Gamers’ Cognitive Process on Gameplay in Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game: Towards World of Warcrafts Players’ Difference

Abstract

The objective of this study is to explore the differences according to gamers' expertise: experts, intermediate gamers, and novices. To this end, this study proposes an analytic framework that focuses on the gamers' cognitive process. An empirical experiment within the domain of MMORPG game was conducted where verbal protocols and action protocols were collected. The results of the study reveal that the diffent behavior patterns result from standardizing of their actions for experts and forming the specz$c patterns of action for intermediate game players. The gameplay pattern was elucidated by much more time and steps in the game for novices than for intermediate gamers. While there was an intensive distribution in the early stage of the game for experts, the novices' behavior pattern appeared in a divergent distribution in the whole gameplay. This study is concluded with key implications to support game design to improve the quality of game product.