TABLE 2.

Thematic analysis of transcribed data from interviews with 20 people with the online game “Glory of Kings”.

Meaning unit	Condensed meaning unit	Subtheme	Theme
I went through a particularly bad period last semester. The heavy pressure of study and life made me breathless. Later, I fell in love with “Glory of Kings,” and sometimes I even stayed up late to play games, which I know it is a bad habit. However, when I was addicted to games temporarily, my pressure was released, which provides enough energy and enthusiasm to face difficulties.	Noticing negative emotion and trying to release it	Relieve stress and achieve happiness	Meeting the need for personal growth
I like to play alone in tournaments and always rush to the front alone, which leads me to always lose the game. Gradually, I started to think about the reason, until I realized that I lacked a sense of the big picture and cooperation. Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to work with my team on offense, which provides me with a better chance of victory. In life, I also recognized similar shortcomings and corrected them.	Be aware of some details that are overlooked in real life	Overcome the shortcomings and gain self-awareness
In real life, people around me pay special attention to GPA. Sometimes I feel inferior because of my poor academic performance, and my classmates often treat me with colored glasses… I’m not sure if this is because I’m overreacting, I feel that way from time to time. However, online games provide a whole new world. Ranking as a king in the game, many players are willing to team up with me, which gives me a sense of accomplishment and brings back the confidence I lost in real life.	He gets positive feelings that he can’t get in the real world	Gain achievement and self-realization

Examples of meaning units, condensed meaning units, and subthemes and theme.