New motivations: Change over time in motivations for mobile gaming

Abstract

Many studies of motivations for game play do not consider change in motivations over time. Given the depth of motivations research, this gap seems unusual. In this article, we explore the motivations that players have for beginning, continuing and quitting play in the mobile massively multiplayer online real-time strategy (MMMORTS) gameLords Mobileby reporting on a nineteen-month virtual ethnography. We found that players often download the game due to external motivators such as ads or a reward for playing the game. People often stay playing the game due to game mechanics that strongly encourage the player to form relationships with other players. Players often quit the game due to conflicts with their offline obligations or due to lack of interest in the game. Observing the beginning, middle and end of game play shows that players change motivations over time and respond to external motivators in addition to internal motivators.