Human-Currency Interaction: learning from virtual currency use in China

What happens when the domains of HCI design and money intersect? This paper presents analyses from an ethnographic study of virtual currency use in China to discuss implications for game design, and HCI design more broadly. We found that how virtual currency is perceived, obtained, and spent can critically shape gamers' behavior and experience. Virtual and real currencies can interact in complex ways that promote, extend, and/or interfere with the value and character of game worlds. Bringing money into HCI design heightens existing issues of realness, trust, and fairness, and thus presents new challenges and opportunities for user experience innovation. ACM Classification Keywords H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous. Author Keywords HCI design, ethnography, digital money, virtual currencies, online games, virtual worlds, trust, China.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Scott D. Mainwaring, Yang Wang 0005
• Keywords: CHI 2008, Human Computer Interaction, Keywords HCI Design, Virtual Currencies, Virtual Currency