Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate older adults’ social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). An online survey was developed and published on eight World of Warcraft (WoW) player forums to gather information about older gamers’ demographic characteristics, play patterns, social interactions in the game, and challenges facing older adults while playing WoW. Results indicate that as for their younger counterparts, older adults’ social interactions in MMORPGs are motivated by social, achievement, and immersion factors; can take place on several different levels; and can be casual or intimate. As in previous research, respondents in this study reported that playing MMORPGs offered older adults opportunities to sustain off-line relationships with family and real-life friends and to build meaningful and supportive relationships with game friends. This study also demonstrated that MMORPGs have the potential to function as a “third place” for older adults to socialize and be entertained as in a real-world club or coffee shop.
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