19. Identity of Female Gamer in e-Sports Broadcasting

Title(KR)

e스포츠 중계에 나타난 여성 게이머의 정체성

Title(ENG)

Identity of Female Gamer in e-Sports Broadcasting

Keywords(KR)

e-Sports, game broadcasting, female gamer, gender identity

Keywords(ENG)

e-Sports, game broadcasting, female gamer, gender identity

Author

Hye-won Han, and Miri Park

Abstract(ENG)

Female gamers are generally increasing all over the world. Accordingly, e-sports field also intensively focuses on female gamers. This paper focuses on the process of identity formation of female gamers shown in Korean e-sports leagues especially on online games. Online game is delivered to the public by e-sports broadcasting. E-sports broadcasting is spoken of a one-way speech, which only has the voice of male castor. This paper classified the way of speaking of female gamers into two types. One is broadcasting method and the other is broadcasting language. Then this paper compared the discourses shown in them to the cases of male gamers. In the case of male gamers, inherent elements of the game primarily took the major part of the discourse. However, in the case of female gamers, socially acceptable speech about women primarily took the major part of the discourse. As the result, in e-sports online broadcasting, the male gamers are viewed in terms of ‘player’ while female gamers are viewed in terms of ‘person’. Considering online games as having alternative values and possibilities as new media, the aspect of distortion or alienation of women in game culture is obviously problematic.

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