Capability,Opportunity,and Motivation in a Social Multiplayer Online Game: Player Influence Dynamics in Sky: Children of Light

Abstract

This study investigates networked social influence in Sky: Children of the Light, a social multiplayer online game. Drawing on survey responses (n = 9,254) and in-game data from over 660,000 players, we use an innovative graph-based machine learning approach to quantify how individuals influence others’ playtime, and regression analyses to test predictors from the COM-B model. Results show that Capability enhances influence, although excessive task focus correlates negatively with social impact; Opportunity emerges as the strongest predictor, with active social interactions significantly boosting influence; and Motivation varies by playstyle, with socializers and competitors demonstrating greater influence than narrative-focused players. By applying the COM-B model in a digital gaming context, this research highlights behavioral dimensions of player influence and employs a novel metric for quantifying interpersonal influence. These findings suggest practical implications for game design, particularly by highlighting how social interaction opportunities and different player motivations shape influence within communities.