Social Networking and Continuance Intention among Online Gamers

線上遊戲使用者間的社會網絡與持續使用意圖

近幾年，線上遊戲市場成長相當迅速，過去研究發現社交是使用者參與線上遊戲的重要動機，但過去的文獻未充分說明社交網絡如何形成，以及如何進一步影響持續使用意圖。本研究以網路問卷的方式收集資料，有效問卷為3,087 份，使用結構方程式進行分析。本研究發現線上遊戲使用者的社交能力與社交需求均與互賴及網絡融合有正向關係；此外，互賴與網絡融合均與持續使用意圖有正向關係。總之，社交能力與社交需求能激勵顧客創造社群與建立互賴的關係，有助於維繫持續線上遊戲的使用意圖。

The online gaming market is growing rapidly yet the available literature has not yet fully explained the formation of social networks in online games and how they impact gamers’ continuance intention. Hence, this study examined how social ability and social needs are related to gamers’ interdependence and network convergence, as well as how those factors are related to continuance intention. This study used online questionnaires to collect data. In total, 3,087 valid responses were collected and a structural equation modeling technique was used for analysis. Results indicated that social ability and social needs are positively related to gamer interdependence and network convergence, which are further positively related to continuance intention among gamers. Overall, social ability and needs motivate gamers to create communities and interdependent relationships with other gamers which help maintain a strong intention to continue gaming.