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Quick Links: Respondents were asked to rate on a scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) a list of statements pertaining to why the game is appealing to them. While EverQuest falls under the RPG genre, EQ players were least likely to agree that the ability to pretend to be someone else is what makes the game appealing to them (M(1233)=3.30). The top three reasons chosen for what makes EQ appealing were: 1) I can explore a fantasy world (M(1235)=4.41), 2) I get satisfied from achieving goals (M(1239)=4.22), and 3) I enjoy the social interactions (M(1232)=4.20).
Female players are significantly more likely than male players to enjoy the social interactions within the game (T[1205]=-4.57, Mmale(1020)=4.16, Mfemale(187)=4.43, p<.001), and to find the escapist element appealing (T[1205]=-2.33, Mmale(1019)=3.78, Mfemale(188)=3.96, p=.02). Male players, on the other hand, are significantly more likely to enjoy feeling powerful within the game (T[1206]=2.19, Mmale(1019)=3.66, Mfemale(189)=3.48, p=.03).
Players who score in the top quartile of Openness find the exploration aspect significantly more appealing than players who score in the bottom quartile (T[590]=-3.91, Mbottom(266)=4.26, Mtop(326)=4.48, p<.001).
Players who score on the top quartile of Extraversion find achieving goals significantly more appealing than players who score on the bottom quartile (T[651]=-3.42, Mbottom(323)=4.08, Mtop(330)=4.28, p<.001). We see the same kind of significant difference in Agreeableness (T[613]=-4.32, Mbottom(334)=4.09, Mtop(281)=4.35, p<.001) and Conscientiousness (T[531]=-4.1, Mbottom(252)=4.08, Mtop(283)=4.35, p<.001).
Players who score on the bottom quartile of Neuroticism find social interactions significantly more appealing than players who score on the top quartile (T[514]=2.91, Mbottom(258)=4.26, Mtop(258)=4.08, p=.003). Players who score on the top quartile of Extraversion find social interactions significantly more appealing than players who score on the bottom quartile (T[648]=-5.38, Mbottom(322)=4.00, Mtop(328)=4.32, p<.001). We see the same kind of significant difference in Openness (T[590]=-4.62, Mbottom(267)=4.01, Mtop(325)=4.31, p<.001), Agreeableness (T[610]=-7.00, Mbottom(333)=3.95, Mtop(279)=4.39, p<.001), and Conscientiousness (T[531]=-1.99, Mbottom(251)=4.10, Mtop(282)=4.24, p<.001).
Players who score in the bottom quartile of Conscientiousness find the escapism aspect significantly more appealing than the players who score on the top quartile (T[524]=2.55, Mbottom(251)=3.93, Mtop(278)=3.71, p=.01). Players who score in the top quartile of Openness find the escapism aspect significantly more appealing than the players who score in the bottom quartile (T[590]=-2.23, Mbottom(266)=3.74, Mtop(326)=3.92, p=.03). We see the same kind of significant difference in Neuroticism (T[514]=-4.74, Mbottom(257)=3.62, Mtop(259)=4.03, p<.001).
Players who score in the top quartile of Agreeableness find that the game is significantly more helpful in relieving stress than those players who score in the bottom quartile (T[613]=-4.61, Mbottom(334)=3.49, Mtop(381)=3.89, p<.001).
Players who score on the top quartile of Neuroticism find the feeling of being powerful significantly more appealing than those in the bottom quartile T[512]=-4.59, mbottom(257)=3.34, Mtop(257)=3.76, p<.001). Players who score in the bottom quartile of Openness find the feeling of being powerful significantly more appealing than those in the top quartile (T[590]=2.24, Mbottom(267)=3.63, Mtop(325)=3.50, p=.03). We see the same kind of significant difference in Conscientiousness (T[530]=3.35, Mbottom(251]=3.72, Mtop(281)=3.42, p<.001).
Players who score on the bottom quartile of Extraversion find the ability to pretend to be someone else significantly more appealing than those in the top quartile (T[650]=22.1, Mbottom(323)=3.41, Mtop(329)=3.23, p=.02). Players who score on the top quartile of Neuroticism find the ability to pretend to be someone else significantly more appealing those in the bottom quartile (T[514]=-4.72, Mbottom(255)=3.06, Mtop(258)=3.50, p<.001). More recent findings on this issue can be found at the "Facets" report. How much satisfaction do you get from … ? Respondents were given a list of situations in EQ where they might gain satisfaction from, and were asked to rate on a scale from 1 (None at All) to 4 (A Lot) how much satisfaction they got from each. Female players get significantly more satisfaction than male players from killing mobs (T[1496]=-2.17, Mmale(1256)=2.77, Mfemale(242)=2.89, p=.03), from completing a quest (T[1495]=-3.80, Mmale(1255)=3.43, Mfemale(242)=3.61, p<.001), from crafting a complex trade skill item (T[1487]=-3.90, Mmale(1248)=3.1, Mfemale(241)=3.35, p<.001), and from making friends in EQ (T[1492]=-5.60, Mmale(1253)=3.3, Mfemale(241)=3.59, p<.001).
How much does it bother you when … ? Respondents were given a list of situations in EQ which might bother them, and were asked to rate on a scale from 1 (Not at All) to 4 (A Lot) how much each bothered them. Male players are significantly more likely than female players to be bothered when they die (T[1494]=2.88, Mmale(1255)=2.96, Mfemale(241)=2.78, p=.004). Female players are significantly more likely than male players to be bothered when newbies beg for money or items (T[1495]=-5.65, Mmale(1256)=2.87, Mfemale(242)=3.29, p<.001).
How appealing/unappealing would these changes be? Respondents were given a list of hypothetical changes to EQ, and were asked to rate from 1 (very unappealing) to 5 (very appealing) as to how appealing the changes would be. Male players are significantly more likely than female players to find it appealing to be able to upload a photo of your face to be the face of their character (T[1494]=2.50, Mmale(1254)=2.79, Mfemale(242)=2.57, p=.01), to have more weapon types (T[1493]=4.52, Mmale(1253)=4.16, Mfemale(242)=3.9, p<.001), and to have more spell types (T[1496]=2.13, Mmale(1256)=4.31, Mfemale(242)=4.19, p<.001). Female players are significantly more likely than male players to find it appealing to be able to have enhanced emotes, expressions and gestures (T[1495]=4.28, Mmale(1255)=4.17, Mfemale(242)=4.4, p<.001).
Is EQ the best computer game you have ever played? The majority (72.0%, N=1708) of EQ players feel that EQ is the best computer game they have ever played. Female players are significantly more likely than male players to feel that EQ is the best computer game they have ever played (%male(1410)=70.3, %female(269)=82.3, p<.001).
Do people learn anything from EQ? About 80% of EQ players feel that people do learn something from the game. Female players are significantly more likely than male players to feel that many valuable things can be learned from the game (%male(1023)=27.5, %female(189)=36, p<.01).
Players who feel that they learn many things from EQ score significantly higher on Agreeableness (T[566]=3.78, Mmany(305)=19.0, Mlittle(263)=18.1, p<.001), Conscientiousness (T[566]=3.15, Mmany(305)=15.6, Mlittle(263)=14.8, p=.001) and Extraversion (T[566]=2.70, Mmany(305)=15.4, Mlittle(263)=14.5, p=.007) than those players who feel that they learn very little of value from playing EQ. The majority (67.7%, N=1702) of players feel that the Play-Nice Rules either made no difference or actually made things worse. Players who feel that the Play-Nice Rules made things worse are significantly younger (F[2,1665]=18.5, p<.001) than those who feel that the rules made no difference (Tukey HSD, Mworse(214)=22.5, Mnochange(950)=25.7, p<.001) or made things better (Tukey HSD, Mworse(214)=22.5, Mbetter(538)=26.4, p<.001).
Would you hack the game if you could? About one-fifth (20%, N=1707) of EQ players would hack the game if they could. Male players are significantly more likely than female players to hack the game if they could (%male(1409)=22.5%, %female(269)=9.7%, p<.001). Players who would hack the game if they could are significantly younger than those who would not (T[1671]=3.74, Myes(341)=24.1, Mno(1332)=25.9, p<.001).
In a Flash-implemented experimental design that manipulated the variables: environment (normal chat-room/EQ) and gender (male/female), EQ players were randomly assigned to one of the 4 possible scenarios (2 presented here): 1) "You've been adventuring with a male
character, and during a medding break the player says that he's
22 and lives in France. Do you believe him? Participants were then asked to rate on a 5 point scale, ranging from "Absolutely Not" (1) to "Absolutely" (5), whether they would believe the individual. There was a significant effect between environments (F[1,661]=10.64, p=.001), and it was found that EQ players were more likely to believe the individual in the EQ condition rather than the chat-room condition (Tukey HSD, Meq(312)=3.53, Mchatroom(357)=3.22, p<.001). The gender of the presented individual also produced a significant effect (F[1,661]=8.63, p=.003), and it was found that EQ players are more trusting of male-presenting personas than female-presenting personas (Tukey HSD, Mmale(326)=3.52, Mfemale(343)=3.24, p<.001). The gender of the participant did not produce a significant effect.
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