Perceived toxicity in gaming communities and their impact on brand image : A study of how the toxicity of a gaming community affects the brand image of the game League of Legends and its sponsors, as well as how this phenomenon can be researched
Turpeinen, Jenna (2023)
Turpeinen, Jenna
2023
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023050942483
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023050942483
Tiivistelmä
League of Legends (LoL) is a computer strategy game, a so-called multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). LoL counted over 180 million players in April 2022, which makes it one of the most popular MOBAs, thirteen years after its introduction by Riot Games. LoL features two teams with the aim of destroying the other teams’ base. While LoL has attracted researchers’ attention from various disciplines, e.g., performance analysis, the role of the individual in team performance and gender disparity, toxicity is a poorly researched topic in the context of LoL. Toxicity in virtual spaces is defined as when a player uses disrespectful language intending to humiliate or insult another player.
The game has over 140 unique champions to choose from, and five different roles to play in each team. The roles in the game are Attack damage carry (ADC), Support, Mid-Laner, Top-Laner and Jungler. Different champions are more suitable to certain roles, but one can play whichever champion, in whichever role.
LoL has tried to decrease toxic behaviour through reporting, which means that players themselves act as moderators and are thus able to report another player whom they perceive to behave toxically in a game or chat. Nevertheless, reporting can be misused, and therefore needs more scientific attention from scholarly academics. Therefore, keyquestions remain: how do players and non-players perceive toxicity in LoL and which consequences do these perceptions have on a sponsor’s and the game’s brand images, and how can this phenomenon be studied? If a game is perceived as highly toxic, there is a risk of brands averting from sponsoring and/or marketing in a particular game genre. Researchers have already shown that sponsoring esports can have positive effects on a sponsor’s brand, nevertheless, the results depend on many different variables.
This thesis aims to explore toxicity in LoL from both players’ and non-players’ perspectives to gain a deeper insight into how toxicity unfolds and manifests itself in this context. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate the link between toxicity and brand image in the LoL context. The research design is based on a mixed-method approach, including both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative data (survey). Data collection will cover three different sources: (a) players of LoL, (b) non-players of LoL, and (c) someone who works with a game developer.
Because most of the data was acquired from qualitative methods, the study is based on research questions. The research questions are: What does toxicity mean in gaming? Do players of LoL perceive the player base as toxic and if so, how does this toxicity affect their image of LoL’s and its sponsors’ brands? Do players who do not play LoL but know what LoL is perceive the player base as toxic, and if so, how does this toxicity affect their image of LoL’s and its sponsors’ brands? How to study the impact a toxic gaming community has on a game’s and sponsors’ brand images? The questions will be answered through the different data collection methods and by reviewing former research on toxicity, brand image and sponsoring.
The key findings in this thesis were that according to the collected data a sponsor’s brand image is not tainted because of the type of toxicity occurring in LoL. The data from the focus groups suggest that more severe misconduct needs to occur in the community or LoL to taint the reputation of a sponsor. The answer to the impact the player community has on LoL’s brand image was somewhat inconclusive because the data collected leaves room for interpretation. However, it can be argued that the player base of LoL was deemed toxic, and from some of the respondents’ answers imply there is some impact on LoL’s brand image. To validate this, further quantitative research is suggested. This thesis has also provided new definitions to competitive trash talk, non-verbal and verbal toxicity, as well as to internal and external negativity in team-based games.
The game has over 140 unique champions to choose from, and five different roles to play in each team. The roles in the game are Attack damage carry (ADC), Support, Mid-Laner, Top-Laner and Jungler. Different champions are more suitable to certain roles, but one can play whichever champion, in whichever role.
LoL has tried to decrease toxic behaviour through reporting, which means that players themselves act as moderators and are thus able to report another player whom they perceive to behave toxically in a game or chat. Nevertheless, reporting can be misused, and therefore needs more scientific attention from scholarly academics. Therefore, keyquestions remain: how do players and non-players perceive toxicity in LoL and which consequences do these perceptions have on a sponsor’s and the game’s brand images, and how can this phenomenon be studied? If a game is perceived as highly toxic, there is a risk of brands averting from sponsoring and/or marketing in a particular game genre. Researchers have already shown that sponsoring esports can have positive effects on a sponsor’s brand, nevertheless, the results depend on many different variables.
This thesis aims to explore toxicity in LoL from both players’ and non-players’ perspectives to gain a deeper insight into how toxicity unfolds and manifests itself in this context. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate the link between toxicity and brand image in the LoL context. The research design is based on a mixed-method approach, including both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative data (survey). Data collection will cover three different sources: (a) players of LoL, (b) non-players of LoL, and (c) someone who works with a game developer.
Because most of the data was acquired from qualitative methods, the study is based on research questions. The research questions are: What does toxicity mean in gaming? Do players of LoL perceive the player base as toxic and if so, how does this toxicity affect their image of LoL’s and its sponsors’ brands? Do players who do not play LoL but know what LoL is perceive the player base as toxic, and if so, how does this toxicity affect their image of LoL’s and its sponsors’ brands? How to study the impact a toxic gaming community has on a game’s and sponsors’ brand images? The questions will be answered through the different data collection methods and by reviewing former research on toxicity, brand image and sponsoring.
The key findings in this thesis were that according to the collected data a sponsor’s brand image is not tainted because of the type of toxicity occurring in LoL. The data from the focus groups suggest that more severe misconduct needs to occur in the community or LoL to taint the reputation of a sponsor. The answer to the impact the player community has on LoL’s brand image was somewhat inconclusive because the data collected leaves room for interpretation. However, it can be argued that the player base of LoL was deemed toxic, and from some of the respondents’ answers imply there is some impact on LoL’s brand image. To validate this, further quantitative research is suggested. This thesis has also provided new definitions to competitive trash talk, non-verbal and verbal toxicity, as well as to internal and external negativity in team-based games.
Kokoelmat
- 512 Liiketaloustiede [433]