Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games Research Articles

Impact of Role Playing Games on Child and Adolescents: A Brief Overview

Internet gaming is recognized as a psychiatric disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and International Classification of Disease, version 11 (ICD-11) ‘Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and gaming disorder (GD), respectively. A strong association was seen between internet gaming behaviour and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, suicidal ideation, behavioural disorders, social phobia, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and personality disorders. But the more profound nexus and causative relationship between internet games and psychiatric disorders are yet to unfold. Gross observations indicate a bidirectional relationship between internet gaming behaviours and psychiatric morbidities.
 With the advent of advanced gaming technology, such as Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and Role-playing Games (RPGs) and their increasing use by children and adolescents again revamp the quest for some fundamental questions like how internet games affect our brains. Do video games predispose individuals to psychiatric disorders? If at all internet gaming is predisposed to psychiatric disorders, then how? For all practical purposes, we restrict our discussion to Role-playing Games only.

Exploring the association between the Proteus effect and intention to play massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)

PurposeMassive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are representative metaverse games that are thriving in academia and the industry. This study aims to develop an integrated model based on Yee's motivations and the Proteus effect to explore individuals' intentions of playing MMORPGs.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered by conducting an online survey (n = 441) for the players of World of Warcraft, an MMORPG. The collected data were analyzed with a structural equation model.FindingsThe outcomes of this research reveal that the Proteus effect positively influenced the intentions of the players to play the game via mediations of social, immersion, achievement motivations and enjoyment. Furthermore, the players influenced by the Proteus effect, which enables avatar embodiment and identification, exhibited a stronger intention to play MMORPGs.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first attempts to establish a theoretical framework involving the Proteus effect and Yee's motivations. In addition, the findings of this study imply that the Proteus effect should be considered when investigating the individual experience of metaverse games.

User Review Analysis of Microtransactions in Freemium Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Using Structural Topic Modeling

This study investigated player responses to microtransactions in freemium Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), specifically focusing on the game LostArk using English language review data. To this end, structural topic modeling was employed and the following six microtransaction-relevant topics were identified: microtransactions, developer issues, real money trade (RMT), random number generator (RNG) upgrade system, game content, and collectibles & adventure. The first four topics were classified as being "not recommended". However, the proportions of microtransaction-related topics were relatively lower than the other topics. Additionally, this study did not extract keywords related to unfairness and unethical issues in previous microtransaction research. The last two topics, game content, and collectibles & adventure were "recommended" topics, indicating positive functions of microtransactions such as enhancing the game experience by purchasing virtual items. Moreover, it was found that players who do not engage in microtransactions can still be satisfied through continuous game content updates. Additionally, an examination of the interaction effect between time and recommendation status revealed that while the frequency with which the six microtransaction-related topics were mentioned increased over time in the reviews, the ratio of recommendations to non-recommendations varied differently. This study contributes to game-related research by revealing players' authentic opinions on microtransactions in freemium MMORPGs, thereby providing practical implications for game companies.

Emotions and online gaming experiences: An examination of MMORPG gamers from India and the United States

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) constitute a genre of online games that has enjoyed phenomenal market success due to in-game purchases and push advertising. Despite the genre's popularity, little is known about players' experiences with these games. Using an Indian panel of 319 players and a U.S. panel of 425 players, we examined multiple game experiences and the impacts of each on players' satisfaction and replay intentions. Study 1 explored Indian players' positive and negative feelings; findings showed that positive feelings positively influenced flow, immersive, and social experiences, whereas negative feelings had no significant effects on other game experiences. Study 2 addressed U.S. players' game experiences as well as their satisfaction and replay intentions. While positive feelings and flow experiences positively affected players' satisfaction and replay intentions, immersive experience did not. Social experiences played a positive role in players' satisfaction but did not influence their replay intentions. Results highlight the importance of positive game experiences and carry managerial implications for game marketers and designers.

The Effects of an MMORPG on Thai EFL University Students’ Reading for Main Ideas

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of using a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) as a tool for improving students’ English reading skills, specifically in identifying main ideas. The study employed a quasi-experimental method to gather comprehensive data, including pre-tests and post-tests consisting of 25 items each, to measure students’ performance before and after utilizing the MMORPG. Additionally, a 15-question questionnaire was used to assess students’ perceptions of using an MMORPG for reading instruction, and semi-structured interviews comprised of five questions were conducted to delve deeper into students’ experiences and opinions. A purposive sample of 35 students enrolled in an English reading course at a university in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand was selected for participation. The findings reveal a significant improvement in participants’ post-test scores compared to their pre-test scores (the results of participants’ post-test scores increased from the pre-test scores at 6.657, p = .000), indicating enhanced understanding of main ideas through MMORPG based instruction. Moreover, the majority of participants expressed enjoyment and enhanced learning experiences using the MMORPG approach. This research study has implications for course developers, emphasizing the importance of a systematic process in MMORPG design and exploring the pedagogical benefits of incorporating an MMORPG as an alternative teaching method for similar subjects.

Massive online multiplayer games as an environment for English learning among Iranian EFL students

Research has shown that massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have the potential to offer language learning opportunities. However, there is a dearth of research exploring student attitudes about the potential of these games for language learning. We used the language learning principles framework proposed by Brown and Lee (2015) to explore the attitudes of informal Iranian EFL gamers about the potential of the MMORPG environment for language learning. Using a mixed-methods approach, data collected by means of a questionnaire (N = 500) and semi-structured interviews (N = 20) showed that participant attitudes aligned with eight language learning principles (i.e. autonomy, transfer, reward, self-regulation, identity and investment, interaction, languaculture, and agency). The findings of the study highlight the potential of the MMORPG environment for language learning. Parents and EFL teachers should consider the potential affordances of the MMORPG environment as an alternative or complement to formal English language learning environments.

Legal and Ethical Issues of Reverse Engineering the Video Game

A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a type of online video game that allows many players to participate in the game simultaneously; Players can interact with each other worldwide to cooperate or compete (Gose, 2014). Reverse engineering could enable the company to improve the efficiency and quality of the game product (CSCHEAFER, 2020). Video game companies could examine the strength of a game system while finding competing companies’ weaknesses in terms of security, interoperability, and performance (NC State University, n.d.). The author will analyze intellectual property laws to help understand how to protect the video game industry when implementing reverse engineering. Additionally, the author will explain how a video game companies could strengthen the legal and ethical frameworks for protecting the legal rights of the video game industry, such as the sale, distribution, licensing of games. When a company spends time and money to develop a new game, it should put itself into other inventors’ shoes to think about whether it is ethical and legal to reverse engineer others’ products without significantly hurting their economic benefits and intellectual property rights (GeeksPrep, n.d.). Moreover, this paper will illustrate the moral obligation of companies and the importance of minimizing the risk of harm to companies and inventors during reverse engineering products.

Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games to Enrich Vocabulary to Foreign Language Learners: The Implementation

Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) are increasingly used to improve language learning. Many games have been created as products to help players improve their learning abilities. This research explores the execution of the MMORPGs to improve their vocabulary. The information was gathered through observation, documentation, and interview. There are seven chosen experienced players of MMORPG in worldwide servers who meet the requirements. Results demonstrated that implementing MMORPG can assist the EFL learners with acquiring new vocabulary from the aspect of the game like socializing, guild, mission, storyline, trading market, and things depiction assist the EFL learners with learning new vocabulary. The results of the study were expected to help the EFL learner gamer learn English, especially vocabulary, since the game has many aspects that help the EFL learners who play this game to enrich their vocabulary.

Investigating the knowledge structure of research on massively multiplayer online role-playing games: A bibliometric analysis

As the concept of the Metaverse rapidly spread, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), one of the Metaverse games, received public's attention again. Additionally, MMORPGs have garnered significant academic interest in multidisciplinary fields, including human-computer interaction, computer science, and psychology. This study provides a general overview of the knowledge structures on MMORPGs in various academic fields using a bibliometric approach. To this end, we collected articles on MMORPGs published between 2001 and 2021 from the Web of Science. Then, main research forces in the field of MMORPGs are identified by examining productive authors, institutions, and countries/regions. Additionally, we applied VOSviewer to conduct co-citation analyses for identifying highly cited authors, journals, and literatures on MMORPGs. The results revealed that the USA and South Korea are the most productive countries. In addition, players' motivation, players' demographics, in-game social interaction, and pathological usage are the main research topics in the field. We expect that our results will help researchers and stakeholders to gain a general understanding of the development of the MMORPG academic field.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Generosity is Contagious in Multiplayer Online Games

Understanding social interactions and generous behaviors have long been of considerable interest in the social sciences community. While the contagion of generosity is documented in the real world, less is known about such phenomenon in virtual worlds and whether it has an actionable impact on user behavior and retention. In this work, we analyze social dynamics in the virtual world of the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Sky: Children of Light. We develop a framework to reveal the patterns of generosity in such social environments and provide empirical evidence of social contagion and contagious generosity. Players become more engaged in the game after playing with others and especially with friends. We also find that players who experience generosity first-hand or even observe other players conduct generous acts become more generous themselves in the future. Additionally, we show that both receiving and observing generosity lead to higher future engagement in the game. Since Sky resembles the real world from a social play aspect, the implications of our findings also go beyond this virtual world.

An Evaluation of the Factors Related to Internet Gaming Disorder in Young Adults.

Game addiction is a growing problem all over the world. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and psychological, social, and behavioral effects of internet gaming disorder (IGD) on young adults. A preliminary study was conducted and the game types most commonly played on the internet were determined. Then, approximately 60 gaming site managers were contacted. After obtaining consent, the questionnaires were sent to gaming site members and they were asked to complete the questionnaires. Data were collected through a sociodemographic form, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The study was conducted with 613 participants. The age of the participants ranged from 15 to 30 years, with a mean age of 20.80±4.63 years. The prevalence of IGD was 10% (n=67). Those with low-income families and low academic performance were identified as more likely to develop IGD. Moreover, IGD was revealed to be more likely in individuals with fewer close friends, playing games from an early age, and those with a habit of devoting extensive time to watching online game videos on Twitch or YouTube. In addition, the risk of gaming disorder was approximately two times higher in individuals who preferred First Person Shooter (FPS) games and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG). The results of this study could be useful for estimating the level of IGD and carrying out more comprehensive studies to possibly be able to control IGD.

An Area Recommendation Method Using Similarity Analysis for Play Patterns in MMORPG

Recently, game companies have been increasingly offering a variety of content in their games. The more this happens, the more players will need to consider what is best for them. Players who have played such a game may not find it difficult to play, but those who are not used to play may have a hard time finding content. Therefore, in this paper, we try to give a customized guide to players in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). We compare the similarity of growth speeds and visited areas, and then utilize this information to recommend the most similar characters. In this work, the K-means algorithm is used for clustering based on location, the Euclidean distance is calculated to recommend similar characters with similar growth speeds. In addition, Jaccard Similarity is introduced to recommend similar characters with similar access areas. Finally, we propose a method to recommend suitable areas by applying the access speed to the recommended characters in the previous steps. Our method achieves Precision and Recall of 0.74 and 0.81, respectively, on the real-life PvE (Player VS Environment) dataset.

Digital joint action: Avatar-mediated social interaction in digital spaces

This article proposes a framework to characterize joint action in digital spaces. “Digital joint action” maintains many known elements from physical, real-world joint action including representations relating to joint goals and individual subgoals, processes such as predicting and monitoring own and others' actions, and supporting coordination through signaling and direct communication. In contrast to social interaction in the real world, joint action performed online comes with a unique additional feature: Digital joint action is mediated through (more or less vividly visualized) avatars that are controlled by the individual users but also imply particular personas that come with their own skills and acting abilities. This makes digital joint action a highly interesting research field as it allows to investigate the cognitive principles of joint action that lie outside of the constraints of human physicality but are nevertheless embodied (i.e., in a virtual body). The aim of this article is two-fold: First, we introduce digital joint action as joint action between avatars in a digital environment, and we specify commonalities and differences between joint actions in the real world and in digital spaces to provide a framework for further research. Second, using a survey study among users of the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Final Fantasy XIV, we provide empirical validation for our approach.

Learner perceptions and effectiveness of using a massively multiplayer online role-playing game to improve EFL communicative competence

Although previous studies have investigated the effect of digital games on learning foreign languages, no research has examined how effective they are on learners’ perceptions regarding foreign language communicative competence development. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the use of a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) by English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners affects their communicative competence and perceptions. A case study was adopted as a research method in this study. The participants were undergraduate students from a state university in Turkey. A questionnaire and open-ended questions were administered online to collect the participants’ attitudes toward gaming as an EFL tool and their learning games experience. The findings showed that the participants had a positive experience as they could practice daily used vocabulary and phrases while speaking or chatting with other EFL speakers in the games. Further, they thought that these games provided plentiful opportunities to promote EFL learning through speaking and writing, and new vocabulary use. Finally, a large majority of the participants preferred to communicate with players from different countries. The results of this study implicate that MMORPG can be an effective support tool for EFL learners.

The seriousness of massive multiplayer online games: the case of Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes

ABSTRACT The massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMOG), Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes (SWGoH), inspired by the iconic film Star Wars, attracts many players who form guilds and play as a form of entertainment. This study aimed to explore how the activities performed in this online video game may help players develop certain types of competencies, and whether the competencies developed could be considered key elements in the performance of other, more serious, leisure-related activities. An explanatory case study research strategy was chosen with participant observation as the main method of data collection. Results show that SWGoH promotes the development of competencies before, during, and after play. The competencies most often observed were leadership, time management, team management, and goal-setting, while four key elements of the serious leisure perspective predominated: systematisation, perseverance, obligations and responsibilities, and skills and knowledge.

The components of the gaming consumption experience: From virtual realisation to real-world virtualisation

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) attract consumers looking for fun, experiences, and challenges. This research adopts an integrative perspective to focus on the gaming experience and its major components. This research studies how gaming affects real life and how real life affects virtual experience. We use in-depth interviews, a netnographic study, and a three-year ethnographic immersion. The results provide an overview of gamers’ consumption experience, its major components, and their links. MMORPGs appear to be a complex experience where virtual and real-life continuously interrelate. Gaming as a virtual experience affects gamers’ real lives (virtual realisation), and gamers’ real lives affect how they experience the game (real-world virtualisation). A significant contribution of our study is to show that gaming is not a process with clear, separated chronological steps. Gaming is an experience where boundaries between virtual and real-life are not delimited and where the virtual and real-life are far from disjointed experiences.

Predicting subscription renewal using binary classification in World of Warcraft

Multiplayer online video games in the past decade have become one of the world's most popular gaming formats. Analyzing player data can provide insights into player behavior, such as how long players continue to play or where they stop playing. This information can help developers to come up with solutions to retain their players. We have compared binary classification algorithms on different time frames of player history data along with level and guild from World of Warcraft – a previously popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), to assess the probability of subscription renewal. Our findings suggest that random forest and decision tree algorithms give the highest accuracy in all cases (more than 90 %). This was achieved using level and guild as parameters along with a combination of active days and total playing time taken from different time frames in the past month along.

Exploring the meaningful qualities of transactions in virtual environments for massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers

ABSTRACT To date, most research on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) has focused on the effects playing MMORPGs have on players’ health and wellness. The virtual environment of MMORPGs has yet to be explored as a space where meaningful occupations occur. This qualitative descriptive study examined the virtual environment using a transactional perspective to describe the qualities of gaming to which MMORPG players ascribe meaning. Participants included six MMORPG players with experience playing World of Warcraft, Runescape, or Guild Wars 2. Data were gathered using interviews, participant observation, and a focus group, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes were generated: Creating collective occupational experiences, Facilitating personally transformative occupational experiences, and Unlocking immersive virtual environments. Participants described collective occupational experiences of gaming as creating a sense of community and belonging. Transactions in the virtual environment facilitated a transformative occupational experience to foster identity development and personal growth. The virtual environment was described as meaningful by unlocking an immersive experience through the aesthetics of the environment and engagement with in-game occupations. These findings provide occupational scientists with an increased understanding of the qualities of transactions within games that are meaningful for MMORPG players.

Predictors of Gaming Disorder or Protective from It, in a French Sample: A Symptomatic Approach to Self-Regulation and Pursued Rewards, Providing Insights for Clinical Practice.

Gaming disorder (GD) is a new health condition still requiring a lot of evidence established around its underlying and related psychological mechanisms. In our study we focused on Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs), a specific very popular and engaging game genre, to determine that benefit, motivation and control aspects could be predictive of a dysfunctional engagement in gaming. In total, 313 participants were recruited from private forums of gamers between May 2009 and March 2010. They filled out a questionnaire on their socio-demographic data and their weekly gaming time. They also completed different psychometric assessments such as the DSM IV-TR criteria for substance dependence adapted to gaming such as the Dependence Adapted Scale (DAS), the external rewards they expected from gaming (External Motives), the expected internal reward they expected from gaming (Internal Motives), the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale (ZSSS), and the Barratt impulsiveness Scale (BIS-10). Results showed that some psychological factors related to online gaming represented risk factors for GD in participants (i.e., competition and advancement motives, reduced anxiety, solace, greater personal satisfaction, and sense of power), whereas some others were found to be protective factors from GD (i.e., recreation, enjoyment and experience seeking) in participants. Additionally, the study found that disinhibition, boredom susceptibility, thrill and adventure seeking, and high impulsivity were correlated to GD in participants. In conclusion, not only motives for gaming and impulsivity could be predictors for GD, but maladaptive coping strategies based on experienced relief in-game from negative feelings (anxiety and boredom) or experienced improvement in-game of self-perception (personal satisfaction, sense of power) could play as well a role of negative reinforcers for GD. Some benefits from gaming, typically entertainment and enjoyment, are shown to be protective factors from GD, playing the role of positive reinforcing factors. They are worthy of being identified and promoted as functional gaming habits. These findings can feed the clinical and health promotion fields, with a more in-depth understanding of diverse psychological factors in gamers, identifying those at risk for GD and those protective from it. The current work can foster a more balanced approach towards gaming activities, taking their opportunities for mankind and controlling for their adverse effects in some individuals.

Finding Key Structures in MMORPG Graph with Hierarchical Graph Summarization

What are the key structures existing in a large real-world MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) graph? How can we compactly summarize an MMORPG graph with hierarchical node labels, considering substructures at different levels of hierarchy? Recent MMORPGs generate complex interactions between entities inducing a heterogeneous graph where each entity has hierarchical labels. Succinctly summarizing a heterogeneous MMORPG graph is crucial to better understand its structure; however it is a challenging task since it needs to handle complex interactions and hierarchical labels efficiently. Although there exist few methods to summarize a large-scale graph, they do not deal with heterogeneous graphs with hierarchical node labels.We propose GSHL , a novel method that summarizes a heterogeneous graph with hierarchical labels. We formulate the encoding cost of hierarchical labels using MDL (Minimum Description Length). GSHL exploits the formulation to identify and segment subgraphs, and discovers compact and consistent structures in the graph. Experiments on a large real-world MMORPG graph with multi-million edges show that GSHL is a useful and scalable tool for summarizing the graph, finding important structures in the graph, and finding similar users.