Cultural Capital in a Mobile Game: An Analysis of Collection System in AbyssRium

Abstract

Using a theoretical framework of cultural capital, the present study analyzed a collecting system in AbyssRium, a mobile healing game. AbyssRium provides users with emotional satisfaction by allowing them to decorate a virtual aquarium using fishes and other sea creatures. We conducted a content analysis using contents generated in online communities and focus group interview with heavy users of AbyssRium. Results suggest that game players feel superiority by possessing rare fishes over others. These rare items were also utilized to distinguish users who collected the items from others not possessing such fishes. Also, the game operator of AbyssRium maintains the game balance by imposing greater costs for experienced users than for novice users in collecting fishes and decorate the aquarium. Such a strategy contributes to sustaining the social ecosystem of Abyssrium by encouraging new users to start to play the game. The current study suggests that a simple mobile game can afford a social interaction and a social system allowing users to constructs social meaning of artifacts presented in the virtual environments. Future research may broaden the generalizability of the cultural capital framework by replicating these findings in different video games.