How have the eSports ecosystems changed in the context of gaming hardware upgrades?

－Console upgrades after and through the PlayStation 3－

Abstract

Due to spread of eSports, games played at home since the PS3 era have become more competitive. Traditionally, gaming competitions in Japan have been held at arcades. But as home game consoles are increasingly connected to networks, it has become popular for game players worldwide to show their skills at competitions. This paper explores the effect of the game communities on game industry during hardware upgrades. The presence of players and audiences alone does not create an active community. eSports communities have been formed and maintained with hardware online matching system and segmentation of software by play level.