JAGRAN LAKECITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

INFLUENCE OF GAMING ON
DEVELOPMENT
15th October, 2021

Mentor – Prof. Ashish Sharma

RAJSHIKHAR GOHIYA
JLU05133
2020MBA002
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter. No. Title Page No.
1. Introduction 2 to 3

1.1 What the Project is 3

about?
1.2 Why this research 3
is needed?

2. Background 4
3. Objectives 5
4. Literature Review 6 to 8

4.1 Overview of 6
Gaming 7
4.2 Impact of Gaming 7 to 8
4.3 Summation of
Important Literature
5. Research Design and 9 to 10
Methodology

5.1 Research Method 9

5.2 Research Type 9
5.3 Data Collection 9 to 10
Sources
5.4 Data Collection 10
Tools/Instruments
5.5 Sample population 10
and the sample size
5.6 Data Processing & 10
Analysis

6. Time Plan 11
7. References 12

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 Chapter 1 – INTRODUCTION

Online gaming has become a very popular kind of entertainment in the last few years. Since
the late 1990s, there has been a surge in interest in online games around the world. The
majority of today's adults grew up playing video games like Mario and Zelda. With the
advancement of technology, games that could be played online with other players began to
emerge. Online gaming grew in popularity in the early 2000s. It began as a simple
mechanism for gamers to enlist the assistance of others in achieving their mission. It
evolved into a location where people could connect with one another through time.
The field of competitive, organized video gaming is referred to as eSports. Players from
various teams compete in titles like Fortnite, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Call of
Duty, Overwatch, and Madden NFL, which are popular among at-home video gamers.
Viewers from all over the world watch and follow these expert players, who can also
participate in live events or watch their favorite players on television or online. Streaming
services allow viewers to watch their favorite gamers play in real time, which is how most
well-known e-gamers build their reputations.
E-Sports are a relatively new phenomenon in both the sports and betting industries. E-
Sports, a type of competitive video gaming, is a rapidly rising global sport with millions of
spectators and billions of dollars on the line. Casual computer game players have been
transformed into major e-stars, earning seven-figure salaries and receiving lucrative
commercial sponsorships thanks to streaming and live events.
According to a research, 380 million individuals around the world watch eSports every year,
with 165 million of them being e-Sports fans (as opposed to casual spectators).
Competitions and other games can attract large crowds similar to those who attend most
professional sporting events. In 2018, ESPN and Disney XD announced in July that they had
acquired a multi-year deal to broadcast the Overwatch Competition, a brand-new global
league featuring 12 franchises based on the wildly popular multiplayer first-person shooter
game Overwatch.
There are various points of view on whether internet gaming is beneficial or harmful to
people's mental and social wellbeing. Some people believe that online gaming allows them
to meet people from all over the world and interact with them in ways that they might not
have been able to previously. Others say that by spending too much time online with people
they may never meet in person, a person's social skills are harmed and they miss out on
meeting people who can enrich their lives. Some even believe that internet gaming can
create irreparable psychological harm that will have ramifications in other aspects of their
lives.
Whatever one's point of view, everyone seems to agree that online gaming is a thing of the
present, with the potential to only grow in the coming years. Online gaming was modest at
first, and it lacked the ability to connect individuals on a global scale. It began as a tool to
connect with individuals in your neighborhood and was confined to those who lived in the

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same house as you. Individuals found themselves more emergence in online communities
than was ever envisaged before as the internet expanded and technology allowed
developers to use the internet in conjunction with their game design. Many people are
asking if online gaming can create prosperous and happy lives or if it does more harm than
good now that it has grown in popularity.

1.1 What the Project is about?

The research aims to better understand how people feel about their own gaming
experiences. It will consider how frequently they play, how long they have been playing, and
how it affects their daily lives in various ways. The feelings people have while playing the
game will subsequently be evaluated.
This information will subsequently be utilized to determine how much of an impact internet
gaming has on a person's life. The findings of this study can be used in future research to
see if video games can be used as a constructive outlet for people who are stressed or
suffering from mental illness.

1.2 Why this Research is needed?

For many years, academics have debated the consequences of online gaming on an
individual's life. Since the late 1990s, when people began to blame video game violence for
outbursts or crimes committed in the media, people have been blaming video game
violence for outbursts and crimes committed in the media.
Many researches have focused on online gaming in the hopes of explaining why some
people have started acting in specific ways in recent years, but little has come of the
findings. There are several contradictory findings, and few studies agree on whether video
games harm or help people manage their mental health.

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 Chapter 2 – BACKGROUND

Most American houses are expected to have at least one gaming system, while data
estimates that four out of every five European homes, including those in England, Norway,
Sweden, and Ireland, have gaming systems that may be used for online play. When games
like Pong were introduced in the 1970s, they quickly became popular, but they lacked the
required detail to maintain an individual's attention for lengthy periods of time. The
majority of people over sixty said they only used their first gaming system for a few weeks.
Children and adults alike did not begin to emerge themselves within gameplay until the late
1990s.
Mario, Zelda, Tetris, and Final Fantasy were all popular games in the early 1990s. The
characters and the locations they interacted with in these games had more detail, making
them seem more lifelike. The goal and gameplay became more difficult as well, prompting
many people to purchase additional reading materials that would reveal secrets to assist
them beat the game. As gaming firms began to perceive an increase in revenue from these
more difficult video games, they began to look for new ways to improve their profits.
In the United States and around the world, eSports show no signs of waning popularity. In
actuality, their popularity continues to rise year after year. Leagues like the NBA 2K League
and the Overwatch League are rejoicing at their early success. Amazon purchased Twitch in
2014 for $1 billion and has continued to support the program's growth as eSports become
more commercially viable. In 2017, the International Olympic Committee recognised the
enormous popularity of e-Sports and proposed that they become an Olympic event in the
future. As video games develop in popularity and become recognised as a legitimate sport
around the world, there appears to be no limit to the heights to which this activity could
someday rise.
As online gaming became more widespread, gaming addiction began to emerge. Gaming
addiction occurs when a person finds it difficult to disconnect from their gaming device and
engage in activities that are not related to their online gaming community. Some online
games have evolved into systems that aren't meant to be beaten by playing them for years
on end. These games frequently include forming a community and nurturing various animals
with the assistance of other online players. Gaming addiction has gotten more serious as
video games have begun to reward people who spend more time on the system over those
who play more casually.
Many people are concerned that the rise of online gaming and the communities that have
sprung up around it may have detrimental consequences for people's mental health. Some
people claim that online gaming has helped them with their mental health concerns, while
others claim that it has had a negative impact on their mental health. It's difficult to say why
certain features of online gaming effect certain people differently than others, but one thing
is certain: online gaming will only grow in popularity in the coming years.

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 Chapter 3 – OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this research are as follows –

 Gaming Influence on Personal Development.

 Gaming Influence on Social Skills.

 People’s expectations from games.

 Gaming Influence on Real Life.

 Most Appreciated In-Game Activities.

 Online Gaming and Life Sense.

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 Chapter 4 – LITERATURE REVIEW

4.1 OVERVIEW OF GAMING

Video games like Mario and Zelda first became popular in families around the world in the
1990s. These video games were first produced in the late 1980s, but according to studies,
they did not gain popularity until the 1990s. According to Dong and Potenza (2016), this is
owing to an inflow of individuals born in the 1970s having children and expressing their own
interest in video games, which they then pass on to their children. These games were
extremely difficult and required players to devote several hours per day to them. According
to Cashmore, this is when the first signs of video game addiction appeared.
Interest in video games began to wane as children and adults alike developed abilities that
allowed them to beat these simpler games more readily. As a result, video games requiring
more detailed abilities and numerous players began to emerge in the early 2000s. Kaye did
studies that revealed that internet gaming was a response to people who needed greater
assistance while playing. Individuals were able to play multiplayer games without having to
wait for someone else to join them locally.
As a result, online gaming communities began to emerge. Individuals might connect with
people from all around the world through online gaming groups. According to Chiu (2015),
these communities grew in popularity among those who believed they lacked the requisite
social skills to meet people in real-life situations. According to research, these communities
started out as addictive as the games themselves. Individuals might interact with people
who shared similar interests in these communities and assist one another in the game when
presented with a challenge.
By the 2010s, e-Sports has become a significant market player. Real-time strategy (RTS),
multiplayer online fight arena (MOBA), battle royale, first-person shooting, digital collectible
card video games, and fighting are among the many eSport tournaments. Many competitors
rely on promotional and sponsored teams to compete. However, more recently, contests
have been arranged like physical sports, with players being paid and regular seasons and
play-offs, such as the Overwatch League. There are debates regarding whether thinking of
eSport players as sports rivals is accurate. Despite the criticism, eSports have been
incorporated alongside traditional sports in global events, prompting the Olympic
Committee to propose including eSports in the Olympics.
Based on the past growth of eSports and competitive gaming, as well as predictions
provided by NewZoo, a gaming industry expert, eSports can only continue to grow
tremendously in the future, As the sport increases in popularity, so do the opportunity to
gamble on it; more tournaments mean more viewers, many of whom will bet on the
outcome of the games. The economy of entire countries can be improved by increasing the
number of people who go to or watch eSports. Whatever can be done to persuade
Millennials to engage in or watch eSports and wager on the outcome should be done.

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4.2 IMPACT OF GAMING
Both positive and unpleasant experiences can be found in online gaming groups. Muller
(2014) discovered that for every person who made friends in online forums, there were also
people who made adversaries. Some people seemed to prefer bullying others over forming
a group with others who shared their interests. According to several research, people who
seek out and criticise others in a way that is intended to hurt them are more likely to
experience their own version of bullying in their daily lives. According to a survey, nine out
of 10 players would face some form of bullying when participating in an online group.
Despite the fact that many people would be tormented online, players still desire to
participate in their communities. This is due to the huge support that internet players have
shown. Many people who play video games online believe that they have met more people
who agree with them on other aspects of their lives than their video games. Political and
religious perspectives are among these components. Some people said that their small
network outside of their online community had narrower perspectives and made them feel
alone. They are able to feel more accepted and as if they can freely express themselves
because of the people, they met online.
In his research, Wu noticed that some people were able to persuade their peers to try
online gaming. When this happened, people reported having a stronger bond with their
friends than they had previously. This is thought to have been due to the fact that they were
able to spend more time together. Many people, whether gamers or not, complain about
not having enough time after work to spend with their friends. They are frequently too
exhausted to leave the house and go out. Both individuals are able to stay at home and
spend time with one another by connecting through online gaming.
Finally, according to McLean and Griffiths (2019), online gaming can help people develop
certain life skills. Many child therapists utilise video games to help kids learn important life
skills including cooperation, multitasking, and problem-solving (McLean & Griffiths, 2019).
Individuals who participate in online gaming are forced to play with others in conditions that
may be more stressful than they are accustomed to. They feel that developing these talents
might truly benefit a person in their daily life. Multitasking, collaboration, and remaining
calm under pressure are all skills that can be used to help people reach greater goals at
work and in school.

4.3 SUMMATION OF IMPORTANT LITERATURE

According to Siitonen (2007), network play is a playground that hints at how social and
technological development will progress in the future. Long-term relationships can be
shaped in network games. Network games encourage players to participate socially, and
some games go so far as to make involvement mandatory. Interaction between players
might be a requirement for game success, or the game can be focused on player
competitiveness. Typical network games can be played alone without the need for other
players.

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Krush and colleagues (2015) investigated how online video game communities employ
marketing strategies to entice gamers to play for extended periods of time, finding that
firms benefit from players spending more time online and appear unconcerned about the
potential negative consequences. Kuss and others (2017) investigated internet gaming
disorders, focusing on who is more likely to develop them and what causes them. Lee and
Jeong (2017) looked at the various benefits that online gaming may have on a person, as
well as some of the negative effects it can have and how gamers can try to avoid them.
Khan et al. (2018) looked at how online video games can be utilised to help students who
are struggling with certain activities learn them more effectively, as well as examples of how
online gaming affects younger children and their feelings about the environment it
produces. Khan et al. (2018) investigated how online gaming impacts adults who used to
play video games as children. When girls play online, they are more likely to be bullied,
according to Kaye and Pennington (2016).
Wiberg (2016) examined how young individuals with impairments who received assistance
used computer games to improve their skills. Through the measuring of sense of coherence,
it also attempted to see if computer games are linked to mental health and coping
capacities. According to the report, network games are played by roughly half of Sweden's
population as a source of amusement. It's determined that you know a lot about the game's
breadth, but there are still a lot of unsolved questions concerning how games effect players
and vice versa. Young individuals with intellectual or cognitive disabilities may appear to be
left out of the ongoing conversation (Wiberg, 2016).
Gray et al. (2017) looked into the impacts of online gaming on women. It claims that women
are twice as likely as males to be harassed and bullied online. Gray et al. (2017) discovered
that online gaming groups centred on women are more powerful and supportive than those
centred on men. Griffiths (2017) looked into how professional gaming might have negative
consequences for a person. Griffiths (2017) also looked at gaming addiction and how it
might affect many aspects of a person's life. Harson et al. (2019) looked into the commercial
side of online gaming and how companies target their customers to persuade them to
spend a lot of time online.
Watson et al. (2019) investigated how online networks benefit individuals. According to the
article, online communities have proven to be a great source of support and friendships for
those who may not be able to attain this in their daily lives. Wu et al. (2016) investigated
what traits lead people to gravitate toward the world of online gaming. It also looks at how
it affects their daily lives, as well as why some people seem to like online gaming more than
others.
Xu et al. (2015) investigated how videogames may be used to treat amblyopia and disorders,
concluding that they could be used to treat a variety of diseases and mental illnesses, but
that there was a danger of addiction. Furthermore, Xu et al. (2015) found that while not all
patients were at risk for addiction, those who were had a hard time dealing with it.

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 Chapter 5 – RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY

5.1 Research Method

The method used in this research will aid in determining the quality of life that people can
expect if they play online for long periods of time. Researchers can evaluate if limits should
be placed on online gaming or if it should be encouraged as a means for people to cope or
improve their lives by analysing how online gaming affects them. This information could be
utilised to assist those who are suffering from mental diseases or who are having a difficult
time adapting to their surroundings.

5.2 Research Type

The research will be qualitative in nature. It will track the responses of various interviews.
Gender, age, and life stage will all be different for these people. Conclusions on how online
gaming affects people from various backgrounds can be drawn by giving a large
characteristic area for participants. This will assist decide whether a successful or happy
existence that involves online gaming is the same for all people or if it varies by gender,
relationship status, and age. Individuals will be asked questions about themselves before
playing a game. The data gathered from these interviews will then be compared to previous
studies conducted by other researchers, with conclusions drawn as to why the results are
similar or different. The doctrine of how things are or events are experienced by the senses
is known as phenomenological philosophy. People's experiences and understandings of
things should be investigated and described. When attempting to comprehend the
significance of a phenomenon through the perspective of humans, the researcher's opinion
is crucial. The idea is to gain a better understanding of other people's lives. The game World
of Warcraft will be used to study people's experiences with coherence.

5.3 Data Collection Sources

Blizzard's World of Warcraft (WoW) is the most popular MMORP (Massively Multiplayer
Online Role Playing) game, with over 11.5 million players. It was decided to focus on adult
gamers who have been playing for at least 5 years. I assume that more experienced players
will be able to have a more reflective relationship with the game and, as a result, will be
able to provide useful information about how a context experience has changed over time.

• Primary Source
Online Questionnaire with questions specifically dealing with players in-game
experience and feelings.
A personal interview with 5 of my close friends. (WoW players)

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 • Secondary Source

Data will be taken from The Gathering (event that draws over 5000 WoW
participants) for the purpose of investigating the players’ feedback.

5.4 Data Collection Tools/Instruments

The data will be collected through these methods –
1. Online Questionnaire
2. Personal Interview with Players.
3. Data from The Gathering

5.5 Sample Population and Size

Sample size is small. As I will be interviewing only 5 of my friends (WoW players). Also, I plan
to take feedback of at most 100 people with the help of Online Questionnaire. And I will
make use of The Gathering’s data by selecting random feedbacks.

5.6 Data Processing & Analysis

For analysing the data received from the questionnaire, I will be using Microsoft Excel to
make data entry and comparing data. As for the method that I will be using to extract and
process information will be Qualitative Analysis, as it aims to create the meaning of the data
material, and views this to be the act of describing and interpreting the informants' lives.

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 Chapter 6 – Time Plan

Time Period in Months

Research January February March April May
Activity

Develop
Research
Proposal
Develop
Questions
for data
collection

Data
Collection

Data
Analysis

Submission
of Project

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 Chapter 7 – REFERENCES

1. Books:
Gamer Psychology and Behavior by Barbaros Bostan.
Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong by Christopher
Ferguson.

2. Articles from Journal of Behavioural Addictions.

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_game

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