This thesis outlines the structure and functionality of a selection of webseries, webshows, and eSports casting examples, in order to add to the discourse on online video. Webtelevision, or Web TV production, distribution, and financing systems will be detailed in the case studies made; and industry actors such as entrepreneurs, independents, corporations and conglomerates will be discussed and identified. Who are the producers, the advertisers, the distribution platforms, the sponsors, the rights holders, and how do they interact? In exploring the structure of some examples of Web TV, I wish to debunk the online-amateur association as an inaccurate or insufficient description which permeates much prior academic study on online video. Webshow content, business strategies, legal and copyright issues, as well as fan culture aspects will also be investigated; and in regards to eSports, the question of televised as opposed to streamcast tournaments will be examined.

本文以近年來日益普及的實況直播為主題，從研究者自身的遊戲實況使用經驗出發，希望從宏觀的角度去理解：實況直播此一新興媒介技術是如何被人們所使用、其傳播的內容與形式又有何特性及意義。 　　基於上述問題意識，本文主要引介三個理論概念：Huizinga的遊戲人、Bakhtin的狂歡化以及McLuhan媒介即訊息的概念，試圖藉由前二者的理論來分析實況直播作為一群眾參與媒介互動場域的特性，並進一步延伸McLuhan的媒介觀點，以探看實況媒介技術在當代的實存意涵。 　　由於現今實況類型與平台相當多元，本文選擇以研究者本身最為熟悉的遊戲實況平台Twitch.tv為分析場域，並同時使用網路民族誌與深度訪談法二種方法來進行資料蒐集。本研究發現，聊天室或訂閱贊助的回應功能強化了觀眾作為「參與者」的地位，而實況也成為一個眾人共同參與、玩耍(Play)的暫時性媒介場域。本研究也指出，聊天室時常出現的洗頻現象其實是一種群眾的集體起鬨過程，而群眾的言談行動之間也充滿日常生活所不容見的、狂歡化的性質與氛圍，人們並藉此解放日常生活的限制與壓力。 　　此種隨時隨地且即時發生的「媒介狂歡」其實代表著，透過參與實況媒介，人們得以隨意地在集體連結與個體自由之間來回，這不僅是如同黃厚銘與林意仁（2013）所描繪的「流動的群聚」，更是呼應了McLuhan所預言的「再部落化」的意涵，人們宛如重返部落時代的集體參與、互動的即時現場，而此種變革更可能重塑人類的感官經驗、社交生活乃至存有本質。 / Inspired from researcher’s experience of using live streaming media, this study aimed to understand the usage of this new media technique, what characteristics it shows and what significance it implies. Based on the goals above, three main theories were referenced, including Johan Huizinga’s “Homo Ludens”, Mikhail Bakhtin’s “Carnival” and Marshall McLuhan’s concepts about media technology. Researcher analyzed the characteristic of live streaming media as an interactive field based on the first two theories mentioned, and further discussed the meanings and influences of live streaming media with McLuhan’s theory of media viewpoint. This study chose twitch.tv to be the field of analysis because researcher is familiar with it the most and took Netnography and In-Depth Interview as research methods. The result of this study indicated that the reply functions on streaming platform allow audience to participate, making the streaming media as a temporary interactive field where audiences can interact and play with others. Moreover, when a live streaming is on, the unceasing comment spamming phenomenon by users in chat room can be explained as the crowd at a Carnival, which is unusual and inappropriate in daily life. Therefore, users can release the pressure in their everyday lives. Such Carnival form of live streaming media indicated that people are free to move back and forth between collective connection and personal space, which is not only similar to the concept of “mob-lity” proposed by Huang & Lin(2013), but also embodied McLuhan’s idea of “re-tribalize”. The participation and interaction among streaming media users may reconstruct the sensation and nature of the human beings.

Det har kommit att bli allt vanligare att företag använder spelifieringselement på sina produkter för att motivera och engagera sina användare. Tidigare studier som undersökte spelifiering visar att dessa element har båda positiva och negativa effekter på användarna, samt att flera forskare har börjat undersöka etiska frågeställningar av användningen av spelifiering. Detta arbete har syftat till att undersöka den påverkan som spelifieringselement kan ha på Twitch-åskådare. Genom kvalitativa enkäter och kompletterande intervjuer undersöktes åskådarnas positiva och negativa upplevelser av spelifieringselement på Twitch. Studien omfattade 34 enkätdeltagare som rekryterades genom att posta enkätformuläret i Twitch-relaterade Facebook grupper, Twitch-relaterade Reddit webbplats samt bland studenterna på Högskolan i Skövde. Med hjälp av enkätanalysen identifierades olika aspekter som undersöktes med två stycken intervjudeltagare som rekryterades genom ett kriteriebaserat bekvämlighetsurval. Genom en kvalitativ analys kom studien fram till ett resultat som visar positiva och negativa effekter som spelifiering har på Twitch-åskådarna. Resultatet kan ligga till grund för fortsatt studie kring hur spelifiering kan användas och vilka aspekter bör designers ta hänsyn till. / It has become increasingly common for businesses to use gamification elements to enhance motivation and engagement with their products. Previous studies examining gamification show that gamification has both positive and negative effects on end-users. Ethical issues have also been raised, as concerning, by some in the scientific community. This study aimed to investigate what effect some gamification elements have on Twitch viewers. Twitch viewer experience has been examined through the use of qualitative surveys and complementary interviews. The study included 34 surveys and two interview participants that were recruited through criterion-based selection. The study findings reflect both the positive and negative effects of some gamification elements that are used on the Twitch platform. The findings of this study can be used as a basis for further research on how gamification effect Twitch viewers. As well as a base guideline for future improvements on usage of gamification elements.