To dwell among gamers: Investigating the relationship between social online game use and gaming-related friendships

Female Gamers’ Experience of Online Harassment and Social Support in Online Gaming: A Qualitative Study

“…Rogers (2017) recently suggested that games that emphasise social elements lead to relatedness. Recent studies have indicated the development of online social ties with others via online gaming (Blinka and Mikuska 2014;Domahidi et al 2014), with Zhang and Kaufman (2016) suggesting-contrary to other research emphasising this effect with younger gamers-older adults also develop significant friendships online while gaming. Kaye et al (2017) suggest there are psychosocial benefits of online engagement, specifically in relation to identifying and connecting with others in MMO games.…”

“…shy) game players have been found to have significantly more online friends than less shy players, suggesting that they are more likely to use online gaming spaces to overcome their offline social limitations (Kowert et al 2014). The motivations to develop social ties via gaming was further highlighted by Domahidi et al (2014) in a relatively large sample (N = 2213) suggesting that people with social capital motives were more likely to meet online friends in offline settings than those motivated by other factors. Putnam (1993) defined social capital as the social networks, social trust, and norms of reciprocity that are developed in relationships and organisations.…”

“…In line with this, Granic et al (2014) proposed that the social contexts of online games means that gamers are learning social skills which are transferable to their relationships outside of the gaming environment. Domahidi et al (2014) longitudinal research suggests that online gaming does not impact offline friendships negatively and that gaming-related friendships do not impact social outcomes, as measured by emotional and instrumental social support (Domahidi et al 2018). The research suggested that playing online games together might be important as a bonding activity for some individuals to share with close friends.…”

Fun Versus Meaningful Video Game Experiences: A Qualitative Analysis of User Responses

“…These findings suggest that video games might indeed be uniquely suited to fulfill relatedness needs (Przybylski et al 2010), which in turn may facilitate meaningful experiences. This suggests that the fulfillment of relatedness needs is indeed important to meaningful experiences, reflecting previous research on the importance of social bonds in games (Domahidi et al 2014). However, given the current methodology, we cannot assess whether or not the interactive nature of video games in some instances inhibited what otherwise would have been meaningful outcomes as suggested earlier in the paper, by (for example) drawing focus to game tasks and away from game narrative.…”

Gamers Like It Green: The Significance of Vegetation in Online Gaming

“…MMORPGs and other gaming types have been the subject of numerous studies, for instance according to their impacts on gamers' life as social experiences (Domahidi, Breuer, Kowert, Festl, & Quandt, 2016;Domahidi, Festl, & Quandt, 2014;Nardi, 2010;Williams et al, 2006), their psychological outcomes (Kaye, 2016;Kort, Meijnders, Sponselee, & Ijsselsteijn, 2006), or according to gamers' motivations to play (Bartle, 1996;Yee, 2006Yee, , 2016. In 2007, Yee proposed 10 main categories of motivations to play MMORPGs, which he grouped in three main dimensions: (1) achievement, based on the player's will to be efficient and competitive in his or her gaming experience; (2) sociality, based on the will to socialize with others while playing, chatting, creating real bonds with other players or in collaborative tasks (e.g., group quests or dungeons); (3) immersion, based on the discovery and exploration of the universe and its lore, the involvement in the embodiment of the player's character, and escaping from real life.…”