Representation of Players’ Experiences in Fanfiction: A Case Study of Gacha-game Genshin Impact

The world of Genshin Impact, an open-world action role-playing game, has gained immense popularity among players since its release in 2020. Along with the game's updates, the fan fiction works have been growing exponentially on various platforms. In this article, we explore the correlation between the quality of the updates and the number of created fan fiction works. Our hypothesis suggests that when the update is filled with interesting characters, in-game mechanics and events, players become fully immersed in the game world and do not feel the need to create new fan content. Conversely, when the update is unsatisfactory, players attempt to fulfill their desires by creating new fan fiction works. To prove this hypothesis, we conducted a study of the updates and the corresponding fan fiction works. Our findings suggest that there is a significant correlation between the quality of the updates and the number of fan fiction works created. The study also highlights the significance of fan fiction in creating a community around a game and shows how it can reflect players' perceptions of the game's updates. Overall, our article sheds light on the relationship between fan fiction writers and in-game updates, and its implications both for the gaming and literary industry. This study and its results can also be used as a case study in media literacy courses and or lessons.