THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE IN ONLINE GAMES – THE CASE OF SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

Up to now, online video games have become popular. In the past thirty years, the video game industry has made great strides. One of the main driving forces is the social interaction between offline and online game players. In this era, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) provide an environment for millions of players in a virtual environment to interact with other players. Some online games have become a social experience and are considered e-sports in some countries. Unlike offline games, online video games enable users to share the experience of a virtual society and enjoy the collaboration of most activities. At the same time, addiction, mobility, loneliness and depression are the popular research topics within the influence of online games. There are limited resources available on the relationship between online gaming and social experiences in the real world, especially in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study determined the influence of social experience on playing time in online video games, and determined which social elements in online video games affect players’ real lives. This study uses a quantitative method, and uses a questionnaire survey method to collect data. The results obtained show that the influence of social behavior on online games is related to behavior in the real world.