De invloed van avatar attachment in online games op speeltijd Een duik in de wereld van MMORPGs

Abstract

Although there are at least 400 million people playing massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), little research has been done in this field. This research aims to enhance the knowledge on why people play online games like MMORPGs. This has been done by looking at the role of avatar attachment, its influence on the amount of time people play MMORPGS and the way it can help fulfil the need for social interaction. This was examined by using an online survey, where data on playtime, sex, avatar attachment, and fulfilment of the need for social interaction was gathered from a sample of 166 gamers aged 18- to 57 year old (Mage = 24.15, SDage = 6.25). Results show that avatar attachment is not influenced by sex. However, avatar attachment is linked to the fulfilment of the need for social interaction and to playtime. Playtime itself was not related to the fulfilment of the need for social interaction. Avatar attachment appears to play an important role in the explanation of why so many people play online games. Implications of these findings and directions for further research are discussed.