Chinese Gamers Research Articles

An Exploration of the Consumption Psychology of Young Chinese Online Game Consumers on Game Top-ups

With the rapid development of digital technology, China's online gaming industry has occupied an important position in the global landscape, and the number of young gamers has continued to increase. This study investigates the psychological factors that influence the game consumption behavior of young Chinese gamers, focusing on their motivations for consumption. By surveying 80 participants, the analysis found that key factors such as peer pressure, attractive recharge rewards, and promotions are important drivers of their consumption decisions. Research shows that these factors often encourage young users to make impulse purchases. In order to minimize the possible negative effects of excessive game-related spending, this paper proposes intervention strategies to promote responsible gaming behavior. The recommended measures include raising awareness of rational consumption, setting appropriate spending limits, and cultivating healthier gaming habits. These strategies aim to reduce adverse effects while achieving a more balanced gaming experience. The results provide meaningful insights into the consumption behavior of young Chinese gamers and provide practical recommendations for educators, policymakers, and parents to better support the well-being of young gamers.

Fan translation of video games in China: The case of Deeptrans

Following the Chinese State Council’s ban on commercial gaming consoles and the rise of computer game piracy, foreign video game companies began to withdraw from investing in Chinese game translations in the early 2000s. In response, fan translation emerged as an alternative for Chinese gamers. ‘Fan translation’ refers to unofficial translations produced by enthusiasts for various types of media. Specifically, fan translation of video games involves online collaboration among players to translate foreign titles, with the goal of providing an accessible and enjoyable experience that stays true to the original content. In light of the growing community of video game fan translators in China, this study offers a comprehensive examination of the phenomenon. The research focuses on the internal dynamics and organization of Deeptrans, a Chinese group dedicated to video game fan translation. The article begins by exploring the challenges and defining characteristics of video game fan translation, supported by a brief literature review due to the limited scholarship available on the subject. Next, the methodology is outlined, detailing a qualitative case study approach that analyzes archival documents produced by Deeptrans members during their translation of the video game X4: Foundations (Egosoft, 2018). The third section presents and analyzes the results, highlighting the methods employed by Deeptrans members to carry out their translation tasks, which align with the concept of a community of practice. This community shares a common interest, set of challenges, and passion for the video game X4: Foundations, fostering a knowledge base that encompasses orientation, linguistic skills, and expertise developed through regular interaction. Members utilize computer tools to collaborate effectively, operating within an informal hierarchy characterized by role division and distributed leadership. Collaborative discussions play a pivotal role, enabling members to support one another and find optimal solutions to the challenges encountered in their work. Through collective participation and regular interactions, individual and practical knowledge becomes objectified and transformed into a shared repertoire. The primary aims of this community of practice are to strengthen group cohesion, improve the efficiency of game translation tasks, and facilitate collective learning. The concluding section of the article revisits the study, providing a deeper understanding of the phenomenon as a whole, including considerations of copyright and translation quality.

Validation of the 12-item Gamification User Types Hexad Scale in 1,610 Hong Kong Young Gamers

AbstractThe present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Gamification User Types Hexad Scale (Hexad) and validate the 12-item short version (Hexad-12) in the Chinese context. An online survey recruited 1,610 young gamers aged between 11 and 29 (mean age = 23.1, SD = 4.18) in Hong Kong between May and June 2023, who completed the Hexad-24 and other validated measures. Factorial validity and measurement invariance of Hexad were evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity of Hexad factors was examined with demographic and gaming characteristics, social support, internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, and hikikomori. The 6-factor model provided mediocre fits (comparative fit index < 0.90 and standardized root mean square residuals > 0.07) to the original 24-item Hexad but adequate fits (comparative fit index = 0.97 and standardized root mean square residuals < 0.04) to Hexad-12 in split samples with substantial factor loadings and acceptable reliability. The Hexad-12 factors showed scalar measurement invariance across gender, age groups, and game genre. Disruptor was positively and moderately to strongly correlated with IGD and depressive symptoms, hikikomori, and suicidal ideation. Philanthropist and socializer were positively and moderately correlated with social support and meaning in life; free-spirits and achievers were negatively and weakly correlated with IGD and depressive symptoms, hikikomori, and suicidal ideation. The present findings demonstrated adequate psychometric properties for the Hexad-12, supporting its use for brief assessment of Chinese gamers' user types.

Exploring the associated characteristics of Internet gaming disorder from the perspective of various game genres.

Although previous studies have reported several characteristics associated with Internet gaming disorder (IGD), the influence of game genre on IGD has rarely been investigated. This study thus aimed to compare demographic characteristics, gaming patterns, personality traits, and gaming motivations among players in different game genres, as well as identify the associated characteristics of genre-specific IGD. Internet games were classified into four types: role-playing games (RPGs), strategy (STR) games, action shooter (ACS) games, and brain and skill (BRS) games. Chinese gamers (n = 5,593) who usually played one of these games completed an anonymous online survey that included sociodemographic characteristics, gaming patterns, gaming motivations, the Chinese version of the Video Gaming Dependency Scale (VGD-S), and the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory Brief Version (CBF-PI-B). Significant differences were found between the genre-specific groups regarding age, gender, relationship status, VGD-S score, gaming patterns, and personality traits (e.g., RPG and STR players were more vulnerable to developing IGD compared to ACS and BRS players). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the associated characteristics of IGD were slightly different within each genre-specific group after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Among them, daily gaming time and motivation for sensation seeking and escaping reality were associated with IGD development within the genre-specific group. Individuals in each game genre exhibited distinct characteristics that might predict IGD development (e.g., gaming patterns and personality traits). Game genre preferences should be considered in the early prevention and treatment of IGD to help high-risk individuals' recovery. Additionally, more research should be conducted to explore RPG and STR game characteristics.

Development and Validation of a Risk Assessment Tool for Gaming Disorder in China: The Gaming Hazard Assessment Scale.

Despite the growing research interest in gaming disorder, risk screening tools developed specifically for the Chinese population are still lacking. This study aimed to construct a screening tool to evaluate the risk of gaming disorder (GD) development, by assessing the severity of GD symptoms among Chinese gamers, based on clinical expert interviews, structured interviews with GD patients, a background literature review, and IGD/GD criteria proposed by the DSM-5 and ICD-11. It introduced the Gaming Hazard Assessment Scale—a multidimensional GD risk screening tool—and evaluated the dimension structure, reliability, and validity of the scale among 959 Chinese gamers. A three-level structure, consisting of 18 items scored from 0 to 54, ultimately indicated satisfactory reliability, good validity, and acceptable model fit. The scale will help large-scale initial screening and early identification of patients with a high risk of GD. Further evaluation of the Gaming Hazard Assessment Scale in clinical settings is highly recommended.

Validation of the metacognitions about online gaming scale (MOGS) among Chinese gamers

With the largest online gamer population worldwide and a heightened rate of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), China has a long-lasting need to identify salient correlates of IGD and provide corresponding assessment tools to support cost-effective IGD screening and interventions. To respond to such a need, the present study aimed to validate the Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale (MOGS) among Chinese gamers to provide an additional tool for promoting studies investigating metacognition, a promising and newly emerged correlate of IGD, in China. To evaluate the psychometric properties of MOGS, we collected data from 1340 Chinese university students with gaming experiences (59.3% female, Mage = 19.84 years), in which 262 of them also participated in the one-month retest. Our results indicated that the Chinese version of MOGS has a two-factor structure and satisfactory reliabilities (α = 0.90 and 0.92, ICC = 0.60 and 0.64, AVE = 0.56 and 0.70, ρc = 0.88 and 0.92). Moreover, MOGS’s convergent validity was evidenced by the expected, positive associations with generic metacognitions, stress, and IGD tendency (r (1338) = 0.29-0.55, p < 0.001) as well as significant MOGS differences between probable IGD and non-IGD gamers (p < 0.001). A 6-item, short-form MOGS, which displayed equivalent psychometric soundness as its full-scale counterpart, was also developed. As the first study to validate MOGS among Chinese gamers, the present study attested to the readiness of this measure in facilitating further studies of gaming-specific metacognitions for early identification of and tailored interventions for high-risk gamers in China.

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Internet Gaming Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC) Among Chinese Adolescents.

As the first DSM-5 based, multidimensional screening tool of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) designed for Chinese gamers, the Chinese Internet Gaming Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC) has shown satisfactory psychometric properties among Chinese young adults. Given the high vulnerability to IGD among adolescents, the present study aimed to examine the applicability of C-IGDC to Chinese adolescents to address shortfalls in the existing literature regarding the assessment of adolescent IGD screening. Through a two-stage sampling method in a cross-sectional survey, we obtained a sample of 1,253 Chinese past-year adolescent gamers (43.8% female; Mage = 14.49 years, SDage = 1.60 years) from local junior or senior high schools in Macao, China for data analysis. Our results confirmed a good model fit of the original two-level, nine-subfactor structure of the 27-item C-IGDC, and indicated adequate internal consistency and test–retest reliability, as well as good concurrent validity as evidenced by expected associations with IGD functioning impairments, gameplay characteristics, and depressive symptoms. An optimal screening cutoff score (≥20) was proposed to identify probable disordered gamers among Chinese adolescents with past-year gaming experience. The findings support the extended use of C-IGDC to Chinese adolescents as a reliable and valid assessment tool for evaluating IGD severity levels and screening for probable IGD cases. Its use can facilitate a proper screening procedure for probable IGD cases in both school and clinical settings.

The Development of a Screening Tool for Chinese Disordered Gamers: The Chinese Internet Gaming Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC).

Despite the increasing research attention being paid to gaming disorder globally, a screening tool developed specifically for the Chinese population is still lacking. This study aims to address this gap by constructing a screening tool to assess Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptomology, defined by the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), among Chinese gamers. Based on expert interviews and consultations, a focus group of gamers, a background literature review, and the IGD criteria proposed by the DSM-5, we developed the Chinese Internet Gaming Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC). This study evaluated its dimensional structure, reliability, validity, and screening efficacy with 464 Chinese past-year gamers (53% female; mean age = 19.84). The two-level structure of the 27-item C-IGDC showed a satisfactory model fit, acceptable reliability, as well as good validity via expected associations with Internet addiction, gameplay frequency, and depressive symptoms. The optimal screening cutoff score (≥20) was proposed to detect probable IGD cases. The C-IGDC is the first DSM-5-based, multidimensional IGD screening tool designed specifically for Chinese gamers. Further evaluation of the C-IGDC in epidemiological studies and clinical settings is recommended.

A Comparative Study on Korean and Chinese Gaming Terminology

Korea and China share cultural commonalities, but at the same time they also have many differences in language use. Within the context of gaming culture, the two countries’ shared characteristics encompass an enjoyment of participation in the gaming community, while using different and distinct gaming terminology. This research first examines the terminology used in the gaming cultures of Korea and China, as well as the criteria for language creation and characteristics of terminology generation in the two countries. Finally, it analyzes the similarities and differences in Korean and Chinese gamers’ attitudes toward the common culture between the two countries.

Extending the self: Player-avatar relations and presence among U.S. and Chinese gamers

This study investigated how player-avatar interaction (PAX) and player-avatar relationship (PAR) are associated with spatial presence, social presence, and self-presence in video games, and additionally how the associations differ between Chinese and American players. American and Chinese players were recruited to answer a survey king about these variables. The survey was translated from English to Chinese for the different samples. Regression models and ANOVA analysis were used to analyze data, and the results revealed several significant associations between dimensions of PAX and the three types of presence. Additionally, results indicated that player-avatar relationships characterized by identity play and extension are generally associated with higher level of presence than the other two relationship types. Cultural differences were also found, with American and Chinese players differing in how PAR associated with social presence. Thus, the present study adds more understanding to presence in video game, avatar-moderated gameplay, and cross-cultural differences in video gaming, and suggests avenues for future research.

The Effects of Need Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction on Flourishing among Young Chinese Gamers: The Mediating Role of Internet Gaming Disorder.

Given the increasing popularity of online game playing, the negative impacts of game addiction on both adolescents and adults attracted our attention. Previous studies based on the self-determination theory have examined the effects of the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on problematic video game playing among Chinese young adults. Yet, as more evidence emerged pointing to the possible relation between need dissatisfaction and higher vulnerability for ill-being and psychopathology, the present study aimed to incorporate the impacts of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in explaining Internet gaming disorder (IGD), a condition that may in turn impede eudaimonic well-being as indicated by flourishing. In a self-administered online survey with a valid sample of 1200 Chinese young adults aged 18–24 years (mean age = 19.48 years), the prevalence of probable IGD (for those who reported five or more symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) symptom list for IGD) was 7.5%. Our results showed that relatedness dissatisfaction positively predicted IGD symptoms after controlling for other need satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Also, flourishing was found to be negatively predicted by IGD. Finally, IGD was found to mediate the effect of relatedness dissatisfaction on flourishing. Our findings suggested a risk factor of relatedness dissatisfaction in predicting IGD, thereby significantly predicting flourishing.

The Intention to Play Online Games in China

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of online game properties, social interaction, and player satisfaction on intention to online games in Chinese gamers. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is an empirical analysis assuming that properties of online games, social interaction and satisfaction will induce Chinese gamers' intention to play online games. We set the relationship between the six variables as follows. First, the properties of online games, exogenous variables, were identified by three factors: entertainment, security, participation and challenge. Second, we had input social interaction among gamers as another exogenous variables. Third, the gamer's satisfaction of online games was added to the research model as a mediating variable between exogenous variables and endogenous variables. Finally, gamer's intention to play influenced by satisfaction and social interaction was used as final endogenous variable. The data used for the empirical analysis were collected through questionnaires for Chinese under age 35 who enjoy the online games. The data used in the research were finally extracted from 195 questionnaires. The collected data were tested through the analysis of the measurement model (Step 1) and the analysis of the structural model (Step 2). The covariance structure equation model (SEM) was used for the analysis. The measurement model and structural model were evaluated by the maximum likelihood method. Results - The results of the empirical analysis are as follows. The satisfaction of online games were entertainment and security had a significant effect to satisfaction; but participation and challenge and social interaction had no significant effect on satisfaction. The social interaction among gamers and the satisfaction with online games have a significant influence on the intention to play online games. As a result, the attributes of the game were affecting the intention to play the game after satisfaction. Social interaction influenced the intention to play online games rather than satisfaction itself. Conclusions - This study provide some practical implications for the new companies who want to enter the online game industry and seek to competitiveness in China, and provide theoretical implications on the role of interaction among gamers in the study of online games.

Motives for online gaming questionnaire: Its psychometric properties and correlation with Internet gaming disorder symptoms among Chinese people.

Background and aimsInternet gaming disorder (IGD) imposes a potential public health threat worldwide. Gaming motives are potentially salient factors of IGD, but research on Chinese gaming motives is scarce. This study empirically evaluated the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (C-MOGQ), the first inventory that measures seven different gaming motives applicable to all type of online games. We also investigated the associations between various gaming motives and IGD symptoms among Chinese gamers.MethodsThree hundred and eighty-three Chinese adult online gamers (Mean age = 23.7 years) voluntarily completed our online, anonymous survey in December 2015.ResultsThe confirmatory factor analysis results supported a bi-factor model with a general factor subsuming all C-MOGQ items (General Motivation) and seven uncorrelated domain-specific factors (Escape, Coping, Fantasy, Skill Development, Recreation, Competition, and Social). High internal consistencies of the overall scale and subscales were observed. The criterion-related validity of this Chinese version was also supported by the positive correlations of C-MOGQ scale scores with psychological need satisfaction and time spent gaming. Furthermore, we found that high General Motivation (coupled with high Escape motive and low Skill Development motive) was associated with more IGD symptoms reported by our Chinese participants.Discussion and conclusionsOur findings demonstrated the utility of C-MOGQ in measuring gaming motives of Chinese online gamers, and we recommend the consideration of both its total score and subscale scores in future studies.

Gamers’ confidants: Massively Multiplayer Online Game participation and core networks in China

Through a survey of more than 18,000 participants in a Chinese Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), this study examines how the size and diversity of Chinese gamers’ core networks vary by individuals’ sociodemographic, socioeconomic and game-related characteristics. It represents the first study focusing exclusively on the gamer population and one of the most recent examining personal networks in contemporary China, home to over 560 million Internet users. We found that Chinese gamers have notably larger and more diverse core networks than those of major studies. Coplaying patterns and attachment to the game community contributed significantly to network size and diversity.

Flow Experience While Computer Gaming: Empirical Study

Video/computer/online gaming acquired great popularity. A series of studies show that gaming is accompanied by flow experience (the term coined M. Csikszentmihalyi), which is associated with intrinsic motivation, creativity and life happiness. The study was held with Chinese adolescent and adult gamers (N = 1574). A 24-item questionnaire (available in English, Russian and French) was adapted to be used within a Chinese population. The results show that Chinese gamers experience low level of Flow during gameplay sessions; males experience flow more frequently compared to females; adolescents experience flow more often than adults. Chinese gamers seldom express facts of immersion during play sessions. In sum, Chinese players seldom regard playing video/compu- ter/online games a reasonable way to attain intrinsic motivation and flow. This result is discussed and supposedly rooted in the social ideals of collectivism in Chinese culture, according to which individuality is not encouraged.

Game playing as transnational cultural practice: A case study of Chinese gamers and Korean MMORPGs

The objective of this study is to organise the range and the content of a cultural studies of games, to find the cultural meanings of game playing in a transnational setting, and to analyse the example of Chinese gamers who enjoy Korean online games. We claim there is a need to pursue the cultural studies of games and introduce the concept of hybridity to assist in the understanding of the circulation and consumption of online games. The case study of Chinese gamers showed a duality of game narratives and a multiplicity of gamers, suggesting that the transnational consumption of games is a hybrid consumption of hybridity.

Leveling Up

A common way theorists look at virtual worlds is to see them as spaces separated from the real world; other theorists challenge this position by arguing that life online often crosses the threshold between the real and the virtual. Here, the author argues that the problem of the division between the real and the virtual has its roots in a philosophical distinction between the transcendent and the immanent. This article examines ethical controversies in the Chinese massively multiplayer online game Zhengtu, a popular “freemium” game in which the players who spend the most real-world money become the most powerful. Drawing on player’s ethical judgments and classical Chinese philosophy, the author sees how Chinese gamers do not see the game world as an opportunity to create an alternative self, but instead are encouraged to use the game to improve their holistic selves, a project which is inevitably connected to Beijing’s neoliberal goals.

Virtual property in China: The emergence of gamer rights awareness and the reaction of game corporations

This study focuses on the social formation of game virtual property through analyzing two of its major stakeholders in China: online gamers and game corporations. Based on analysis of the opinions, stakes, and demands of the Chinese gamers, I argue that they are developing an incipient ‘gamer rights’ awareness composed of gamers’ entitlements to virtual property ownership as well as to virtual property rights protection by the state and game publishers. Based on analysis of the stakes and strategic actions of Chinese game publishers, I show that these corporations promulgate a self-serving version of gamer rights protection campaigns and pass the social responsibility of virtual property governance to the state. This study’s findings provide empirical evidence to support theoretical and legal recognition of virtual property, government involvement in virtual-world governance, and the ‘right to play’ critique.

The First Course in Japan on Simulation and Gaming

In 1997, the author created the first officially approved course in Japan on simulation and gaming at his university. To diffuse gaming/simulation as a management tool in a country where little or no such methodology is used, a native must first make experiential learning abroad through participation in design process and facilitation of gaming/simulation. Thanks to Richard Duke, the author had the good fortune to participate in designing process and facilitation of gaming/simulation. Soon, his lab will start supplying young Japanese and Chinese gamers in the management field. At least some of the graduates will become researchers and/or practitioners who teach gaming/simulation as a management support system. The number of gamers in this field can increase in geometric progression, and the dawn of the gaming/simulation age in Japan is approaching.