Title: Female players' decision-making processes in MMORPGs: a mixed method

Authors: Tung-Lin Chuang

Addresses: Department of Advertising and Strategic Marketing Ming Chuan University, 250 Zhong Shan N. Rd., Sec. 5, Taipei 111, Taiwan

Abstract: The potential of online games to become a major global business and entertainment in the virtual world is huge. However, few studies have investigated online players' decision-making processes, especially female players. This study applies ethnographic decision tree modelling (EDTM) which integrates qualitative and quantitative paradigms to model the decisionmaking process whether or not to play massively multiplayer online roleplating games (MMORPG) by female players. The model is built based on qualitative data through in-depth interviews of 29 respondents, where 18 criteria are elicited. The model is tested using qualitative and quantitative data from interviews, and a structured questionnaire involving 246 respondents. Armed with the results, this study provides online game industries an understanding of the decision-making process of female players, and reveals different standpoints for the researchers with similar interest.

Keywords: online games; virtual world; massively multiplayer online role-playing games; MMORPG; ethnographic decision tree modelling; EDTM; qualitative data; quantitative data; in-depth interviews; criteria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSHC.2017.084749

International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing, 2017 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.219 - 229

Received: 24 May 2016
Accepted: 16 Nov 2016
Published online: 25 Jun 2017 *

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