Youngsters’ Motivation to Comply with Online Games Rules

• Author: Rita Yi Man Li
• Position: The University of Hong Kong
• Pages: 332-337

Key words: online games, compliance behaviors, theory X, theory Y

Page 332

Introduction

Online internet games are information technology based entertainment (Griffiths et al., 2004). Online games generally referred to those computer or video games that players play via computer network and internet. In the olden days, there were only text-based role playing games. Computer games at present, however, usually made up of a virtual world simulating real life environment and science fiction settings (Weibel et al., 2007), for example, graphical operations can enable players to enjoy more user friendly interfaces and multimedia effects than those provided by traditional Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) (Hsu and Lu, 2004). Besides, players can play against other users. Players in the virtual world can enjoy the flexibility provided by the game designers that you can play solo or in group. Usually, social communication and interaction can be carried out via on screen test box. Game providers usually will enable them to communicate between the groups of people within the same game or across game zones, i.e. they are not playing the same game, for example car racing, but are playing different games Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) are one of the most up-to-date fashionable internet-based only computers games. This form of game is a well-developed multiplayer world with a sophisticated and comprehensive world both auditory and visually (Griffiths et al., 2004). These virtual environments in the internet are often crowed by human controlled virtual characters to participate in simulated adventures. There is a noticeable staggering trend in using virtual characters to interact online. As social interaction is a basic need of people, the social elements of online games could be a key to explain their popularity (Weibel et al., 2007). Besides, games are considered as a good method to promote brand name. Games online such as Nike and Tango are used to boost the popularity of the brand and collect information via players online (Spero and Stone, 2004). Latest research nowadays mainly focus on negative impacts of online games on adolescent playing, for example, the effects of playing aggressive games and addiction(Griffiths et al., 2004). While it is not uncommon to see those players gamers cheat during playing games, few or even no research has studied how to enhance rules compliance, this paper aims to fill this gap from the angle of two traditional motivation theories: theory X and theory Y.

Popularity of online games

Online game did not exist a decade ago. Yet, millions of players all over the world enjoy the fun of multi-players online games (Weibel et al., 2007). Popularity of online games can be best represented by the following five reasons: (1) because the games can be played simultaneously with many people at the same time, some people play for social reasons. Mahjohn in facebook, for example, provide a chat box for players online to chat with the others while they are playing thePage 333 games at the same time. Players can enjoy the games and chat with those whom you do not know or with friends and collegues invited which can save much transportation and time costs (2) while there might be restrictions in intitiating violent activities in real world such as killing the people, bullying the animals, such kind of ‘dreams’ can come true in virtual world, for example, youngster can enjoy shooting the animals (http://game.hoplay.com/playgame.php?id=11484) without paying a price for it; (3) being able to play alone, for example, one can play goldminer on web; (4) game-specific features, for instance, character role-play, casting magic; and (5) other features such as character building, strategic thinking, exploring etc. After all, there is evident shown that the most popular games features among both adult and adolescent players were those the social features (Griffiths et al., 2004), this might be able to explain the popularity of Facebook and why the Asian Richest people Mr Li Ka Shing have become a shareholder of it finally. Games providers which include KTZone, Asiadog, Games.com challenge players to reach specified targets. Within the five-year-period in 2000-2005, the number of online gamers in the USA increased by more than twofold to 17 million people; near 90% of youngsters aged between 12–17 use the Internet and 81% of them play online games (Weibel et al., 2007). It is predicted that the global market value of online games will soar from US$ 5.2 billion in 2006 to more than US$ 9.8 billion in 2009. The number of users in the online games rises sharply as well. Take Taiwan as an example, it is estimated that 40% of the Internet users have played online games (Hsu and Lu, 2007). One of the...