Abstract
As people increasingly play online games, numerous new features have been proposed to increase players' log-on time at online gaming sites. However, few studies have investigated why people continue to play certain online games or which design features are most closely related to the amount of time spent by players at particular online gaming sites. This study proposes a theoretical model using the concepts of customer loyalty, flow, personal interaction, and social interaction to explain why people continue to play online network games. The study then conducts a large-scale survey to validate the model. Finally, it analyzes current online games to identify design features that are closely related to the theoretical concepts. The results indicate that people continue to play online games if they have optimal experiences while playing the games. This optimal experience can be attained if the player has effective personal interaction with the system or pleasant social interactions with other people connected to the Internet. Personal interaction can be facilitated by providing appropriate goals, operators and feedback; social interaction can be facilitated through appropriate communication places and tools. This paper ends with the implications of applying the study results to other domains such as e-commerce and cyber communities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract )

CyberPsychology Behavior. Vol 7(1), Jan 2004, pp. 11-24

Interesting. lol I always enjoy listening to what shrinks and sociologists have to say about our lame past-time.

Guys, let's all go bird watching. Now.

Id love to read the full artical not just the abstract, to bad princess cant find the full thing. Now we wont know everything about our lame pass time.

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COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh

We already know everything. We're fucking nerds, man. lol What else is there to know? Other than that the majority of us are socially inept.

Its simple;

We all like to sit in the comfort of our own homes and talk to 300 people at once ( /sh )

We are all alcoholics that would otherwise be turned away from society for our crazy ideas (not to meantion its cheaper buying alcohol from the store)

We are all too ugly to be seen outside and get people to pay us to stay inside thus helping society get on better.

We spent too much money on our computers and hence want to just make use of them before the become outdated in 3months time.

Heck we could list 30000 reasons why we do it and probably only counter it with 10-20 reasons not to, like staying indoors will turn you into a vampire (ok maybe that would be good too)

now let us just play games and stop analysing us all :P

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Kasdaye Regnar

hmm, rein is right, i noticed this when i was standing in line to get CoP, then i realized that the guy in front of me had a backpack full of starwar's patches, and the guy behind me had glasses and was reading a comic book, then i began to wander, hmm, am i offically a nerd now? so i leave the store w/ my copy and asked my wife "Honey!? am i a geek/nerd?", she looks at me and smiles. O.o; hmmm.

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The Bean---- Nuff said!

Princess got me lost in that damn abstract. :x

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PS3 Friend list name: Pantherxx Wii code 1629-0463-4657-0263 (revised 9/28/07) Steam ID - Pantherxx010 62BLU 75PLD Reactived 7/5/10 I dare you Click this!

sometimes i wonder if i'm socially enept, then i realize most people suck irl. i look around for intellegent and interesting people, then i realize they're all at their houses typing on their computers.

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RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya

I only play online game because I met some cool people and I enjoyed doing things with them. Of course, this is assuming the game keeps up with the new feature and it's actually semi interesting.

I played EQ for 3 years and I never really got bored at it until the point it's just 60+ people zerg the same shit daily try to get to next level (which took my guild 4 months with avg 3 hours raiding daily).

I've quitted FFXI for about 2 months now, one thing I can say for sure is the evenings isn't much better spent compare with when I still played the game. Instead of playing on the computer, now I watch TV or read some books. I do talk to some people through the messengers so I guess that make up the chatting part in game.

I guess the question of the article is more: What can the people who make on-line games do to make you continue to play them. Developers cannot control the quality of people you meet online, right? What can they do?

That's a very good question, and a very large moneymaker at that...

Although that question isn't entirely fair, it falls in the same realm as...
"what do ppl like in a tv show? (for pilot eps.)"
"what kind of books do ppl like to read?"
"what brings people to see a movie more than once?"


In the end.... answering a question that essentially can control a large group of people is very difficult, but quite rewarding.

Heck, if I could, i'd get every person in the US to give me $1, and i'd be $260 million richer.

Every entertainment industry wants to know how to get people to want more of a product they create.... the problem is that there are too many variables amongst a large group of people.

What did I just say? "I dont know."

Lace them with cocaine. Supporting drug lords in third world nations and huge computer companies at the same time. It's a win/win!

i like the online game. nobody is judged from their appearance. in certain specific respects (like that one) its the way the real world should be.

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http://www.joiningofsix.com

75 White Mage
75 Ninja

As a Psychology grad student this interest me greatly ^^

I have not took the time to review the journal article, but it appears that journal is peer-reviewed and the experiment method looked solid. They used .01 Critical value and showed signifigance.

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10 ... 4322820066

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Graduate student/clinical psychology
"The World breaks everyone, and afterwards many are strong in the broken places." Hemingway

nah, just judged by rank, gear, and what LS icon they have over their heads.

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Spork .::. Nessa

If you're not a tarutaru, I don't even want to look at you. lol Kidding.

what keeps me playing is because the game has very annoying and difficult aspects to it. if things IRL or in FFXI were easy then they wouldnt be as fun i guess. i also like the ppl ive met

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75WHM / 37SMN / 61BLM / 37RDM / 70BRD / 75NIN / 75RNG / 56THF / 37WAR / 37DRG http://www.myspace.com/dan_wyld

I don't drink. =P I have enough problems controlling my mind without extra help.
The reason I play is becuase I can't go out. This is my *only* way to socialize. It keeps me from going insane. -.-

Hahahahahahah.


That first sentence cracks me up.

sunlight burns me now T_T

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that is a good point, i dont think its as serious as real appearance but you definitely have a point. there is still appearance in the game

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http://www.joiningofsix.com

75 White Mage
75 Ninja