Moon, Junghoon, et al. “Player Commitment to Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs): An Integrated Model.” International Journal of Electronic Commerce, vol. 17, no. 4, 2013, pp. 7–38.
This study seeks to understand the popular success of MMORPGs through how they motivate players to commit to the gameplay and fictional dream. In particular, the authors argue that MMORPGs, give players the ability to fully create and control their own avatar, which includes constructing an online identity used to navigate the game’s social community. This, Junghoon et al hypothesize, is the relatively unexplored secret to how MMORPGs garner commitment, dedication, and loyalty from their players, so they go in-depth on how ownership and social identity can be potent forces in driving someone to play a game.
