Los deportes electrónicos en la Argentina : entre industrialización incipiente y espíritu de época

Abstract

Los deportes electrónicos son un fenómeno mediático-cultural cuya insipiencia, no solo a nivel global, sino particularmente a nivel local, nos permite abordar el desarrollo de procesos de industrialización, mediatización e intermediación de nuevos productos de consumo cultural. Con esta perspectiva como punto de partida, y desde una estrategia metodológica cualitativa, examinamos paralelismos entre este y otros fenómenos, en particular con el fenómeno youtuber/influencer, que lo precede casi genealógicamente. Este examen arroja luz sobre ciertos anclajes del proceso en cuestiones que hacen a la cultura empresarial y emprendedora, a la centralidad de las estructuralidades y la idea de orden y jerarquía y a modelos de liderazgo que se alejan de lo carismático para dar hacer lugar a lo legal. Con esto entendemos a los procesos de industrialización de los deportes electrónicos como una posible evidencia de –o al menos invitación a la reflexión sobre– un regreso a formas de hacer industria cultural más propias de lo moderno que de lo posmoderno, e incluso, quizás, reflejo de un nuevo espíritu de época.

Electronic sports (or esports) are a media-cultural phenomenon. And their emergence — at both the global and (in particular) local levels — allows us to examine the industrialization, mediatization, and intermediation of new products of cultural consumption. From this point of view, and via a qualitative methodology, we draw parallels between this and other phenomena, especially YouTubers and influencers, who precede esports almost as family relatives. Our analy-sis sheds light on certain key aspects of this process, including corporate and entrepreneurial culture, the centrality of structures, the idea of order and hierarchy, and the prevalence of lea-dership models that move away from the charismatic and towards the legal. In looking at these issues, we see the industrialization of esports as possible evidence for (or an invitation to reflect on) the return of a modern (rather than postmodern) cultural industry — and perhaps even the rise of a new zeitgeist.

Electronic sports (or esports) are a media-cultural phenomenon. And their emergence — at both the global and (in particular) local levels — allows us to examine the industrialization, mediatization, and intermediation of new products of cultural consumption. From this point of view, and via a qualitative methodology, we draw parallels between this and other phenomena, especially YouTubers and influencers, who precede esports almost as family relatives. Our analy-sis sheds light on certain key aspects of this process, including corporate and entrepreneurial culture, the centrality of structures, the idea of order and hierarchy, and the prevalence of lea-dership models that move away from the charismatic and towards the legal. In looking at these issues, we see the industrialization of esports as possible evidence for (or an invitation to reflect on) the return of a modern (rather than postmodern) cultural industry — and perhaps even the rise of a new zeitgeist.