Why girls go pink: Game character identification and game-players’ motivations

• A framework to understand pink game play motivations is proposed and tested.
• Game character identification, playing time, and age are used to explain motivations.
• Social interaction is the most important motive for girls to play pink games.
• Identification with game characters explains motivational strength.
• Identification and motivations are intensified with playing time.

Based on social role theory and uses and gratifications, this study provides insights into the popularity of so-called pink games. This study is the first to examine the roles of identification, playing time, and age in the experience of motivations while playing an online role-playing game. Drawing upon a survey among 2261 girls between10 and 17 of age, our results show that identification with characters in the game is an important process in explaining girls’ gaming motivations. In addition, identification and motivations are intensified with playing time. Although age affects identification negatively, age is not related to the most important motive in playing pink games: social interaction. This study has important theoretical and practical implications for the popularity of pink games among girls.