Demystify the Concept of Beginner Village in Chinese Role-Playing Games: A Discourse Analysis

This discourse analysis examines the concept of the "beginner village" in Chinese role-playing games, a term commonly applied to the starting areas of these games even when those areas depict modern or futuristic settings. The study investigates when and how the term gained currency within the Chinese gaming community, what meanings it carries, and what design patterns it reveals. Drawing on 39 articles published between 2002 and 2021 across the game journalism outlets Gamersky, Sina, and Youxia, along with academic articles from the CNKI database, the author sorted the material into five thematic categories: game previews (17 articles), walkthroughs (12), reviews (5), player-focused pieces (2), and discussion beyond games (3).

The analysis finds that the concept did not emerge until the rise of massive multiplayer online role-playing games in China at the start of the twenty-first century. In this early period, the term carried a dual meaning. It denoted historical and low-technology settings, reflecting the historical roots of early Chinese MMORPGs, and it described bustling social hubs populated by large player communities. The beginner village thus functioned as a space that was historical, undeveloped, and social, helping to detach players from reality and immerse them in the game world.

From the 2010s onward, game journalism extended the term to the starting areas of single-player RPGs, and its emphasis moved from the village itself to the beginner, a figure contrasted with the skilled player. This shift signals that Chinese players' expectations of RPGs had broadened beyond history and sociality as the market diversified. Usage of the term in academic literature unrelated to games after 2015 further suggests the growing cultural influence of Chinese RPG culture. The study concludes that the concept reflects the community's collective imagination of RPGs and tracks the development of Chinese RPGs across successive phases.