E-Sport Collection (Complete Edition): Various contributions to electronic sport

By Timo Schöber

Based on published guest articles by the author Dr. Timo Schöber, the book deals with an immense variety of topics on e-sports. These range from popular sport and voluntary commitment, legal issues and political topics to economic presentations and definitional questions. The author's guest articles have appeared on leading platforms such as t3n, pro, MSN, My MMO, Gaming-Grounds and spielen.de.

The book is especially interesting for all those people who are looking for sound information and sources on e-sports.

• Language: English
• Publisher: tredition
• Release date: Apr 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9783347930490

Timo Schöber

Dr. Timo Schöber holds a degree in business administration (FH) with a focus on human resources and health management. He has been working in HR since 2011 and was employed at Krones AG and mienjung GmbH, among others, at times as Head of HR. He is currently Head of HR Projects and Innovations at Stadtwerke Flensburg GmbH. He is also co-founder of the start-up lvlup!HR, which won an award at the Schleswig-Holstein Ideas Competition. Timo Schöber has been active in e-sports since 1998, including as a former player. He has published several books on e-sports, for example with Meyer & Meyer Verlag, Flying Kiwi Media and Heel Verlag. In 2018, he published Bildschirm-Athleten, the first comprehensive book on e-sports in German, which has been widely cited as a standard work on e-sports. In September 2022, he received his doctorate from the European University Viadrina with the grade summa cum laude. He has been a lecturer at Viadrina, HdM Stuttgart, SRH Berlin and FH Westküste. He heads the e-sports, gameful design and HR departments at the Berlin Institute for Ludology as well as the think tank Esportionary. He has written textbooks for the Euro-FH European Distance Learning University Hamburg and the IU International University of Applied Sciences. He has written an expert report on e-sports for the German Society for International Cooperation.

Book preview

E-Sport Collection (Complete Edition)

© 2023 Dr. Timo Schöber

ISBN Softcover: 978-3-347-93048-3

ISBN E-Book: 978-3-347-93049-0

Druck und Distribution im Auftrag: tredition GmbH, An der Strusbek 10, 22926 Ahrensburg, Germany

Das Werk, einschließlich seiner Teile, ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Für die Inhalte ist verantwortlich.

Jede Verwertung ist ohne unzulässig. Die Publikation und Verbreitung erfolgen im Auftrag , zu erreichen unter: tredition GmbH, Abteilung Impressumservice, An der Strusbek 10, 22926 Ahrensburg, Deutschland.

Table of contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

1. Foreword

2. Press Release: Personnel Change at Esportpedia

3. Press Release: Aimtalk - the New Podcast on the Topic of E-Sport

4. Fortnite and Its Success: Overview, Explanation and Lawsuit in the Usa

5. Schleswig-Holstein: Blueprint for State Esports

6. Announcement on Linkedin

7. Announcement on Linkedin (2)

8. Announcement on Linkedin (3)

9. Announcement on Linkedin (4)

10. About the Author

Esports Mosaic

1. Foreword

2. Arrived: Current Developments in E-Sports

3. A Very German Problem - Bureaucracy and E-Sports

4. E-Sports and Research: Status Quo, Opportunities and Potentials

5. Grassroots Sport as Esports Foundation

6. Germany and the Wrong Focus: Football Simulations as a Reference

7. Esport Lighthouse Schleswig-Holstein

8. China and E-Sports: from Underdog to Global Reference

9. German E-Sports - Much Older than Thought

10. South Korea: Pioneer and World Market Leader in Esports

11. Opportunities, Benefits and Risks of Associations in E-Sports

12. Quo Vadis, Esports- Germany?

13. Statement by Esports Nord E.V. on Yesterday's Edition of Deutschlandradio on the Topic of Esports

14. Esports Vs. Egaming

15. What Distinguishes Esports from Sport ?

16. Danger of Confusion: What Do Associations like Actually Do?

17. The Counter-Strike Debate

18. Is This Still Esports or Can It Go Away?

19. Germany - Pioneer of Modern Esports

20. They're Just Playing on the Computer.

21. From the Series Unusual Games: Rainbow Six Siege

22. From the Series Unusual Games: Hearthstone

23. 24/7 Esports Tv Channel in Germany

24. Blizzard Entertainment

25. The Cheater Epidemic - a Serious Problem

26. Earning Opportunities in Esports

27. From the Series Unusual Games: Smite

28. From the Series Unusual Games: Path of Exile

29. Club Homes and National Centres in E-Sports: a Plea for It

30. Wrong Decisions in the Choice of Business Models and the Consequences for E-Sports Using the Example of Pay Tv

31. Gaming and E-Sports as a Model for Peaceful Coexistence between Cultures

32. Confused Discussions: E-Sports Promotion, Yes or No?

33. System Error - E-Sports in the Political Spiral

34. This is What Has to Happen for E-Sports to Officially Become a Real Sport.

35. Gaming and E-Sports in the Pillory - of Prejudices and Stereotypes

36. The Davids of E-Sports - Small Titles Big Time

37. There's Life in the Old Dog Yet - the Rts Genre

38. Sweden - the Esports Leading Wolf Europe

39. Nordish Gaming Convention: Large Lan in a Familiar Atmosphere

40. The Gaming Scene as a Scapegoat - Once Again L

41. Column: on the Importance of Esports Research

42. E-Sports: Structures, Associations, Politics and Recognition as a Sport

43. Column: the Everyday Life of a Committed Person in the Field of E-Sports

44. Esportpedia - the First Analogue E-Sports Encyclopaedia

45. The Misunderstood Sport - Esports and German Politics

46. The Political Year 2019: E-Sports and Gaming

47. Visit the Esl Pro League Season #10 Finals

48. How E-Sports Have Established Themselves as a Popular Sport

49. German E-Sports 2020: What Can We Expect in the New Year?

50. Esport in the North: Fifa- Schleswig-Holstein State Championship

51. Afterword

52. Book Tip: Screen Athletes

Esports Mosaic 2

1. Foreword

2. Foreword by the Editor

3. Fortnite and Its Business Model: Lawsuit in the Usa

4. Contextualising the Esports Stand of the Dosb (German Olympic Sports Association)

5. E-Sports and Non-Profit: on the Failure of Politics

6. The History of Modern Esports - When Did It All Start?

7. Can You Study E-Sports? You Should Definitely Take Note of This

8. Employer Branding: How Your Company Can Reach Young Talent through E-Sports

9. Esports Evolution: a Young Sport, but Less Young than Often Assumed

10. How Do Religion and Philosophy Fit into Esports?

11. Writing in E-Sports: Tips for Authors

12. Elo and E-Sports: What Doesn't Fit is Made to Fit ?

13. Construction Site German Esport - a Problem Analysis

14. E-Sport and Language - Opportunities and Problem

15. E-Sports and Corona: What Opportunities Does Electronic Sport Offer?

16. E-Sports and Intrinsic Motivation: This is What Makes Us Strong!

17. The Unity of E-Sports - Value and Risk Situation

18. E-Sports: the Misunderstanding of Mass Sport and Regionality

19. Intrinsic Motivation: Grassroots E-Sports and Benefits for Companies

20. What E-Sports and Traditional Sports Can Learn from Each Other

21. Field Report: the Unprofessionalism of E-Sports

22. Digital Heritage - What Happens to Us When We are Gone ?

23. Racism as an Ulcer of Society and Its Role in E-Sports

24. In Review: Gaming & Esports Summit 2020

25. World Science Day - Research in E-Sports

26. Column: Gesinnungskultur Im German E-Sport

27. The Usk as a Disadvantage for German E-Sports?

28. Esbd

29. Column: Schleswig-Holstein Esport Association (Shev) Becomes More Concrete

30. E-Sport - the Oversubscribed Market

31. Looking North: E-Sports Lighthouse Schleswig-Holstein?

32. Breaking a Lance: Warcraft 3 Reforged

33. Afterword

34. Book Tip

Esports Mosaic 3

1. Foreword

2. Foreword by the Editor

3. Fortnite and Its Success: Overview, Explanation and Lawsuit in the Usa

4. E-Sport and Politics: Classification and Evaluation of the Year 2021

5. E-Sports at State Level: Blueprint and Nationwide Reference Schleswig-Holstein

6. Criticism of the Saudi Deal: the Sell-Out of the E-Sports Soul E

7. E-Sport 2021: the Current Development in Germany Analysed

8. E-Sport and Recruitment: Opportunities and Potential E

9. Video Games and Politics: Instrument of Power, Propaganda, Ideologies

10. Deceleration in Terms of Esport

11. Something Thought-Provoking: Zeitgeist, Meritocracy, Status

12. Comment: Esbd Boss Moves to Esl

13. Entering E-Sports and Promoting Young Talent: How to Make Your Way into the Scene

14. Fortnite by Epic Games and Its Business Model: Presentation at the Annual Conference of Vhb

15. E-Sports as a Tool for the Trade

16. Gratitude: Why the Family is above All Things to Me

17. The Largest Gaming and Esports House in Europe: Road to Rcadia

18. Institute for Ludology: Classification of the Coalition Agreement 2021 with Regard to E-Sports

19. Yougov: Gaming Influencers Most Relevant among Young, Male Recipients

20. Dota 2 from Valve Corporation: the International 2021

21. Quo Vadis, Esbd - Esport-Bund Deutschland E.V.?

22. Character Development: Oleksandr S1mple Kostyliev from Natus Vincere (Na'VI)

23. Discrimination and Harassment in Online Games: Alarming Figures from Newzoo

24. The Failure of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (Dosb)

25. E-Sports and Popular Sports: Strong Growth in Germany

26. Oldschool is Dying Out: Hltv-Ranking

27. E-Sports and Inclusion: Hand in Hand

28. E-Sports and Studying: the Offer is Growing

29. A Legend on the Brink: the Decline of Blizzard Entertainment

30. Cs: Go: Prize Money Recovery in 2021

31. E-Sports and Real-Time Strategy Games (Rts): a Genre That is Disappearing

32. Matchmaking in Grassroots Esports (Solo Cue) and Gaming

33. E-Sport is a Team Sport, More than Ever in 2021

34. In Conclusion: Overview of Experiences That Particularly Stick in My Mind

35. Finally: Distribution of My Books

eSports describes the competitive playing of video games in a sporting context on computers, consoles and other devices.

or smartphones

Timo Schöber

1 Foreword

This book offers a comprehensive overview of many publications by the author Timo Schöber on the topic of e-sports. Due to its depth, richness of facets and diversity, it can be seen as an outstanding source for approaching the topic of e-sports.

This book is a translation of the anthologies eSports Mosaik 1-χ by Timo Schöber into English. This has been supplemented by translations of other publications by Timo Schöber. The original works are in German. The translation was done automatically with the tool DeepL, errors are therefore reserved.

At this point, due to source work, it should be mentioned that the author Timo Schöber strictly rejects strongly subjective, arbitrary and erratic sources, such as Wikipedia, in any form.

2 Press release: Personnel change at Esportpedia

Co-founder Schaetzke and e-sports encyclopaedia go their separate ways

Flensburg and Berlin, 1ύ.oq.2o22

Against the background of the exponential growth of e-sports, Timo Schöber and Andreas Schaetzke set themselves the goal of creating an encyclopaedia on e-sports in 2o18. The encyclopaedia was to be well-founded, (popular) scientific and holistic, and to cover the topic of e-sports comprehensively. This resulted in the Esportpedia, the world's first analogue e-sports encyclopaedia.

So far, the project comprises four books. Different authors are involved in the project. These range from professors in the fields of marketing and games science, managing directors of e-sports organisations and scene experts to specialists such as law and sports science graduates. Thematically, the fields of athletes, popular sport, national level and journalism are currently covered.

The books are published by Meyer & Meyer Verlag, the most renowned sports publisher in the German and Englishspeaking world. The publishing house has around 2,ooo book titles in its range and publishes in 2o languages.

In the founding team, the tasks were clearly distributed. Timo Schöber acts as the writing and academic director and is responsible for the book quality, while Andreas Schaetzke has been responsible for the commercial aspects and marketing of the project.

Andreas Schaetzke, among others CEO of PENTA, will leave the project with immediate effect. The exact reasons are internal, but the co-founders are parting on good terms.

Timo Schöber, co-founder of the project, comments on the personal restructuring as follows:

"The Esportpedia has developed very well in 2021 and 2022 with two double publications. So a lot has happened on the book and author side. In addition, the author and project team comprises between 1ω people, so a lot has happened here as well.

Andreas and I developed the ideas for an analogue encyclopaedia together. I therefore wish him much success in his new tasks and undertakings.

Whether and how the Esportpedia will continue will be decided in the coming weeks. Talks with the publisher are pending. With regard to commercial project tasks, there is follow-up work to be done, as well as an almost completed book project to be discussed. Since my time allotment is limited, it is not yet possible to make a prognosis on the project at the present time.

Many thanks to all the authors and the project team for the exciting time and collaboration."

The publication of a marketing book as part of the Esportpedia is planned for the year 202χ.

3 Press release: aimTalk - The new podcast on the topic of E-Sport

Foundation of aimTalk by Phillip Ebben and Timo Schö- ber

Flensburg/Süderbrarup, χ o .o8.2o2o

The landscape of German e-sports media has been enriched by a new attraction. With aimTalk, a new podcast sees the light of day that focuses one hundred percent on the topic of e-sports.

Targeted. Informative. Critical.

The podcast will deal with a variety of topics related to e-sports. Guests will be invited, with whom the aim is not only to conduct interviews but also to engage in constructive debates. Hence the name: The podcast will deal with specific topics that will be critically examined and informatively prepared.

The podcast team consists of Phillip Ebben and Timo Schöber:

Phillip Ebben

• IT Officer at PARITÄTISCHEN Wohl- fahrtsverband Schleswig-Holstein e.V.

• Technical Director of eSports Nord e.V.

• Digitisation expert

• IT consultant and expert

Timo Schöber

• Author of non-fiction books, guest articles and scientific papers

• Head of the Esportionary e-sports think tank

• Lecturer at two universities

• Head of Communications of eSports Nord e.V.

The aim of the podcast is to offer a platform that is not afraid to deal with controversial topics and to stimulate discussion in the field of e-sports in Germany.

In addition to general e-sports content, this also includes content that deals with politics, science and sometimes difficult situations in e-sports Germany.

Timo Schöber is looking forward to the new project:

"Podcasts are a great way to place topics in e-sport. Those who know me know that I am not afraid to address critical and controversial topics. Openly, constructively and, if necessary, with a certain clarity.

With Phillip, I have someone at my side who has already become a real buddy in the e-sports sector. That's why I'm looking forward to the coming period in this respect as well.

Phillip Ebben is also positive about the future:

"There are not yet that many podcasts out there that focus only on e-sports - and the few podcasts, several of which are extremely good, we would like to supplement with our offer. In doing so, it is also important to put our finger in the wound from time to time.

I am particularly pleased to be able to start the project together with Timo. His expertise speaks for itself and we have a friendly relationship. So I'm also looking forward to the future with the podcast."

The podcast has also set itself the goal that everyone can participate. Therefore, the podcast is open to suggestions for topics and also to guests. Anyone who would like to participate can contact [e-mail].

A new issue of aimTalk will be published every fortnight on a Monday. Since both founding members work full time and this is a free service, it may happen that (not often!) an episode has to be cancelled.

The project is planned for the long term and the first guests have already been invited. The whole thing will start with a short introductory podcast on χo.o8.2o2o.

4 Fortnite and its success: overview, explanation and lawsuit in the USA

unpublished

The Battle Royale game Fortnite is by far one of the most successful video games of recent years. This success is easily measurable: over 1.6 billion euros in sales in 2o1ύ and more than χωo million players. Fortnite has also not only arrived in e-sports, the competitive form of gaming, but has taken off. Although the game was only released in mid-2o1ϋ, it is already one of the top χ games in e-sports, with around 1oϋ million US dollars in prize money. Fortnite has thus overtaken e-sports giants such as League of Legends (LoL) and StarCraft II, both of which have been on the market much longer.

But why is Fortnite so successful when many other games with similar principles have failed? And why do US consumer protection agencies see a great risk for children here?

The game mechanics of Fortnite

The video game belongs to the so-called Battle Royale genre. A large number of players land on an island with a parachute. Here, randomly scattered items such as weapons, armour and healing packs can be found. In addition, raw materials can be mined in Fortnite to build structures and constructions, for example to overcome obstacles or to protect themselves.

The objective of Fortnite is to be the last player to survive and thus achieve an epic victory.

The battles on the island become increasingly intense, as the playable map becomes smaller at fixed intervals because a poisonous fog appears.

Free-to-Play (F2P): Free of charge and still profitable

Basically, Fortnite can be downloaded, installed and played for free. It is therefore a F2P game. This business model has become quite popular in the video game industry. Epic Games, the publisher of Fortnite, is in good company here. Publishers such as Hi-Rez, Blizzard Entertainment, Valve and Riot Games also use F2P models for many of their titles.

However, publishers are not non-profit organisations; they want to earn money. In F2P video games, this is usually done through so-called microtransactions. Players can purchase virtual items in an in-game shop. These are mostly of a purely cosmetic nature. You don't get better by buying something, but only change its appearance. These cosmetic changes affect, for example, one's own game character, the avatar, which can be changed by skins (uniforms). But the appearance of weapons or the parachute (glider) with which you land on the island can also be changed, for example.

But if several publishers work with such a business model, why is Fortnite particularly successful?

Fortnite business model pattern: Many paths to success

In order to make Fortnite profitable despite its fundamentally free cha- racter, Epic Games is working with a whole range of business model ideas. The economists Prof. Dr Georg Stadtmann and Timo Schöber from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) have shed more light on this in a study.

While playing Fortnite is free, additional premium content can be purchased for real money in a shop integrated into the game. It is therefore a freemium business model that consists of free and paid content. In order to buy virtual items, players must first purchase the Fortnite currency, the so-called V-Bucks.

Players can then use this Fortnite currency to go shopping in the in-game shop. The shop offers a variety of cosmetic content, such as skins or weapons.

Epic Games uses different variations for these items, specifically vertical and horizontal product differentiations. On the one hand, skins and other items are offered with a different value, for example limited, epic or ordinary. On the other hand, items can be purchased that are of equal value, but differ in the colour of the skin or the gender, for example.

In addition, packages of virtual items are also offered, often only at certain times, so that players are put under a certain time pressure.

For example, if you want a skin that is only offered for the October festival, you have to buy it at that time. The shop does not say when or if the skins on offer will appear again.

In differentiating and offering certain products, Epic Games relies on the so-called Keeping up with the Joneses effect. This is named after a comic strip in which the Joneses' neighbours constantly compare themselves with them and try to keep up. Epic Games specifically works with this effect in Fortnite, namely that people compare themselves with each other and try to be better, richer and more recognised than the other person. In a British study, a ten-year-old girl expressed that she was rubbish if she played with the default skin in Fortnite. Epic Games wants players to model themselves on others in order to acquire additional content.

Epic Games' business model for Fortnite is not only based on status symbols. With the pattern of the so-called multisided platforms, the publisher is fetching content from outside into the game. A well-known example is the concert given by DJ Marshmello in Fortnite. Players were teleported to the concert and could thus participate in a community event. At the same time, Epic Games offered special items associated with the event, such as a Marshmello skin. Recently, the US singer Ariana Grande also organised a similar event in Fortnite together with the publisher. In this way, Epic Games can attract new players to Fortnite and sell items, while the artists make their music better known. Other companies and individuals are also working with Fortnite in this regard, such as Disney with its Marvel and Star Wars adaptations.

But that is not all. Epic Games also uses the open as a business model principle. With the Creative World, players can design their own content for Fortnite maps. If these are good, they are integrated into the official Fortnite world by the publisher. Epic Games thus uses the swarm intelligence and creativity of numerous people free of charge and effectively. At the same time, Epic Games also uses the ideas of other publishers that have proven successful. One recent example is the surprise hit Among Us. The new Impostor mode in Fortnite is more or less a copy of the game in a new guise.

Important building block for success: V-Bucks

As described in this article, Epic Games uses a virtual currency called V-Bucks in Fortnite. Players first convert real money into V-Bucks before V-Bucks can be used to purchase items in the in-game shop.

Fortnite does not offer V-Bucks somehow, but against the background of two effects. The currency is sold with a conversion rate above par, which means that the number of V-Bucks you receive is higher than the number of euros you spend.

must. Thus, 1,ooo V-Bucks cost around 1o euros. In addition, the more V-Bucks you buy, the cheaper they become, whereby the conversion rate becomes much more complicated. Thus, with a larger package you get 1,ooo V-Bucks for 8,ύχ euros and with an even larger package V-Bucks then cost ϋ,q1 euros per 1,ooo V-Bucks.

In this way, a so-called money value illusion is created. Players no longer convert the V-Bucks rate into real money when they buy virtual items in the in-game shop. Because of this, as well as the offer of V-Bucks above par, players spend more money in the in-game shop than if they were to spend real money directly. On the one hand, it is difficult for them to convert the exchange rate in their heads; on the other hand, the players think that they will be able to buy items in the in-game shop particularly cheaply because of the exchange rate.

These effects particularly affect children and adolescents, as young people often have a particularly hard time with such things.

Lawsuit in the USA: Consumer advocates go to court

Based on the study by the European University Viadrina, consumer advocates in the USA have filed a lawsuit against Epic Games. The background to this is the illusion of monetary value, which the university's study was able to prove for the first time in Fortnite. Children in the USA sometimes spend considerable sums in Fortnite because they often do not understand that there is real money behind the V-Bucks.

Furthermore, Epic Games does not check who spends money in the in-game shop. The publisher thus applies business model patterns in its video game without checking whether they entice minors to make unwanted purchases of virtual items.

Conclusion

Epic Games has made Fortnite successful because the game combines many different business models like no other title. This is also transferable to other industries, especially in the digitalisation segment. Think, for example, of e-sports leagues or gamified products in the field of personal marketing. Here, the business models could be used, for example, to make it easier for users to design individual profiles or to make the successes achieved more visible.

Epic Games is therefore doing a lot right. At the same time, it would be desirable for the publisher to pay more attention to ensuring that the target group for its own product knows exactly what they are getting into when they buy virtual items.

5 Schleswig-Holstein: Blueprint for state eSports

unpublished

Current figures show that Schleswig-Holstein is serious about eSports. Since the beginning of state funding measures, more than one million euros have flowed into eSports projects in the north. Among other things, this has financed a regional centre in Kiel (LEZ SH), a performance centre on the Danish border in Flensburg and numerous eSports facilities in traditional sports. By the end of 2022, a total of almost 1.ω million euros will have flowed into North German e-sports.

The spider in the web: The National Centre for eSports

The prestige project of the committed in the Land between the seas is the LEZ SH. More than χ00,000 euros have been invested in the State Centre. Not only the state supports this project, but also the city of Kiel. The city has also provided funds for e-sports. The LEZ SH has been in test operation since the end of last year. The renovation measures took about two and a half years, which is much longer than planned.

However, the sponsorship and project management of the LEZ SH are not entirely in the hands of Schleswig-Holstein. The project management does not come from the northernmost federal state. In addition, the federal association, the eSport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD), is part of the LEZ SH's supporting association. However, both of these things are to change soon according to the wishes of the state's politicians. In the course of the upcoming state elections, the Greens write in their election programme (p. 8χ):

We support the establishment of a national association for e-sports and will work to ensure that the sponsorship for the national centre for e-sports is transferred to the national association.

eSports Association and other measures

The political e-sports representative in the far north is the e-sports association of Schleswig-Holstein (EVSH). It was founded in 2021 as one of the first two state associations for eSports in Germany. The association acts as an interface between state politics and the eSports scene. In addition, the organisation of official state championships is planned.

The next step in the support measures will be the creation of regional eSports centres. These are to be created following the example of the performance centre in Flensburg. This was established by eSports Nord e.V. with the help of subsidies and on its own initiative. The clubhouse is the first e-sports facility in the state to officially open for business. Further such centres are planned. These are to be set up in different regions of Schleswig-Holstein, for example on the west coast and in the Hamburg area. In this way, eSports will be offered nationwide. Investments of 20,000 euros are planned here.

State elections and the attitude of politics

This year there are state elections in Schleswig-Holstein. It is remarkable that almost all parties have more or less extensive sections on e-sports in their election manifestos. The CDU writes (p. 6ϋ): We continue to contribute to the strengthening of e-sports and gaming in Schleswig-Holstein. We are planning an e-sports academy and support major esports and gaming events in the state. The SPD, on the other hand, states (p. ύ1): "We will promote the development of e-sports in Schleswig-Holstein. However, public funding must also fulfil further criteria.

We will be guided by the Danish e-sports code." Denmark is considered an e-sports stronghold worldwide.

Denmark's pioneering role in eSports can also be seen in the election programme of the Südschleswigsche Wählerverband (SSW). The SSW is the party of the Danish minority in Germany. The SSW is clearest of all political representatives on the subject of e-sports in its election manifesto (p. 6χ): We want e-sports to be recognised as an official sport in order to pave the way for funding and the development of professional structures. The definition of esports should follow competitive criteria and not the claim of a simulation of established sports […]. In addition to the commitment to funding measures, the SSW also brings the sports debate back to the negotiating table.

The FDP had already dedicated a strategy paper to esports in 2o1ύ. They want to make Schleswig-Holstein the number 1 e-sports state. Among other things, it states: "We want to support the connection of eSports to traditional sports clubs and thus establish comprehensive association and league structures for eSports. In this way, we strengthen eSports and clubs alike.

Next steps and conclusion

In many respects, Schleswig-Holstein can be seen as a blueprint for eSports at the state level. This is not only due to the proximity of the state to the eSports giant Denmark, but also to the political will and a broad-based eSports scene. The numerous projects that have been created with the help of the funding measures in the state between the seas are proof of the success.

This has already attracted new projects to the state. For example, GAMEVENTION, Germany's second largest gaming event, will take place in Schleswig-Holstein.

6 Announcement on LinkedIn

Consolidation completed: Less is more - no further selfactivity in the form of posts and articles on LinkedIn

In the past weeks and months, I have ended many memberships and projects in the field of e-sports. I was able to complete around ϋo% of my activities in this area and significantly reduce my responsibilities in the sector:

 No acceptance of new orders via schoeber.net

 End of authoring under own name via Book creation

 Inactivation of Esportionary

 End of active participation in Esportpedia

 Resignation from the editorial team of Gaming-Grounds.de - Das Spielemagazin

 Resignation from IFgameSH e.V.

 Retreat from Mentor Lane

 Resignation from recently started editorial work at kicker Resignation of the Scientific Advisory Board of the E-Sport Association Schleswig-Holstein (EVSH)

 Resignation from TSV 186o Munich

 Withdrawal from writing guest articles for tχn Ma- gazin, mein-mmo and others.

I will continue to be active in the e-sports and gaming market on a part-time and voluntary basis. This mainly concerns ongoing projects and a few selected requests. Beyond that, I will work more in the background from now on and only appear in public very rarely.

Besides two main jobs (writing, also outside e-sports, and HR), the over-

This was one of the reasons for my decision in the last few years. It has always been my ambition to complete every project on time and in the best possible way - which I hope I have succeeded in doing. Before I can no longer live up to this claim due to time constraints and the inconsistency of the e-sports market, I prefer to set the right course beforehand.

In future, I will be handling the writing via TS Writing & Ghost- writing. I am particularly looking forward to my new tasks in the HR area. Here I can be active in an innovative, regionally anchored, digitally affine and holistic environment - and that too in a top team.

For the time being, this will be my last LinkedIn post (article, contribution) that I publish on my own profile. Of course, I will still be active on the platform. But there will be no more announcements/changes on my own behalf.

Many thanks to all who have positively enriched the past years. You are great!

#writing #hrm #esports #esport

7 Announcement on LinkedIn (2)

(Temporary) end of the Esportionary and Esport- pedia projects (on my part)

As already announced, I am withdrawing from e-sports for a while. The main reason is that from June 2022 I will be much more active in my main job (HR, personnel). For further reasons, please see the following article at Gaming-Grounds.de - Das Spielemagazin:

https://lnkd.in/dU-2Q_WN

While I have already put my self-employment with schoeber.net and Book creation on hold, two other projects of mine are also being put on inactive status. This concerns the following projects, where I was allowed to be active as founder and leader:

1. #Esportionary - Think tank on e-sports

In terms of research, e-sports is still a relatively unexplored field. That's why we decided to found a think tank just under three years ago: https://lnkd.in/deQBKxRR. The result was Esportio- nary, with which we have been active more in the background.

Many thanks to all project partners, colleagues and scientists. If you are interested in e-sports research, I recommend taking a look at the Esports Research Network. Esportionary is inactive until further notice.

2. #Esportpedia - First analogue e-sports encyclopedia in the world

There are many databases on e-sports, but unfortunately most of them are only available online. That's why the idea for E- sportpedia was born in mid-2018, which is now published by Europe's largest sports publisher (Meyer & Meyer). Here, I was allowed to supervise the first four volumes as the author and academic director.

8 Announcement on LinkedIn (3)

Anticipation: Lectures at the Hochschule der Me- dien Stuttgart start next week

From 1ω.oχ.2o22 I may teach again on Tuesday evenings during the summer semester on e-sports.

In the summer semester of 2o21, ϋ female and 6 male students successfully completed the e-sports module at the #HdM. One student then decided to write his master's thesis on the topic of e-sports. I am allowed to be the second examiner here.

I am very pleased that Prof. Christof Seeger has again brought e-sports onto the curriculum in Stuttgart this year. Thematically, the following topics will also be covered in 2o22:

 Introduction and basics

 Genres and disciplines / E-sports in figures

 Organisations and structures

 Physical e-sports and tournaments

 E-sports and politics

 E-sports and society

 E-sports as an opportunity and dark side

 Professional e-sports

 E-sports as a phenomenon / The e-sportsman: Who is he?

It's wonderful that the German university landscape is becoming more heterogeneous and broader in terms of e-sports.

9 Announcement on LinkedIn (4)

Career change: More HR, less e-sports

From June 2022, I will