Community engagement and emotional support : a comparative analysis of player feedback on Discord

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to determine what game studios and community managers could improve to support different player bases in online gaming communities. This thesis focuses on two player bases on the Rovio Gaming Discord server: players of a casual game Angry Birds Dream Blast (ABDB), and players of the more competitive and non-casual Angry Birds 2 (AB2).

The research was conducted by collecting and analyzing messages from the games’ respective Discord channels to find signs of community support and emotional well-being. A complementary survey was also conducted to gather additional information about members’ experiences with the community and its community managers. The analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis as well as descriptive graphs showcasing the survey results.

The results reveal both similarities and differences between the needs of the two player bases. For example, AB2 players valued game updates and direct communication, while ABDB players focused on casual conversation and making friends. A set of community management and game design guidelines were developed based on the results. These guidelines are tailored to help game studios and community managers more effectively support the social and emotional needs of both casual and non-casual game players.