Abstract
This games user research study described the role of fan work culture in shaping Chinese PC gamer community engagement. Fan work data was collected and categorized in order to determine popularity volume. Followers of fan work were profiled, and their game-related participation and consumption were tracked. Creators of fan work were profiled, and their game feature preferences were extracted. The findings indicate that players with strong narrative- or immersion-related motivations are more likely to participate in fan community interaction and word-of-mouth sharing. Preferences for fan work also show associations with player behaviors and motivations. Fan work followers whose favorite content involves romantic relationships between characters reported slightly higher consumption, while those who prefer worldbuilding-based reinterpretations reported the highest levels of immersion.
Degree Date
Spring 5-16-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.I.T.
Department
Production
Advisor
Dr. Elizabeth Stringer
Second Advisor
Dr. Karl Steiner
Number of Pages
116
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Yuan, Danni, "Chinese Fan Work Culture, the Symbiotic Partnership: A PC Games Circulation, Perception, and Development Loop" (2026). Production Theses and Dissertations. 10.
https://scholar.smu.edu/guildhall_production_etds/10
