The Effects Of Mobile Moba Game Play On Gamers' Social Capital

This study examines the impact of Mobile MOBA Game play on gamers' social capital.Mobile MOBA Game play.Mobile MOBA Game play is conceptualized as the frequency of joint gaming actions,Game ranking,multiple connectedness and types of co-player networks in Mobile MOBA Games.372 players of the popular Mobile MOBA game Glory of Kings were surveyed on their playing partners,the media channels used,and social capital.Combined with behavioral data from server logs,the results showed that multiple connectedness(i.e.,the number and frequency of communication channels used for social interaction among players)was positively associated with one's bridging,bonding and maintain social capital.The frequency of joint gaming actions was positively associated with one's social capital,while players' Game ranking was not significant.The frequency of playing with existing offline and online friend was positively associated with one's social capital;the frequency of playing with an online friend first met in the game was positively associated with one's bridging social capital;the frequency of playing with strong ties members was not a significant predictor of one's bonding social capital outcomes.Moreover,multimodal connectedness magnified the positive relationships found between social capital outcomes and playing with online and offline friends.This study contributes to the knowledge of social capital because it tests the effects of game media on social capital in the Chinese culture.In addition,this study provides empirical evidence for the positive effects of mobile games and highlights the social behavior in Mobile MOBA Game playing and how it influences gamers' social networks and social capital.