Sharing Tips with Strangers: Exploiting Gift Culture in Computer Gaming

The aim of this study was to look at motivations behind altruistic behavior in virtual commu-nities by studying the sharing of game tips by experienced gamers. We examine several possi-ble motivations (pure altruism, generalized reciprocity, and reputation) and qualitatively analyze tip types in terms of usefulness, visibility, and skill level. We found that in games that do not support a “performance stage ” for skill demonstration, players often share game tips as a strategy to attract attention. To a certain degree, reciprocity can be used to explain small favor exchanges, but earning social reputation is often a much stronger motivating factor. 56