Long-Term Motivations to Play MMOGs: A Longitudinal Study on Motivations, Experience and Behavior

This longitudinal study examines the motivations, gameplay experience, and playing behavior of players of Space Merchant Realms, a text-based browser game that requires no local installation. Drawing on the Uses and Gratifications approach and Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory, the research tracks 125 to 135 participants across two survey waves conducted ten weeks apart, with 183 respondents participating in both waves. Factor analysis of the 35 motivation items yielded ten motivation factors explaining 67.2 percent of the variance, while the 18 gameplay experience items produced four factors explaining 58.5 percent. The study is framed as a pilot investigation intended as a first step toward a broader, integrated examination of browser games.

The sample was predominantly male (94 percent), with an average age of 25.8 years, and was geographically concentrated, with 59.6 percent of players in the United States and 20.2 percent in Europe. Players were heavily engaged: they reported average daily play of 5.33 hours on weekdays and 4.29 hours on weekends, and a substantial share played during work or school hours. Most participants had long-standing internet and gaming experience, and the majority were classified as early adopters. Monetary willingness to pay was low, with 61.7 percent unwilling to spend money on browser games and an average stated monthly willingness of about 3.17 US dollars.

The most important motivation factors were competition and learning, integration of reality and friendship, and escapism. Over the ten-week period, four motivation factors increased significantly or positively, while six remained stable, and none declined significantly. In contrast, three of four gameplay experience factors decreased, with the experience-in-community and challenge factor showing a significant drop, and average daily usage time fell notably on weekdays. The authors suggest that declining gameplay experience may relate to reduced usage time, and that introducing content designed to stimulate the relevant feelings could help sustain engagement.