Mediatization of a card game: Magic: The Gathering, esports, and streaming

Švelch, Jan

doi:10.1177/0163443719876536

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…As previous scholarship has shown (e.g. Ekström et al, 2016;Švelch, 2020), mediatization is not a linear process. In practice, social and cultural phenomena can co-exist in their unmediated and mediated ways, creating complex feedback loops with zones of resistance on the one hand and pioneer communities on the other (Hepp, 2016;Petersen, 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 85%

“…While analog and video game industries historically operated as two separate ecosystems, Critical Role seems to be situated at their intersection, bringing together tabletop role-playing, video game voice acting, and the platform ecosystem of video game live-streaming (see Taylor, 2018). It is important to note that there have recently been signs of more systemic convergence partly due to successful digital adaptations of analog games (see Švelch, 2020; Trammell, 2019). Aside from gaming-related sponsors, more generalist businesses have also advertised on Critical Role , including NordVPN, the cloud backup service Backblaze, or the online learning platform Skillshare.…”

Section: Methodology and Research Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This concept from the European school of media studies addresses the impacts of media technologies and related user practices on various facets of social and cultural life, including leisure activities such as card games (Hepp, 2013; Švelch, 2020), chess, or toys (for both see Hjarvard, 2013). Beyond the transformation of physical objects and in-person activities into their virtual counterparts, referred to as direct mediatization (Hjarvard, 2013) or substitution (Hepp, 2013; Schulz, 2004), the theoretical framework also deals with subtle changes of indirect mediatization (Hjarvard, 2013) or accommodation (Hepp, 2013; Schulz, 2004), which affect a phenomenon even in its unmediated forms, for example, through advertising.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Given the breadth of the role-playing hobby (see Zagal and Deterding, 2018), it is necessary to narrow down the scope of any such exploration. Following previous scholarship on pioneer communities within the process of mediatization (Hepp, 2016; Petersen, 2022; Švelch, 2020), this article centers on Critical Role , including its collaboration with the producers of the digital toolset D&D Beyond. Since 2018, this partnership has promoted mediated ways of playing using the latter’s digital substitution for paper character sheets.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Mediatization of tabletop role-playing: The intertwined cases of Critical Role and D&D Beyond

Švelch

2022

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Med

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Tabletop role-playing has grown from a niche of analog gaming into a mainstay of popular culture. The original face-to-face way of playing has been complemented by online play using dedicated digital tools, and play itself has become spectator entertainment. In this article, I explore the process of mediatization of tabletop role-playing on the example of Critical Role – the most successful ‘actual play’ show, in which performers broadcast tabletop role-playing to audiences. I highlight the importance of commodification as a force in the process of mediatization, involving licensing, merchandising, and advertising. Empirically, the article is grounded in an analysis of Critical Role’s sponsorships and embodied player practices, focusing on the political-economic aspects of the show. While Critical Role presents a profoundly mediated form of tabletop role-playing, it promotes a traditional face-to-face way of playing using physical accessories both by cast members’ preference of such accessories (except for the digital toolset D&D Beyond) and sponsorships from manufacturers of these products. Mediatization of tabletop role-playing thus happens through an economic-driven process of addition – new mediated options for players with new opportunities for commodification exist alongside analog modes of consumption. As shown on the example of Critical Role, the digital and mediated forms of the analog hobby can be harnessed to promote physical consumerism.

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confidence: 85%

Section: Methodology and Research Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Mediatization of tabletop role-playing: The intertwined cases of Critical Role and D&D Beyond

Švelch

2022

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Med

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“…In terms of the historical context and development of loot boxes, it has been suggested that using loot boxes to monetise video games was inspired by how collectible sports cards and fantasy trading cards (e.g., Magic: The Gathering) are sold in blind, randomised packs in order to encourage players to buy more packs and increase revenue [2,4,12]. These randomised packs were designed to contain rare cards, known as 'chase cards,' that were less likely to be included in packs than other cards, and were therefore more sought-after and monetarily valuable.…”

Section: Paid Loot Boxes In Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loot Boxes, Gambling-Like Mechanics in Video Games

Xiao¹,

Henderson²,

Nielsen³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Cite as: Xiao L.Y., Henderson L.L., Nielsen R.K.L., Grabarczyk P., & Newall P.W.S. (2021). Loot Boxes, Gambling-Like Mechanics in Video Games. In N. Lee (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games. Springer. Loot boxes are mechanics often found in video games that provide the player with randomised virtual rewards. Some loot boxes can be paid for with real-world money and therefore share structural and psychological similarities with gambling.

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