Unfair play : the controversial relationship of eSports-football videogames with fairness

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the controversial relationship between the two major football video games, such as EA Sports FC 24 and eFootball, and the practical concept of fairness in sports. Today, the process of recognizing eSports, including the previously mentioned titles, as Olympic sports is well underway. This, combined with the lack of research papers inherent to the topic of fairness as a practical (instead of ethical) concept in sports, as well as inherent popular subjects in eSport communities, such as pay-to-win or skill-gap dynamics, is the main reason behind the writing of this work. In fact, the goal of the dissertation is precisely to analyze how fairness is understood within eSports-football videogames. To find an answer, an attempt was made to identify an ideal conceptualization of fairness by exploiting various fields of study. In addition, many elements and concepts related to the same theme of fairness were also covered. In fact, the topic of simulations, microtransactions, and the basics of the eSports practice come together. This is followed by more practical observations related precisely to the eSports landscape, with subjects internal to the world of research such as randomness, or others external to it such as the concept of skill-gap. These are followed by examples of titles that represent acclaimed and extremely popular competitive video games that have the theme of fairness at heart. Therefore, EA Sports FC 24 and eFootball have been analyzed. In these case studies, by taking advantage of all the issues analyzed above and comparing them with each other, many controversies inherent in the fairness theme were highlighted, both from the perspective of gameplay and what surrounds it. It follows, in conclusion, that fairness is understood as a very complex issue but is arguably treated as a marginal one by designers.