Location
Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
Event Website
https://hicss.hawaii.edu/
Start Date
7-1-2025 12:00 AM
End Date
10-1-2025 12:00 AM
Description
This study examines the impact of game patches on player and viewer counts in esports, specifically focusing on DotA 2 from 2013 to 2024. Patches, essential for maintaining game balance and introducing new content, also serve as tools for protocological control, compelling players to adapt to enforced updates and impacting their engagement. Through econometric analysis, including Interrupted Time Series (ITS) and Generalized Least Squares (GLS) models, this study explores the immediate and sustained effects of patches. Findings reveal that major patches significantly boost player counts, while frequent minor patches lead to a decrease, hinting at player fatigue. Viewer counts initially decline post-patch and then recover, suggesting a temporary shift from watching to playing. These results highlight the nuanced dynamics between game updates and player/viewer engagement, offering practical insights for game developers and contributing to the literature on digital design and protocological control in esports.
Recommended Citation
Liu, Kaiyue and Samiee, Samaneh, "Too much Patching? Protocological Control and Esports Player Counts" (2025). Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2025 (HICSS-58). 5.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-58/dsm/games_and_gaming/5
Too much Patching? Protocological Control and Esports Player Counts
Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
This study examines the impact of game patches on player and viewer counts in esports, specifically focusing on DotA 2 from 2013 to 2024. Patches, essential for maintaining game balance and introducing new content, also serve as tools for protocological control, compelling players to adapt to enforced updates and impacting their engagement. Through econometric analysis, including Interrupted Time Series (ITS) and Generalized Least Squares (GLS) models, this study explores the immediate and sustained effects of patches. Findings reveal that major patches significantly boost player counts, while frequent minor patches lead to a decrease, hinting at player fatigue. Viewer counts initially decline post-patch and then recover, suggesting a temporary shift from watching to playing. These results highlight the nuanced dynamics between game updates and player/viewer engagement, offering practical insights for game developers and contributing to the literature on digital design and protocological control in esports.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-58/dsm/games_and_gaming/5