This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Interactive affordances and player experience in massively multiplayer online role playing games : exploration of world of Warcraft players' experiences Meghdad, Mehrabi 2016 Meghdad, M. (2016). Interactive affordances and player experience in massively multiplayer online role playing games : exploration of world of Warcraft players' experiences. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/65976 https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/65976 Nanyang Technological University Downloaded on 02 Oct 2021 18:44:45 SGT ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library INTERACTIVE AFFORDANCES AND PLAYER EXPERIENCE IN MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE PLAYING GAMES: EXPLORATION OF WORLD OF WARCRAFT PLAYERS' EXPERIENCES MEGHDAD MEHRABI WEE KIM WEE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION 2014 i ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Interactive Affordances and Player Experience in Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games: Exploration of World of Warcraft Players' Experiences Meghdad Mehrabi Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information A thesis submitted to the Nanyang Technological University in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2014 ii ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Table of Contents Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. vii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Statement of Research Problems ............................................................................................ 2 Research Purposes .................................................................................................................. 4 Significance of Research ........................................................................................................ 5 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................................ 6 Dissertation Overview ............................................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................. 9 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 9 Massively Multiplayer Online Games.................................................................................... 9 Rise of MMORPGs and World of Warcraft ...................................................................... 10 Common Characteristics of MMORPGs and World of Warcraft..................................... 11 Approaches for Exploration of Player Experience: Review of Literature on Gaming Motivations........................................................................................................................... 12 Conceptualization of Interactive Affordances as Contextual Factors of Player Experience 15 Review of Literature on Structural Game Characteristics ................................................... 18 Review of Literature on Social Interaction .......................................................................... 23 Review of Literature on Players’ Subjective Experiences ................................................... 25 Flow Theory: Origins and Theoretical Assumptions ........................................................... 28 Application of Flow Theory to the Web Users’ Experience: Flow Framework .................. 32 Flow Theory in Game Research: Players' Subjective Experiences ...................................... 36 Limitations of the Literature: Research Purposes and Questions ........................................ 40 iii ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Theoretical Framework: Synthesis of Interactive Affordances with Flow Framework ....... 45 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 47 CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 48 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 48 Summary of Research Purposes ........................................................................................... 49 Research Design ................................................................................................................... 50 Think-aloud Protocol ........................................................................................................ 51 In-depth Interview ............................................................................................................. 52 Guides for Think-aloud Protocol and In-depth Interview ................................................ 53 Sampling ........................................................................................................................... 56 Participants ...................................................................................................................... 58 Procedure ......................................................................................................................... 58 Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 59 Validity of the Research Design........................................................................................... 62 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 64 CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS ................................................................................................ 65 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 65 Achievement: The Affordance for Goals and Rewards ....................................................... 66 Players' Affective States and Flow Experience for Achievement ..................................... 72 Partial Engagement with the Game for Light Goals ........................................................ 78 Unsatisfactory Rewards and Disengagement from the Game .......................................... 80 Punishment as a Provoking Response from the Game ..................................................... 83 Exploration Affordance and Players' Sense of Curiosity ..................................................... 85 Flow Experience for Exploration and Sense of Curiosity ................................................ 88 Disengagement from the Game for Loss of Curiosity ...................................................... 92 Bonding and Casual Social Ties........................................................................................... 94 Bonding Social Ties and Flow Experience ....................................................................... 99 iv ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Casual Social Connections and Partial Engagement with the Game ............................ 105 Random Grouping and Disengagement from the Game ................................................ 108 Control Affordances ........................................................................................................... 112 Control Affordance and Effectance ................................................................................ 115 Character Customizability and Loss of Self-consciousness ........................................... 118 Customizability of Difficulty Level ................................................................................... 121 Competent Players and Flow Experience in Challenging Tasks ................................... 123 Less Challenging Tasks and Partial Engagement for Casual Players ........................... 126 Difficulty Level of the Game and Disengagement from the Game ................................. 128 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 129 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 131 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 131 Summary