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Both Physical and Virtual: On Immediacy in Esports
David Ekdahl1,2
1Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
|May 26, 2022
Summary
This study explores the physicality of esports, challenging the notion that it lacks immediacy. It argues that esports practitioners engage with virtual spaces in a hybrid, immediate manner, redefining the sports debate.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Philosophy of Sport
- Digital Humanities
Background:
- The debate on whether esports qualify as 'sports' often hinges on the concept of physicality.
- A key argument against esports is their perceived lack of direct, immediate physical engagement compared to traditional sports.
- Jason Holt's theoretical framework posits that esports are fundamentally indirect, thus disqualifying them as sports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically assess the claim that esports are not sports due to a lack of immediacy.
- To examine Jason Holt's account of physicality as immediacy in the context of esports.
- To propose an alternative understanding of physicality, body, and space in esports.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of classical physicality concepts (motor skills) versus Holt's immediacy framework.
- Theoretical critique of the assumptions underlying the claim that esports are indirect.
- Development of a new conceptualization of embodied, hybrid engagement in virtual environments.
Main Results:
- Holt's account of physicality as immediacy relies on a narrow definition of body and space.
- The claim that esports lack immediacy is problematized by considering the subjective, bodily engagement of players.
- Esports performance involves an immediate, hybrid interconnection between physical and virtual spaces.
Conclusions:
- Esports exhibit a unique form of immediacy through the hybrid interplay of physical and virtual realities.
- A broader understanding of physicality, encompassing subjective bodily engagement, supports the inclusion of esports within the sports domain.
- This research contributes to understanding the relationship between physicality and virtuality in the digital age.
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