Understanding the Mobile Gaming Context and Player Behaviour: A Review and a Research Agenda

The technological developments in mobile network and mobile computing underpin the dominance of mobile games in the global games market. Extant literature has enriched our understanding on the antecedents of playing mobile games, yet we still lack a comprehensive portrait of this unique gaming context that is distinguished from the context of traditional computer or console gaming. In response, we conduct a literature review to review research gaps on extant mobile gaming literature. Through a review of 181 works, we propose a framework based on the environmental psychology theory to guide future research to investigate the mobile gaming context. Drawing on this framework, we elaborate a research agenda that proposes potential research questions for future research to study the impacts of 1) mobile game design features and mobile application usability, 2) the use context more broadly, and 3) subjective individual differences, on mobile game player’s gaming experience, continued playing intention and in-game purchasing

What do mobile AR game players complain about?: A qualitative analysis of mobile AR game reviews

Augmented Reality (AR) combines real and virtual objects, provides opportunities for real-time interaction and provides accurate registration of 3D virtual and real objects. Mobile AR creates unique opportunities for gameplay unrestricted by the screen size of mobile devices with interactions possible between players, game objects and the real world. Since the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016, AR gaming has gone mainstream, several commercial mobile AR games have been launched, and researchers have conducted several studies on the motivations, intentions, and experiences associated with playing AR games. However, most studies in this area have focused on Pokémon Go, and have not included issues reported by players. This paper presents a study conducted with the aim of understanding issues, specifically those associated with the use of AR in games, that mobile AR game players face. User reviews for 10 popular commercial mobile AR games that utilise AR in all significant gameplay activities were gathered and analysed using Thematic Analysis to identify 11 themes of issues. This study adds to the body of knowledge and understanding of issues facing mobile AR game players and includes commercial mobile AR games other than Pokémon Go in the research on AR games

O impacto das microtransações num mundo digital

Mestrado em Gestão e Estratégia IndustrialEsta dissertação procura deduzir e medir o impacto que as microtransações causam na indústria dos videojogos, tanto do lado dos jogadores, como também dos prestadores de serviços, utilizando como base informação e dados recolhidos através de inquéritos online realizados a jogadores frequentes de videojogos, como também através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas a duas pessoas especialistas e experientes na área. Partindo dos inquéritos online, houve uma tentativa de entender se existe algum tipo de correlação entre as variáveis: rendimento bruto anual do agregado familiar de um jogador, consumo médio mensal de microtransações e número de horas semanais despendidas em jogo. Através das entrevistas, foi possível obter opiniões e perspetivas um pouco divergentes, em relação à forma como cada um observa o fenómeno. Todas as variantes de microtransações existentes foram devidamente explicadas, enunciando que tipo de implicações positivas e negativas elas podem gerar. Foi feito também um contexto histórico de como as microtransações evoluíram ao longo do tempo, argumentando que tipo de fatores poderão estar na base do surgimento das mesmas. Finalmente, foi suportado sempre que possível, dados estatísticos que comprovem a importância e relevância das microtransações na indústria dos videojogos.This dissertation seeks to deduce and measure the impact that microtransactions have on the video game industry, both on the player's and service provider's side, based on information and data collected through online surveys answered from frequent video game players, as well as through semi-structured interviews with two experts and experienced workers in the video game industry. It was made a study if there is any kind of correlation between the following variables: player's household annual gross income, average monthly microtransaction consumption and number of hours per week spent playing. Through the interviews, it was possible to obtain somewhat divergent opinions and perspectives on how each one observes the phenomenon. All variants of existing microtransactions have been properly explained, stating what kind of positive and negative implications they can generate. It was also made a historical context of how microtransactions have evolved over time, arguing what kind of factors may underlie their emergence. Finally, statistical data supporting the importance and relevance of microtransactions in the video game industry were supported whenever possible.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigating the role of eSport on the free to play business model: An analysis of league of legends economic success

ESport is a rising entertainment industry that has grown exponentially in the past decade. Competitions broadcasted online make eSport appealing for a large audience of video game enthusiasts, creating an opportunity for sponsorship deals. To this day, scholars have focused their efforts on understanding which are the motivations for people to watch eSport, and only scarce research has been made to measure how eSport consumption affects video game consumption. Filling this literature gap is the first objective of this study. Free-to-play games are a logical response to the shifts of the video game industry. A second objective is to investigate the determinants of free-to-play games profitability: while being free, these games generate their revenues through the sale of virtual items. League of Legends, a successful freeto- play game and leading player in the eSport industry, was selected as the context of this study. A quantitative questionnaire was distributed in eSport and League of Legends online communities. A PLS-SEM analysis revealed two motivations to watch eSport, (1) knowledge acquisition and (2) aesthetics. Such motivations drive the players’ perception of the game enjoyability and ease of use, this study being the first to establish these links. The model also confirms that customer loyalty predicts purchase intention of virtual items. Findings carry implications for a wide range of eSport and video game industry stakeholders and emphasize the importance of mentoring novices and rewarding the loyalty of existing players.O eSport é uma indústria de entretenimento em ascensão que cresceu exponencialmente na última década. As competições transmitidas online tornam o eSport apelativo para uma grande audiência de entusiastas de videojogos, criando uma oportunidade para importantes patrocínios. Até hoje, as investigações têm-se focado na compreensão de quais são as motivações para as pessoas assistirem ao eSport, e foram feitos poucos estudos para medir como o consumo de eSport pode afetar o consumo de videojogos. O primeiro objetivo desta tese é preencher esta lacuna na literatura. Um segundo objetivo é investigar os determinantes da rentabilidade dos jogos free-to-play: jogos gratuitos que geram as suas receitas através da venda de itens virtuais. Com esse propósito, esta tese foca-se no caso do League of Legends, um jogo free-to-play bastante popular na indústria de eSport. Um questionário quantitativo aplicado nas comunidades online de eSport e League of Legends foi analisado utilizando equações estruturais PLS-SEM e revelou duas motivações para assistir ao eSport, (1) aquisição de conhecimento e (2) estética. Estas duas motivações impulsionam a perceção dos jogadores sobre a capacidade de utilização do jogo, sendo este estudo o primeiro a estabelecer estas ligações. O modelo confirma ainda que a fidelização do cliente prevê a intenção de compra de itens virtuais. As descobertas têm implicações para uma vasta gama de intervenientes da indústria de eSport e videojogos e enfatizam a importância de orientar os novos jogadores e recompensar a lealdade dos jogadores existentes

The microtransaction business model: a study on modern videogame monetization and the economic sustainability of microtransactions

Currently, the profitability of the video game industry is at an all-time high. The traditional system of selling physical copies of video games in electronic stores is progressively falling out of practice, as the internet and mobile trends have exponentially transferred business to direct digital access on personal devices. The majority of revenue being generated by video game publishers come from digital in-game purchases, known as microtransactions, which offerin-game content in exchange for a monet a ryfee. The subject of microtransactions have generated significant interest from consumers, developers, academics and legislators resulting in a complete remodeling of the business strategies used in the video game industry. This study aims to document the impacts of the microtransaction business model on the various aspects and stakeholders of video game production and video game consumer markets.Atualmente, a lucratividade da indústria dos video jogos está a atingir os seus maiores valores. O sistema tradicional de venda de videojogos por cópias físicas em lojas de eletrónica está progressivamente a cair em desuso devido ao crescimento exponencial de negócio digital através da internet, onde permite o processo de compra ocorrer diretamente nos dispositivos pessoais dos consumidores. A maioria da receita gerada por companhias de videojogos provém de compras digitais dentro dos videojogos. Estas compras denominadas de microtransações, oferecem conteúdo adicional para um videojogo por um valor monetário. O tópico de microtransações gera interesse por parte de consumidores, produtores, académicos e legisladores, de tal modo que resultou numa reestruturação completa das estratégias de negócio utilizadas na indústria. Este estudo visa documentar os impactos do modelo de negócio das microtransações nos vários aspetos relacionados com os stakeholders e com os mercados de videojogos