Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience
In recent years, technological advances and the introduction of social streaming platforms (e.g., Twitch) have contributed to an increase in the popularity of esports, a highly profitable industry with millions of active users. In this context, there is little evidence, if any, on how users perceive...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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Series: | Brain Sciences |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/10/1345 |
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author | Marco Mancini Patrizia Cherubino Giulia Cartocci Ana Martinez Gianluca Di Flumeri Luca Petruzzellis Michele Cimini Pietro Aricò Arianna Trettel Fabio Babiloni |
author_facet | Marco Mancini Patrizia Cherubino Giulia Cartocci Ana Martinez Gianluca Di Flumeri Luca Petruzzellis Michele Cimini Pietro Aricò Arianna Trettel Fabio Babiloni |
author_sort | Marco Mancini |
collection | DOAJ |
description | In recent years, technological advances and the introduction of social streaming platforms (e.g., Twitch) have contributed to an increase in the popularity of esports, a highly profitable industry with millions of active users. In this context, there is little evidence, if any, on how users perceive in-game advertising (IGA) and other key elements of the game viewing experience (e.g., facecam and chat) in terms of visual attention. The present eye-tracking study aimed at investigating those aspects, and introducing an eye-tracking research protocol specifically designed to accurately measure the visual attention associated with key elements of the game viewing experience. Results showed that (1) the ads available in the game view (IGAs) are capable altogether to attract 3.49% of the users’ visual attention; (2) the chat section draws 10.68% of the users’ visual attention and more than the streamer’s face, known as a powerful attentional driver; (3) the animated ad format elicits higher visual attention (1.46%) than the static format (1.12%); and (4) in some circumstances, the visual attention elicited by the ads is higher in the “Goal” scenes (0.69%) in comparison to “No-Goal” scenes (0.51%). Relevant managerial implications and future directions for the esports industry are reported and discussed. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:35:30Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-f461a9fa6ea14b769f4ca32715a5aebc |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2076-3425 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:35:30Z |
publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Brain Sciences |
spelling | doaj.art-f461a9fa6ea14b769f4ca32715a5aebc2023-11-23T23:13:56ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252022-10-011210134510.3390/brainsci12101345Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing ExperienceMarco Mancini0Patrizia Cherubino1Giulia Cartocci2Ana Martinez3Gianluca Di Flumeri4Luca Petruzzellis5Michele Cimini6Pietro Aricò7Arianna Trettel8Fabio Babiloni9BrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Physics, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Physics, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyBrainSigns Srl, Via Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, ItalyIn recent years, technological advances and the introduction of social streaming platforms (e.g., Twitch) have contributed to an increase in the popularity of esports, a highly profitable industry with millions of active users. In this context, there is little evidence, if any, on how users perceive in-game advertising (IGA) and other key elements of the game viewing experience (e.g., facecam and chat) in terms of visual attention. The present eye-tracking study aimed at investigating those aspects, and introducing an eye-tracking research protocol specifically designed to accurately measure the visual attention associated with key elements of the game viewing experience. Results showed that (1) the ads available in the game view (IGAs) are capable altogether to attract 3.49% of the users’ visual attention; (2) the chat section draws 10.68% of the users’ visual attention and more than the streamer’s face, known as a powerful attentional driver; (3) the animated ad format elicits higher visual attention (1.46%) than the static format (1.12%); and (4) in some circumstances, the visual attention elicited by the ads is higher in the “Goal” scenes (0.69%) in comparison to “No-Goal” scenes (0.51%). Relevant managerial implications and future directions for the esports industry are reported and discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/10/1345eye trackingvisual attentionesportsin-game advertising (IGA)Twitchadvertising |
spellingShingle | Marco Mancini Patrizia Cherubino Giulia Cartocci Ana Martinez Gianluca Di Flumeri Luca Petruzzellis Michele Cimini Pietro Aricò Arianna Trettel Fabio Babiloni Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience Brain Sciences eye tracking visual attention esports in-game advertising (IGA) Twitch advertising |
title | Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience |
title_full | Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience |
title_fullStr | Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience |
title_full_unstemmed | Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience |
title_short | Esports and Visual Attention: Evaluating In-Game Advertising through Eye-Tracking during the Game Viewing Experience |
title_sort | esports and visual attention evaluating in game advertising through eye tracking during the game viewing experience |
topic | eye tracking visual attention esports in-game advertising (IGA) Twitch advertising |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/10/1345 |
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