The Effect of Gender, Native English Speaking, and Age on Game Genre Preference and Gaming Motivations

Abstract

Gender, native English speaking, and age significantly effect game genre preference and gaming motivations. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression shows they explain 5 %–10 % of the variance in game genre preference and up to 7 % in gaming motivation. Gender coefficients show males prefer the competition-based First Person Shooter (FPS) games while females prefer the immersion-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). Native English speaking coefficients show native English speakers prefer the text-heavy MMORPGs, while non-Native English speakers prefer the text-light Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBA) and FPS games. Age coefficients show younger players prefer MOBAs, while older players prefer FPS games. When it comes to gaming motivation, males are more driven by competition, while females are more driven by immersion and social motivations. Native English speaking only factors into two motivations related to immersion. Age coefficients show that gaming motivation decreases across the board as players grow older.