The effects of a player’s network centrality on resource accessibility, game enjoyment, and continuance intention: A study on online gaming communities

This study applies social capital theory to investigate how a player’s network centrality in an online gaming community (i.e., a guild) affects his/her attitude and continuance intention toward a Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG). Analysis of 347 usable responses shows that players’ network centrality has a negative impact on their ties to players who belong to other guilds (i.e., non-guild interaction), but a positive effect on players’ access to resources. However, players’ network centrality fails to increase their perceived game enjoyment directly. Players’ resource accessibility and perceived game enjoyment play mediating roles in the relationship between network centrality and attitude toward playing an MMOG, which in turn influences game continuance intention. The results also show that although players’ non-guild interaction is negatively related to their resource accessibility from the networks, it is positively associated with perceived game enjoyment. The article concludes with implications and limitations of the study.

► Social capital theory is examined in a Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG). ► Online gaming communities (guilds) are selected as the research setting. ► Network centrality as internal social capital influences access to resources. ► Non-guild interaction as external social capital affects perceived game enjoyment. ► Access to resources and game enjoyment lead to MMOG attitude and continuance.