Overcoming American exceptionalism and media antipathy via the digital pitch: soccer, attitudinal change, and video game play

This study explored if the FIFA video game influenced attitudes about and affinity for soccer. In the US soccer has been construed as a foreign sport played by immigrants and has suffered from media antipathy–failing to gain traction against home-grown sports like basketball, (American) football, and baseball. The FIFA video game, the most popular sports video game in the world, however may be changing the perception of soccer in the US. To test this premise a survey questionnaire was distributed to a population of gamers and non-gamers. Results indicated that those who played FIFA did in fact have more favourable attitudes about and affinity for soccer compared to non-gamers. Furthermore, game engagement did not appear to influence attitudes about and affinity for soccer and how one felt about soccer before playing FIFA did not produce differences in immersion with the game or time spent playing it.