand the current state of academic research of esports and to identify convergent research questions, findings, and trends across fields.

Managing attention, progressing towards goals, and monitoring behaviors are elements of self-regulation (SR). SR applications based on contemplative practices such as breath counting have demonstrated gains in field studies but have failed to engage youth without coercion. Prior research generated behavioral and neurological changes, but was disliked by youth. This three part study includes a participatory design workshop, application redesign, and subsequent field deployment to understand how wearable devices can support self-regulation. Twenty-seven youth designed activities that revealed interest in and models of self-regulation that became part of a smartwatch app. Researchers revisited and redesign the application based on youth feedback, and then released the redesigned application (some of whom participated in workshops, some of whom did not). Redesigning the application to be responsive to youth needs resulted in higher levels of satisfaction than previously observed. Youth also used this application more often and reported higher use. Three design tensions persisted: (1) Breath counting applications as attention grabbing vs. attention cultivating and (2) breath counting activities as a relaxation activity vs. a mental workout, and (3) exposing youth to meditation and breath counting as strategy for developing healthy minds vs. an institutionalized or compulsory required action. Activity occupied positions along these continua, which creates associated challenges for researchers. A fruitful design space exists for researchers to integrate attention focusing into activities that youth value, which can include stress reduction or mindfulness training, but also could be simply to improve their academic work.

Video games have become a major source of entertainment across the globe. Along with this growth as a form of leisure, video game companies have recognized the importance of the communities and cultures that consumers build around their products. Fans establish identities linked to their gaming habits, whether they are playing games themselves or viewing games played by professionals. Fans also participate in communities, often facilitated through online forums. As part of this, fans discuss, express, and assess their relationship with the companies in charge of their hobbies. How do fans establish and negotiate trust with these companies and why might consumer trust to lapse? This project analyzes approximately 2,500 online forum posts from video game players and esports viewers to understand their perspectives on the companies involved in these spaces. Ultimately, the landscape appears to be developing increasing negativity where fans feel exploited and progressively concerned about company decisions. Fans have called into question the quality of video games and esports streams, motivations for specific decisions behind the scenes, and whether or not their actions as fans reward companies who are using them to meet a specific financial goal. A sense of common knowledge is developed that certain companies will make decisions at the perceived expense of the audience to increase profit. Although these sentiments are not present for all forum users, these discussions reveal increasing negative associations toward specific companies, games, and franchises.

Games, including video games have long been associated with both rhetorics of progress and frivolity, simultaneously recruiting efforts to employ games toward furthering cognitive skills, while also eliciting concerns about the decadence of players. Casual games, defined as games with a low barrier to entry and quick play sessions often focus on cognitively-oriented challenges and are perceived by many players to promote cognitive, social, and emotional benefits. Research on the cognitive, social, and emotional impact of casual games now spans games marketed as entertainment, “brain games,” and digital therapeutics; despite these games sharing similar qualities, the bodies of research literature on them remains largely distinct. This review finds little support for the cognitive benefits of playing casual games, with exception of the elderly or those with dementia. This research synthesis finds evidence for the social and emotional benefits of casual games when they are sought for these purposes, played mindfully, and within robust social contexts. However, the same games, when played in different contexts can have negative consequences, consistent with findings from the mindset literature more broadly. Researchers thus should take seriously the context of game play, perhaps treating the emergent phenomena of play as the unit of analysis, rather than the media artifact.