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Recent times have witnessed a surge in the popularity of video gaming among Malaysians. In this article, we explore the evolution of video game culture in Malaysia from the 1980s to the early 2020s, illustrating its transformation from a casual pastime to a growing contributor to the nation's digital economy. We aim to delineate the sociohistorical development of video gaming in Malaysia, examining its emergence and integration into everyday contemporary culture. We conducted an online search for relevant academic work, government and industry reports, media coverage, and digital platforms that specifically addressed the Malaysian context and more broadly the Southeast Asian context. Following this, we performed qualitative content analysis, initially to establish a chronological overview by decades, and thematically to identify the four key agents of the players, the audiences, the industry, and the society. Our findings highlight the dynamic interplay between these agents and detail the transformative impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on gaming practices. We conclude the article by reiterating the cultural significance of video games for Malaysians and identify opportunities for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An avatar is one’s figure of representation within the virtual world. The user-avatar bond is suggested to carry information about who/how the person is in their real life. Discrepancies between an individual’s self and avatar perceptions have been associated with disordered gaming and reduced well-being, requiring assessment. Although several instruments purport to measure UAB, there is no targeted user-avatar discrepancy scale. To address this gap, the user-avatar views of 477 gamers aged between 11–21 years old (meanage = 16.39; SD = 1.6) were assessed across 15 dimensions, each defined by a pair of bipolar adjectives (e.g. strong-weak) rated on a seven-point scale. The optimum combination of scale items was concluded via a three-step validation procedure including (i) exploratory factor analysis, (ii) confirmatory factor analysis, and (iii) item response theory analysis. Findings supported a unifactorial user-avatar discrepancy measure composed of eight items, with social-desirability issues involving strength, physical abilities, and emotionality underpinning participants’ responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at analyzing gaming experiences in Argentinean gamers, studying their sociodemographic characteristics, and analyzing a gamer experience scale. Sample was non-probabilistic and composed of 201 Argentinean adults (over 18 years old) of the general population that played videogames. The majority were between 25 and 45 years old (M = 40.9 years; SD = 15.5; 55.2% female; 43.3% male; 1% non-binary; 0.5% another gender). Statistical analyzes included Pearson's r tests, Student's t tests, ANOVAs, X², Latent Class Analysis and classical (psychometric) test theory analysis. The observed sociodemographic characteristics replicated international reports. Two latent classes of gamers were identified: one composed mostly by male players, younger that 40 years, who preferred hardcore games and who were moderate or heavy players; the other one was mostly conformed by women, 40 years old or older, who preferred casual games and who were light or moderate players. The Gamer Experience Scale presented appropriate psychometric properties and was composed by 18 items grouped in two differentiated scales: Positive Experiences and Negative Experiences. It was observed that positive and negative experiences are not mutually exclusive but rather increase with video game use. Age and gender introduce differences in video game use and should be statistically controlled in any study carried out in gamer population. Additionally, the complete spectrum of videogame experiences should be always considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, Gaming Disorder (GD) was officially recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an official mental health disorder. Currently, the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT) is one of the most widely utilised psychometric tools to assess GD symptoms according to the WHO framework. In this context, the present study aimed to develop the Polish version of the GDT so that this tool can be used within the Polish cultural context. Additionally, the research aimed to ascertain the psychometric properties and appropriateness of the Polish GDT. To achieve this goal, the Polish GDT was investigated in terms of its validity, reliability, and gender measurement invariance through two studies. Accordingly, study 1 recruited a total of 675 gamers (340 female; Meanage = 31.74 years; SD = 7.75 years; range: 15–45 years) and study 2 comprised 575 gamers (275 female; Mage = 29.45 years; SD = 4.25 years; range: 18–35 years). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess psychometric properties of the Polish GDT. The reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and Average Variance Extracted. Gender measurement invariance was investigated using multiple-group CFA, and the unidimensionality was tested using mean of item residual absolute loadings (MIREAL), explained common variance (ECV), and unidimensional congruence (UC). The results of the psychometric analysis showed that the Polish GDT had a one-factor structure. Additionally, the present study demonstrated that the Polish GDT exhibited adequate levels of convergent validity, reliability, and strict gender measurement invariance. These findings suggest that the Polish version of GDT is a suitable psychometric test to assess GD and facilitate research on GD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to the study of segmentation of the gamer audience in the context of educational institutions in Ukraine. The study is based on an analysis of preferences, interests, behavior and sociocultural influence on young people who are passionate about video games. The article presents an analysis of an online survey of various aspects of gamers, including preferences in game genres, the structure of gaming time, the use of various gaming platforms, as well as various factors influencing the gaming activity of students. The purpose of the study is to develop a deeper understanding of the profile of gamers in educational institutions in Ukraine and identify the main segments of this audience. The proposed analysis will help to see current trends and prospects for the development of gaming culture in conditions of instability, forming the basis for future strategies for educational and cultural work in this area. The presented analysis is relevant and useful for specialists in the field of education, marketing and entertainment industry, as well as for anyone interested in understanding the gaming activity of student audiences in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is part of a project on Norwegian gamer-parents and how they domesticate digital games for their families (GAME). Here we explore how gamer-parents, that is, those who were gamers before becoming parents negotiate and position themselves. In this paper we explore the hybrid identity of two seemingly opposing identity categories, namely, gamer and parent. Gamer-parents can be said to have a double role, as they are doing parenting, however they also both position themselves- and are positioned by non-gaming parents as gamers. How do gamer-parents negotiate and position themselves in the tension between fun screentime and ideals of responsibility?

Denne konseptuelle artikkelen diskuterer bruken av maskulinitetsbegrepet innen spillforskningen. Artikkelen gir en kort oversikt over kjønnsforskningen på feltet, og gjennomgår hvordan maskulinitet har blitt håndtert der. Gjennom en diskusjon av begreper som geekmaskulinitet, giftig maskulinitet, gamermaskulinitet og hybridmaskulinitet viser vi til begrensninger i hvordan maskulinitet har blitt behandlet i spillforskningen frem til i dag. Ved å argumentere for en forståelse som innebærer en anerkjennelse av at det eksisterer flere uttrykk for gamermaskuliniteter, håper vi at denne artikkelen kan bidra til en mer helhetlig forståelse for kjønn og dataspill.

Evidence linking alcohol consumption and gaming was inconsistent. This study aimed to explore this link in a sample of Chinese young adult gamers and to determine if the AUDIT was an adequate tool to assess alcohol consumption in this population. Data from 561 daily gamers and 557 weekly gamers reporting past 30-day alcohol use were analyzed (mean 25.3 years). Gaming behavior was assessed by the IGDT-10. Sample characteristics were compared between daily and weekly gamers. Confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance tests were performed to validate existing AUDIT models and its invariance across age, gender, marital status, gaming frequency, playing MMO games, playing for socializing, escaping, and immersion purposes. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify a factor solution consistent with the study sample. Compared with weekly gamers, daily gamers were more likely to engage in MMO games (41.0% vs 32.5%, p = 0.003), to score higher on IGDT-10 (mean = 7.51 vs 5.85, p = 0.000) and AUDIT (mean = 7.89 vs 7.13, p = 0.023), and to meet diagnostic criteria for internet gaming disorder (IGDT-10 ≥ 5, 5.9% vs 1.3%, p = 0.000) and alcohol use disorder (AUDIT ≥ 8, 43.9% vs 36.6%, p = 0.015). The bi-factor model was the best fitting solution and exhibited scalar invariance across key gaming characteristics, but was partially metric and scalar invariant across gender. Severity of gaming was strongly associated with harmful consequences of alcohol consumption, especially in female gamers. Future research may need to examine this association in larger samples of disordered gamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the relationship between problematic video gaming (PVG) and early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) among male and female gamers. Additionally, the present study investigated depression and anxiety as mediators in the relationship between EMSs and PVG. The study comprised 673 videogame players (391 female gamers) aged from 18 to 38 years. PVG was assessed using the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). EMS dimensions were assessed using the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ–S3). Results suggested that EMSs such as practical incompetence/dependence were positively related to PVG. The findings showed gender differences in these relationships. The vulnerability to harm or illness, enmeshment and subjugation schemas were positively related to PVG among male gamers. However, depression and anxiety did not mediate the relationship between EMSs and PVG. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms related to PVG development, which are associated with maladaptive schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Technological advancements in games increased the popularity of online gaming. The rapid expansion of the eSports market may largely be attributed to the ever-increasing popularity amongst Generation Y amateur gamers. The primary objective of this study is to determine the factors influencing Generation Y amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions. Design/methodology/approach: This study used the extended unified theory of acceptance as the theoretical framework. Data analysis included exploratory principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. Findings: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that Generation Y amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions is an eight-factor model that is reliable, valid and has acceptable model fit. The results of the path analysis indicate that habit, price-value, flow, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions have a statistically significant positive influence on amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions, whilst social influence and hedonic motivation have a negative but non-significant influence on those intentions. Research limitations/implications: The sample was formed using only amateur eSports gamers. In this regard, the opportunity exists to research professional eSports gamers. This study only focussed on Generation Y members between 18 and 36 years old. As a result, there is an opportunity for researchers to research the different generations of South African eSports gamers to determine whether there are any differences or similarities between generational segments. Practical implications: The results of this study clearly indicate that flow, together with habit are salient contributors to ongoing gameplay intentions amongst amateur eSports gamers in South Africa. A reasonable assumption that can be made here is that flow is also instrumental in encouraging habitual gaming, which increases the importance of flow in overall ongoing gameplay intentions. This suggests that R&D expenditure should be directed at enhancing user engagement by building increased levels of flow into eSports games. Social implications: eSports game developers can also achieve a desired state of flow by creating daily challenges that reward players when the players achieve specific objectives, which will encourage gamers to enter a state of flow when provided with challenges to complete. However, these in-game challenges should have a variety of levels regarding difficulty, ranging from beginner, intermediate and advanced levels so as not to exceed the effort expectancy of different groups of players. Game developers should provide regularly updated challenges to gamers to ensure that eSports games remain enjoyable and does not become predictable. Originality/value: Given the nascence of research on eSports behaviour, the results of this study provide a novel addition to the knowledge pool, particularly in terms of amateur eSports behavioural intentions. Interestingly, hedonic motivation and social influence were non-significant negative predictors of Generation Y amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions. The recommendations provide various marketing strategies and opportunities for eSports business expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we argue that the pervading hegemonic narrative on gamers' eating culture emphasizing hedonistic and fast foods is a one-sided storyline that highlights a potentially harmful gamer stereotype. To that end, we reveal the variety of gamers' food consumption and broaden the narrative depicting the relationship between gamers and eating. Our literature review shows the dominance of the Junk Food Gamer narrative in extant research. However, by using a social constructionist narrative approach to analyze ethnographic observations and interviews, we show the emergence of an alternative, yet interrelated narrative: the Home Food Gamer. In addition, we utilize the idea of the Rubik's Cube to illustrate the actualization of multifaceted and contextually-bound gamer narratives that enable expanding the prevailing understanding of geek cuisine by shedding light on the variety of gamers' food consumption. In this way, we participate in the ongoing discussion to unravel stereotypical assumptions about gamer culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]