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

Abstract

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.

Country of origin and brand image influences on perceptions of online game quality

“…The Korean game market has been outstanding for several reasons (Yoon and Cheon, 2014). The rapid proliferation of Internet cafes, as a convenient spot for high speed Internet connections, played a critical role in the emergence of online games as a dominant game genre for Koreans.…”

“…As a cultural group, compared with people in other countries, Koreans spend more time nurturing social networks (Yee, 2000). They would logically be attracted to the networking aspect of massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs) where social interaction is at the center (Yoon and Cheon, 2014).…”

“…A case study of Chinese gamers showed that they were most attracted to the sociality factor, but game quality (e.g. technical efficacy of game texts, graphics, sounds, or stories) drove their decisions regarding which games to play (Yoon and Cheon, 2014). Also, the cultural flavor of the game (e.g.…”

“…Although researchers have examined game playing and design strategies in cross-national contexts (e.g. Khaled et al, 2009;Yoon and Cheon, 2014), few have investigated online game quality from a global context. Country of origin (COO) and BI affect perceptions regarding quality of products or services (Balestrini and Gamble, 2006), but consumers from different countries have varying perceptions.…”

Fragmented industrial structure and fragmented resistance in Korea’s digital game industry

“…In contrast to the substantial attention on the consumption (i.e. Hjorth, 2007; Yoon & Cheon, 2014) and circulation (i.e. Jin, 2011; Jin & Chee, 2008) of Korea’s digital game industry in the global cultural market, there has been relatively little academic attention on the production side of this equation.…”