Exploring the meaningful qualities of transactions in virtual environments for massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers

ABSTRACT To date, most research on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) has focused on the effects playing MMORPGs have on players’ health and wellness. The virtual environment of MMORPGs has yet to be explored as a space where meaningful occupations occur. This qualitative descriptive study examined the virtual environment using a transactional perspective to describe the qualities of gaming to which MMORPG players ascribe meaning. Participants included six MMORPG players with experience playing World of Warcraft, Runescape, or Guild Wars 2. Data were gathered using interviews, participant observation, and a focus group, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes were generated: Creating collective occupational experiences, Facilitating personally transformative occupational experiences, and Unlocking immersive virtual environments. Participants described collective occupational experiences of gaming as creating a sense of community and belonging. Transactions in the virtual environment facilitated a transformative occupational experience to foster identity development and personal growth. The virtual environment was described as meaningful by unlocking an immersive experience through the aesthetics of the environment and engagement with in-game occupations. These findings provide occupational scientists with an increased understanding of the qualities of transactions within games that are meaningful for MMORPG players.