ORIGINAL ARTICLE-GAMER PROFILING; EXPLORING DEOMOGRAPHY OF ONLINE GAMERS IN INDIAN CONTEXT RUNNING HEAD- GAMER PROFILING
Background: In recent years, the idea of gaming has been transformed from outdoor games to digital ones. In this contemporary setting, where millions of players engage in a virtual platform, research is yet to catch up with the exploration into the gamers’ life. This study focused on Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG).In the Indian setting, there is a lack of literature talking about the gamers’ defining qualities and the socio-demographic profile. Even though many research focus on the addiction aspect of online gaming, they are yet to understand the scenario of game culture. Therefore, the present study sought to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of the typical profile of an Indian gamer. Methods: Two hundred and sixteen were purposively selected from online platform of Face book communities who were regular gamers from New Delhi and Guwahati. Semi-structured survey interviews were conducted with each, and the responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. Results: More than half of the MMORPG gamers were male in their early 20s and students in college. It was also found that the gamers preferred playing in a mobile device and all of them had a high-definition smart device with good internet connection. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the role of gaming culture in influencing the gamers’ engagement in the online world. The socio-demographic profile of a gamer revealed how the game culture in India is evolving from simple arcade games towards more realistic online interactions.
virtual world, online gaming, gaming culture, game and mental health