Playing videogames has become one of the most popular human pastimes. As videogame research indicates, their success is due to their capacity to satisfy basic psychological needs of players. MMORPG type videogames create a social space, not only through promoting in-game social interactions, but also through game-related social practices on various online platforms and in real life. I explored the extent to which modern game-related social practices induce the satisfaction of a basic psychological need; the need to belong. Compared to previous authors, I argued for a broader definition of the need to belong, including belonging to another, belonging to group and belonging to community. I examined whether engaging in game-related social activities results in a higher motivation for further play through inducing a sense of belonging. The research purpose required creation of two questionnaires regarding game-related social practices and sense of belonging; both showed adequate reliability and validity. 867 players of Old School Runescape, a popular MMORPG, filled out the questionnaire, posted on Twitter. The results showed that OSRS represents a source of rich social experiences for many players, both within and outside of the game world. A significant portion of players feel like they belong to another, to a group and to a community within the game. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three measured aspects of belonging indeed share a mutual latent construct. Lastly, the defined mediational model fit the data well, confirming the assertion that players’ social engagement increases their motivation for future play through inducing a sense of belonging. I recognize this as one of the primary mechanisms through which MMORPGs keep players engaged.
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