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In recent years, the number of players of otome games, which target the niche market
of young females, has been rapidly increasing in Asia. Although previous studies
have attempted to explain continued playing intention and in-game purchase�…

Despite being initially defined as a complementary extension of social life, parasocial
relationships (PSRs)—imagined intimacies that audiences develop with media
figures—have also been hypothesized to serve as a “functional alternative” to social�…

Abstract Introduction Virtual reality environments (VREs) are an emerging modality
consisting of computer-generated worlds. Players in VREs can choose to create
representative avatars. Such choices may reflect beliefs related to identity and�…

Studies of affective neuroscience have typically employed highly controlled, static
experimental paradigms to investigate the neural underpinnings of threat and reward
processing in the brain. Yet our knowledge of affective processing in more�…

Romantic video games (RVGs) are emerging games popular among female players,
in which the players would form a parasocial relationship (PSR) with the male
character they are dating with. Although many players have enjoyed the PSR in�…

By converging 3A—artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and anime
culture, a new type of non-naturalistic and stylized anthropomorphism has been
exercised on the latest hologram social robot—“Hupo.” By combining scopes of�…

This article applies the Foucauldian concept of practiced freedom to examine how
Chinese female gamers work hand in hand with game developers to negotiate
government restrictions on in-game erotic material. Game developers have�…

Non-player characters (NPCs) are a common feature in contemporary videogames,
particularly role-playing games (RPGs). Evidence suggests player relationships with
these fictional, digital characters can manifest as deeply emotional experiences that�…

Otome games (also known as romantic video games, or RVGs) are story-based
video games that are designed for young women, simulating the experience of a
romantic relationship. Players are invited to adopt the female avatar's perspective in�…

Despite the increasing popularity of female-oriented romantic video games (RVGs,
also known as otome games) in Asia, research on this topic is scarce. Drawing upon
social exchange theory and social cognitive theory, the current study examined the�…