On The Differences Among College Students About Adoption And Continuance Of Online Games

Online game is a representative tool of the idea that the Internet emphasizes the initiative and communication of the users. With the rapid development of the online game in China, an exploration on how the Chinese college students perceive and use online game in their everyday lives is terribly needed.This study approached online games as an innovation and new medium with both Uses and Gratifications Perspective and Diffusion of Innovation Theory as theoretical frames. Based on a survey sample of Tsinghua college students, this study investigated the differences in game adoption (1) between adopters (including continuers and discontinuers) and nonadopters (including potentials and resistors), (2) between continuers and discontinuers, and (3) between potentials and resistors of online games. It attempted to map out the factors leading to students'game adoption decisions, which are assumed as demographic profiles, new media ownership, media use, innovativeness, perceived characteristics, cost, support, perceived needs and environment. Within all the assumptive factors, we finally confirm eight factors which are considered affect the adoption evidently using SPSS to statistic and analysis. These eight factors are: income, TV game ownership, popular innovativeness, perceived characteristics, support, money-cost, belief and perceived needs. This study analyses how these factors affect the adoption and why they are important.