Abstract

After the console game era in the 1980s and 1990s, Korea is a leading country that has created and spread the modern e-sports industry since the 2000s. The reason why the early e-sports industry was able to be activated in Korea is that Korea has led e-sports to the sportainment. As e-sports has shown influence in the sports industry and the cultural industry in Korea, many related studies have been conducted. Previous studies mainly focused on research related to the formation of the e-sports industry, and e-sports broadcasting and audience communication. This study is with a sense of problem that research on the content characteristics of early e-sports is needed. This study argues that storytelling is important in the conceptualization and industrialization of e-sports in Korea. In particular, the storytelling strategy of e-sports broadcasting played a key role in the industrial expansion of early e-sports. E-sports is similar to professional wrestling in its nature as a sports and entertainment event. In particular, Starcraft broadcasting, which made a decisive contribution to the popularization of early e-sports, was influenced by professional wrestling's character storytelling strategy in building narrative fun of content and forming a popular fandom. In order to examine the storytelling strategy of early Korean e-sports, this paper examines the background, birth process, and fun elements of e-sports in Korea, and studies Starcraft broadcasting and its storytelling strategies to maximize its enjoyment. Through this, it will be possible to track the significance of early Korean e-sports storytelling strategies on the popularization and spread of the e-sports industry. Through this, it is expected that a different perspective can be presented in the industrialization process of early e-sports and the academic conceptualization of e-sports.