Gamers’ confidants: Massively Multiplayer Online Game participation and core networks in China

•We study the core discussion networks in China.•We surveyed over 18,000 players of a Chinese Massively Multiplayer Online Game.•Chinese gamers have notably large and diverse core networks.•Network size and diversity are associated with personal attributes and game play patterns.

Through a survey of more than 18,000 participants in a Chinese Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), this study examines how the size and diversity of Chinese gamers’ core networks vary by individuals’ sociodemographic, socioeconomic and game-related characteristics. It represents the first study focusing exclusively on the gamer population and one of the most recent examining personal networks in contemporary China, home to over 560 million Internet users. We found that Chinese gamers have notably larger and more diverse core networks than those of major studies. Coplaying patterns and attachment to the game community contributed significantly to network size and diversity.