What makes the World of Warcraft? : an application of the theory of planned behaviour on the intention to play World of Warcraft

Abstract

The advances in information technology have set the stage for one of the highest grossing forms of entertainment. The mass following of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and the phenomenon that is their virtual worlds has given pause to researchers, marketers and game developers alike. MMORPGs, virtual worlds and video games in general have become a topic of study in all fields around the globe. Few studies however have applied this phenomenon to the theory of planned behaviour. This dissertation describes the roots of play, virtual worlds and MMORPGs. It also gives an overview of the theory of planned behaviour. This study adapts a causal model made up of three hypotheses, based on leek Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour. These three hypotheses are hypothesized to have an effect on the intention to play a specific MMORPG; World of Warcraft (Wo W). The hypotheses propose that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control are variables which directly influence the intention to play Wo W. This study takes a deductive approach through the collection of data via online questionnaires though convenience sampling of people who play or used to play Wo W. The results of this study, obtained through quantitative analysis of respondent data collected, support the hypotheses. Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control were found to have a significant effect on intention to play Wo W. This dissertation discusses the results of the study, their implications and suggestions for future research, due to the limitations encountered, are made.