Matching Items (41)
Description
The academic study of eSports, or professional competition through the medium of video games, has tended to focus on players' motivations to play and watch eSports as well as marketing concerns of huge eSports corporations. Instead of utilizing marketing or psychology to analyze this phenomenon, I investigate three areas of focus in accordance with available literature: the fans and their characteristics, the design of the game itself, and the relationship between fans and the game's developer. This investigation was conducted by first examining existing literature surrounding eSports fans, then collecting public domain data such as Reddit posts, forum posts, and YouTube videos, and last by studying interviews with developers and players. With this thesis, I apply a fan studies approach to eSports by creating a series of indicators based in each of the three focus areas which can be utilized as a systematic method of evaluating an eSport's popularity and growth.
ContributorsHilliker, Noah Henry (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Schmidt, Peter (Committee member) / Anderson, Sky (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
While studying in Japan, I became fascinated by the variety shows my roommates would watch. These shows featured a flexible format with comedians and other entertainers participating in a wide variety of activities. For my senior creative project, I decided to determine what features were essential to Japanese variety shows, and to then use these features to create my own program.
In order to determine the essential features of Japanese variety television, I watched a total of 22 episodes of three popular Japanese variety shows: Gaki no tsukai ya arahende (ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで! Usually abbreviated as ガキの使い), London Hearts (ロンドンハーツ), and Utaban (うたばん). I chose these three shows because of their differing styles, popular comedic hosts, and impressive longevity, with a combined 58 years of runtime. Through my research, I was able to assemble the analyses of basic and technical features found in the next section of this document in addition to several pages of my own notes used to design my original program.
My own program, American Joke (アメリカンジョーク), is meant to be filmed in America featuring an entirely Japanese cast. The main idea of the show is to capitalize on the comedic potential of cultural differences by having Japanese comedians interact with American people and traditions.
In order to showcase the show, I filmed a short “sizzle reel” video featuring Japanese exchange students as the cast. Segments filmed included our “comedians” learning the high jump from ASU track athletes, bringing Japanese fermented soybeans to campus for American students to taste, and participating in an American-themed quiz show.
In order to determine the essential features of Japanese variety television, I watched a total of 22 episodes of three popular Japanese variety shows: Gaki no tsukai ya arahende (ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで! Usually abbreviated as ガキの使い), London Hearts (ロンドンハーツ), and Utaban (うたばん). I chose these three shows because of their differing styles, popular comedic hosts, and impressive longevity, with a combined 58 years of runtime. Through my research, I was able to assemble the analyses of basic and technical features found in the next section of this document in addition to several pages of my own notes used to design my original program.
My own program, American Joke (アメリカンジョーク), is meant to be filmed in America featuring an entirely Japanese cast. The main idea of the show is to capitalize on the comedic potential of cultural differences by having Japanese comedians interact with American people and traditions.
In order to showcase the show, I filmed a short “sizzle reel” video featuring Japanese exchange students as the cast. Segments filmed included our “comedians” learning the high jump from ASU track athletes, bringing Japanese fermented soybeans to campus for American students to taste, and participating in an American-themed quiz show.
ContributorsAmkraut, Elliott R. (Author) / Chambers, Anthony (Thesis director) / Wilson, Bradley (Committee member) / Maday, Gregory (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
In the current age, with media influence spreading through the entire world, formerly isolated regions and gated cultures became interconnected. With this globalization of culture came the communion between Japanese and Western media, especially animation and comics. Morality is often exemplified by heroes within a particular culture as figures for audiences to admire and draw values from, which can be a useful representation of that society's particular standards. The cultures' portrayal of heroism and morality through characterization and plot structure are emblematic not only of their original culture, but the new age of globalization as concepts previously considered unique to one region soon blended together through the world. From the Western "Hero's Journey" style mythos to the Japanese anime and manga heroes of the modern decades, we can see the growth and impact of globalization which caused new blends of portrayals and themes in revolutionary ways. The roots of the differences were found through research of popular culture and history of Japanese animation and Western comic books. Iconic Western comic book heroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wolverine are analyzed, followed by analysis and comparison to the Japanese parallel of the Japanese hero, specifically within Hirohiko Araki's acclaimed Jojo's Bizarre Adventure anime and manga franchise. Finally, the popular animated Western cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, known for its vast Eastern influence, meet the two worlds in the middle and epitomize the globalization of this concept of a hero's narrative. The purpose of this analysis is to understand the dynamics of cultural influence and cultural specificity, elucidating some stereotypes in contemporary culture brought by misconceptions and traditions in order to promote cross-cultural understanding.
ContributorsNguyen, Hau Trung (Author) / Wise, John MacGregor (Thesis director) / Wilson, Bradley (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This thesis examines two electronic games, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Fortnite, which rose to popularity as battle royale-style videogames, to question whether they are viable candidates for success as esports. In his 2018 Barrett Honors Thesis, Noah Hilliker developed a model for assessing electronic games as successful esports. His thesis, titled “Ambassador Communities, Hybrid Spectatorship, and Other Indicators of Success in eSports” applied his model of indicators of success to League of Legends, Overwatch and Hearthstone. In this thesis, I have applied his indicators to (PUBG) and Fortnite, which differ significantly from the games he previously analyzed, precisely as I argue here, because they are battle royale games. These indicators fall under three categories: the nature of fans, the overall design of the game and the relationship between game developers and fans. The data that was examined for this investigation included academic literature on esports, posts on online platforms, news articles, YouTube content and forums. The following indicators were analyzed in their application to the collected data for both games: self-organization, spectator-player hybridity, ambassadors, clear center of action, demonstration of skill, mechanical variance, game balance, character of fan/developer relationship and feedback to fans. Through this project, I apply a previous approach to analyzing esports success to two games, Fortnite and PUBG, in order to analyze how well the model fits battle royale-style games.
ContributorsSmith, Brenden (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Schmidt, Peter (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Students who study abroad often imagine their ideal life before arrival, but many do not intuit that in their desires lie future hardships. Successful Practices for Avoiding Culture Shock and Assimilating into Japanese Culture, a creative project, incorporates step-by-step tips, author anecdotes, real-life survey experiences, and literary references to help students adjust to the mental stresses that come with studying and living within a foreign culture. Three parts divide the brochure and promote self-empowerment and success. Topics include but are not limited to the importance of establishing goals in connection to study abroad, securing funds and scholarships, surviving international travel, building on failure, overcoming language learning plateaus, avoiding danger, perceiving beyond what is visible in the host culture, and reverse culture shock. By following the steps proposed in this brochure, students will be able to outsmart the negative aspects of culture shock. Although this brochure aims to be of use to anyone aspiring to study abroad, it primarily targets students who wish to study in Japan. For additional preparation, students will scrutinize Japan-America intercultural situations via activities and trace where instances of culture shock may arise. Perceptive students will realize that the homogenous nation emphasizes a group mentality, and that the individualistic and ethnocentric programming most Americans undergo serves no place in the collectivistic culture. A student will succeed not by imagining himself or herself as a visitor, but as someone who truly has a role in the society. If students do not impose their American disposition, but instead adopt characteristics that harmonize with a Japanese temperament, they will heighten their senses as a listener and observer, and thus find belonging in the culture.
ContributorsPhillips, Kayla Susanne (Author) / Wilson, Bradley (Thesis director) / Suhara, Eiji (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
A rapidly evolving technological environment has enabled the exponential expansion of creative opportunities for artists. Major developments in the digital landscape have impacted the world of music creation, namely the unprecedented rise of the remix. However, copyright laws have failed to keep up with the new ways in which musicians are interacting with technology. Although the last amendments to the Copyright Act were made well before the digital age, the same laws from 1976 still govern the digital activities of today. This leaves forty years of technological developments largely unaccounted for, including the advancements that have led to the emergence of the remix. This paper will first address the value of remixing in the advancement of the Electronic Dance Music genre by outlining the history of sampling and remixing, and will discuss the existing copyright doctrine and the various issues that have arisen within copyright law. It will then seek to develop potential solutions that strike a fair and equitable balance between the owners of intellectual property and the ever-increasing universe of homegrown creative artists. The days where remix artists are per se ‘copyright criminals’ should be numbered, for the greater good of all participants in the rapidly expanding worldwide web of music, musicians and music lovers, whether they be consumers, creators or recreators.
ContributorsFromm, Emilie Georgina (Author) / Schmidt, Peter (Thesis director) / Voorhees, Matthew (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
The paper analyzes Eiichiro Oda's One Piece and its depiction of sexuality and LGBT characters. The author puts forth that this representation is not only a positive representation, but is also important for the representation of LGBT in future anime and manga. In the first chapter, the author describes the history of male-male sexuality in Japan, starting from its recorded inception in writing, continuing into its proliferation in the Tokugawa period, and its declining in the Meiji period. This section highlights the major changes of male-male sexuality in Japan. The second chapter focuses on the latter half of the twentieth century, as LGBT began to take a new identity and a different kind of scrutiny by the public. The chapter continues through the decades as new terms are introduced and popularized to describe LGBT people. The chapter also describes some of the genres of male-male sexuality that became popular at the time. The third chapter is a focus on the title work: One Piece. In this chapter, the author analyzes several LGBT characters and their roles within the story. The author finds that the characters are developed thoroughly in contrast with most stereotypes in other works and in some ways reflect on Japanese society's treatment of LGBT. In the paper's conclusion the author examines another popular work directly influenced by One Piece that also contains LGBT characters. These characters also diverge from common stereotypes of LGBT characters, indicating a trend in popular works of depicting LGBT characters in a positive manner. The paper ultimately comes to the conclusion that this trend will continue in the future of anime and manga.
ContributorsTitus, Martin Paul (Author) / Hedberg, William (Thesis director) / Wilson, Bradley (Committee member) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
ContributorsDolan, Kattie (Author) / Leong, Karen (Thesis director) / Wilson, Bradley (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
A podcast that discusses the phenomenon of cult cinema deemed “so bad, it's good”. It takes a look at what makes these films enduring and entertaining, with the ability to create near-religious followings. Moreover, it discusses the financial aspect of the filmmaking and how these followings affect the market.
ContributorsFischler, Max Caskey (Co-author) / Stone, Zac (Co-author) / Schmidt, Peter (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
For many, a long-distance hike on the 2,650+ mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is the adventure of a lifetime. The federally designated National Scenic Trail passes through 48 Wilderness Areas in California, Washington, and Oregon on its way from Mexico to Canada. The trail experience on the PCT has been changing rapidly over the last 20 years due to two main factors: a four-fold increase in hikers attempting the whole trail each season; and hikers’ rapid adoption of digital technology like smartphones, GPS, and satellite messengers. Through a literature review and accompanying hiker survey, this study aimed to determine how these two factors have combined to alter the trail experience. Despite increased traffic on the trail, hikers appear to still be able to find ample solitude and a feeling of escape from society, and they reported being more likely to form lasting friendships as part of a “trail family”. However, increased traffic has altered many of the sensitive natural landscapes along the trail, contributed to the retirement of some iconic “trail angels” and led to increased conflict between subcultures within the community. Digital technology usage, particularly the use of smartphones and GPS-capable mapping apps, seems to be linked to decreased feelings of solitude, self-sufficiency, and escape. However, digital devices have helped democratize long-distance hiking by simplifying the logistics of long-distance hikes. Users of the devices also did not report reduced feelings of freedom or challenge from their hikes. Moreover, device users still felt that they were disconnecting with technology when hiking on the trail. Acknowledging both positive and negative effects of the changing trail experience, hikers can make more informed decisions about how to mitigate the negative impacts and maximize the positive impacts on the aspects of the trail experience they care the most about.
ContributorsDeSimone, Dante (Author) / Shaeffer, Duncan (Thesis director) / Schmidt, Peter (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05