The Cost of Playing the Game: Modeling In-Game Purchase Intention and Investigating Purchase Behavior of Mobile Gamers

Free-to-play games typically have a monetization model that relies on players to purchase in-game items or virtual goods to generate revenue (Nguyen, 2015). There have been several empirical efforts to investigate purchase intention of virtual goods in video games with some focusing on quantitative models of purchase intention. Most of these studies tend to be with virtual worlds and lack the use of validated instruments to measure constructs (Hamari & Keronen, 2017). This research sought to gain a greater understanding of purchase intention of in-game content or virtual goods in mobile games through two studies. Study 1 modeled purchase intention with factors including satisfaction, addiction, attitudes of virtual goods, social motivations, continuance intention, and play characteristics. A total of 284 participants who played mobile games for at least 5 hours a week completed an online survey examining the relationships between the different constructs. Several structural equation models were generated to find the best fitting model. Results of the final model explained 66.1% of the variance in purchase intention with the factors of attitudes towards virtual goods, monetary value, addiction, enjoyment, and creative freedom. Attitudes towards virtual goods (β = .767) was the most associated factor with purchase intention in the model followed by enjoyment (β = .153), monetary value (β = .148), creative freedom (β = -.127), and addiction (β = .106). Study 2 examined purchase behavior of mobile video game players with a longitudinal diary study. Eight mobile video game players selected a game to play over the course of two weeks while logging their experience and purchases. Seven of the eight participants made a purchase of in-game content. Analyses of what game elements contributed to purchasing behavior revealed that some participants reported associated dark patterns around their purchases such as paying for enhancements, which is paying for in-game content to make characters stronger to progress in the game. Players also encountered loot boxes that provide only a chance to earn specific items in the game. These results add to Study 1 results by demonstrating that aspects of how a game is designed may impact in-game purchase intention and should be considered in future research. The combination of Studies 1 and 2 show that both psychological constructs of mobile gamers and aspects of game design may influence in-game purchase intention. Future research could replicate the model from this research in other in-game purchase intention or actual purchase behavior settings such as different types of games genres, platforms, or populations. Other areas of future research include further examination of the impact of dark game design patterns on purchase behavior in other situations (e.g., console, free to play vs. pay to play) and the development of ways to mitigate deceptive designs on player purchasing habits

Understanding Key Drivers of Mooc Satisfaction and Continuance Intention To Use

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have attracted global audiences who desire to learn. However, the completion rate of these courses is less than 10 percent. Few studies have systematically researched the influence of expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) and user experience (e.g., flow experience, perceived interest) on user satisfaction of and the continuance intention to use MOOCs. The present study examines the drivers of MOOC satisfaction based on ECT and the influence of satisfaction on user behavior. A research model reflecting the relationships among confirmation, usefulness, interest, flow, satisfaction, and continuance intention to use, and intention to recommend was developed and tested using data collected from 300 subjects. Our findings show that flow and interest are important variables that enhance MOOC satisfaction based on ECT

THE EFFECT OF SERVICE ENVIRONMENT ON CONSUMER LOYALTY WITH CONSUMER SATISFACTION AS A MEDIATION VARIABLE

The aims of this research were to determine the effect of the environment on consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty, to determine the effect of customer satisfaction on loyalty, and to determine the role of consumer satisfaction in mediating the influence of the service environment on consumer loyalty. This research was conducted on restaurants consumers in Purwokerto. The sample size was 150 respondents.Data analysis techniques were carried out by path analysis in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS software version 22. Mediation analysis between research variables was carried out by sobel t test with the help of online Sobel calc. The service environment was measured by environmental indicators, interior and exterior design and social dimensions of each with two questionnaire items. Variable customer satisfaction was measured by indicators of overall satisfaction with the company that the company always meets consumer expectations, interesting experiences and never forgets the company. Loyalty was measured by indicators namely always using their products / services, willing to make repeat purchases and recommend to other consumers. Consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty each were determined by one item questionnaire per indicator.The results of data analysis with AMOS SEM showed that the service environment had a positive effect on customer satisfaction, the service environment influenced consumer loyalty. Consumer satisfaction had a positive effect on consumer loyalty and customer satisfaction mediated the influence of the service environment on consumer loyalty. So the existence of customer satisfaction was an important variable to realize loyal consumers. Future research can be done by adding moderation variables. The moderation variable that can be added in research at restaurants is meal time, which is lunch and dinner. Other moderation variables that can be added are demographic variables. Future research can also add moderation variables in the form of traditional or modern restaurants. Keywords: Satisfaction as mediation, Service Quality, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfactio

Relationships between brand awareness and online word-of-mouth: An example of online gaming community

[[abstract]]With the increasing popularity of broadband networks, the online game market is becoming more mature. One of the most popular online games, World of WarCraft, has more than ten million global members, making it the largest massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Many researchers have widely explored online communities. However, online entertainment community has seldom been addressed; especially in the investigation of online communities marketing factors and consumer behaviour. An issue of particular interest in this study is in determining whether there are some relationships in online game consumer model between marketing factors and behaviour, and if there are relationships, in understanding the reasons for these relationships. Thus, this study explores the relationships among brand awareness, customer value, repurchase intention, and online word-of-mouth based on 280 questionnaires from players of World of WarCraft in Taiwan and using structural equation modelling. The results show that brand awareness affects repurchase intention and online word-of-mouth through customer value. In addition, customer value is a completely mediated variable in our model. Finally, this study shows that if online game firms can satisfy the core values of their players, the players will be willing to recommend and share this with others on the net.[[incitationindex]]EI[[booktype]]紙本[[booktype]]電子

Optimal user esperience in social commerce: the role of emotions, flow and user-generated information

This doctoral dissertation aims to understand how to optimize online customer experience in the highly interactive environment of social commerce. In an attempt to go beyond online commercial transactions and to support a consumer-centered and social-oriented perspective, social commerce offers users the necessary tools (e.g., recommendations, referrals, ratings and forums) for fostering social interactions during the online purchasing process. User-generated content, the fruit of these social interactions, can affect and help users in their decision-making process. Hence, the main objective of this dissertation aims to understand online consumer behavior to optimize the customer experience in social commerce. This doctoral dissertation is organized into four studies.Study 1 aims to investigate the customer engagement behavior literature in depth, analyzing the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of the engagement generation process in social commerce and the role of emotions within that process. This study proposes a model of the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of the engagement generation process. The model analyzes how interactivity, social presence and enjoyment affect sPassion and result in positive sWOM. The results confirm empirically that cognitive experience and emotional feelings derived from the process boost user participation. At the core of the process, sPassion positively affects the spread of sWOM. Study 2 has the objective of reaching a wider understanding of optimal user experience in social commerce and its mediating effect between emotions and behavior. Accordingly, the study is divided into two parts: first, to analyze the dimensionality, structure and measurement of the state of flow; and second, to test how websites can improve user experience to boost positive sWOM while avoiding negative sWOM. The empirical results confirm the three-dimensional nature of the concept and support its second-order reflective structure, thereby helping to establish the basis for measuring state of flow, its structure and factors; and it confirms that passionate users are likely to experience a state of flow and, as a consequence, to share positive sWOM. Study 3 investigates how user-generated versus company-generated information contributes to trust in the social commerce site, at the same time analyzing how user-generational cohorts behave (Generations X, Y and Z). Social commerce websites offer content created by the company itself and by its users, and this content is accessible without time and space constraints; therefore, everyone, regardless of age, can access social commerce information. The mission of social commerce is to boost tradeoffs while offering users the chance to share their own experiences and to obtain information from the experiences of others. Hence, trust transferred in this part of the purchasing decision process will be influenced by trust in the type of information available. Thus, Study 3 analyzes how user-generated and company-generated information contribute to trust in social commerce. The younger the generation, the more trust in social commerce is transferred from trust in user-generated information; the older the generation, the more trust in social commerce is transferred from trust in company-generated information. Study 3 confirms that users cannot be considered as a single group and must be segmented into generational cohorts.Study 4 investigates user experience across cultures, analyzing the effect of hedonic and utilitarian antecedents on optimal user experience and its consequences on user intention. Taking into account the salience of emotions within experiences of digital technologies, this study has a twofold purpose. First, it analyzes how emotions such as sPassion compared with flow state affected by usability, resulting in a positive impact on emotional and behavioral loyalty. Second, as the main focus of the study, cultural background is tested as a moderating effect.This dissertation allows us to draw a number of main conclusions regarding the study of online consumer experience in social commerce. First, on the basis of the importance of emotion in customer experience, this dissertation supports the primary role of emotions in shaping optimal user experience in social commerce. Second, once users are engaged and have reached an optimal experience (state of flow), this situation drives positive changes in their behavior, positively affecting their decision-making process. Third, it is necessary to take into account the fact that generational cohorts behave differently, since they trust information in different ways. Last, but not least, despite the fact that culture influences decision-making processes, the internationalization of markets and multiculturalism is making users more and more similar.<br /

Interactive effects of individual- and group-level variables on virtual purchase behavior in online communities

Focusing on social network theories, we examine the interactive influence of both group-level (i.e. community influences) and individual-level variables (intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) simultaneously as the drivers of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) players’ virtual purchase behavior. We demonstrate that several aspects of real-world behavior are reflected in virtual purchase behavior. Notably, normative interpersonal influences and community identity are critical drivers and moderators of virtual purchases. Moreover, clear advancement and enjoyment opportunities offer important triggers for virtual purchase behavior. This study provides insights for game developers to increase virtual purchases, and identifies domain-specificity of each gaming platform

Predicting Generation Y’s Purchase Intention towards Brands Advertised on Social Media: A PLS-SEM Analysis

Social media advertising has become an integral part of product promotion by many companies. This strategy has impacted the sales and revenue departments of many advertisers. Hence, a strategically targeted advertising is needed to maximise return on investment on advertising in the form of sales, revenue, and profit. Although most businesses recognise the value of social media advertising opportunities, not many have figured out how to execute this strategy accordingly. With many western corporations embracing social media advertising, it is high time for Malaysian businesses to delve into this advertising territory. In order to familiarise them to the attitude of customers’ towards social media advertising, this study is timely to provide useful insights to guide Malaysian businesses.Findings from this study will help advertising managers to ensure efficient utilisation of their budget and development of more effective advertising strategy, especially when formulating strategies to cater to Gen Y in Malaysia. Based on the data collected from 1,087 Gen Y consumers in Malaysia, the effect of belief factors (lifestyle, privacy and security concern, entertainment and credibility) on attitude towards social media advertising was examined. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess the hypothetical relationships between the belief factors and attitude towards social media advertising, purchase intention and actual purchase. The results revealed that the belief factors (lifestyle, privacy and security concern, entertainment and credibility) manifested a positive influence on attitude towards social media advertising

A Hierarchical Model of Virtual Experience and Its Influences on the Perceived Value and Loyalty of Customers

Many businesses use virtual experience (VE) to enhance the overall customer experience, though extant research offers little guidance for how to improve consumers’ VE. This study, anchored in activity theory, examines key drivers of VE and its influences on value perceptions and customer loyalty. A hierarchical model indicates that VE comprises second-order variables (i.e., social presence, social capital, flow experience, and situational involvement) and third-order variables (i.e., communal and individual experience). The results obtained from a substantive model further reveal that VE positively influences perceptions of both economic and social value and thus influences loyalty in both the real world and virtual environments

Exploring service quality among online sharing economy platforms from an online media perspective

The sharing economy has become a new socioeconomic activity that allows the co-creation, production, distribution and consumption of goods and services between individuals, driven by Web 2.0 and e-word of mouth. How these online platforms communicate their content is critical. This paper seeks to develop a scale for measuring the perceived quality of websites that offer information about sharing economy services focused on online peer-to-peer accommodation. The resulting model is validated by means of structural equations and is composed of four dimensions (efficiency; reliability, privacy/security; and communication). The influence that perceived quality exerts on satisfaction and loyalty is then explored from an online media perspective. A scale resulting from the combination of these two areas of knowledge (online media and e-service quality) may take advantage of the more beneficial features they have to offer and provide us with as balanced and convergent a model as possible. The results of the study show that all of the initial hypotheses are confirmed except one. Efficiency, reliability and privacy/security positively influence the perceived quality of a collaborative accommodation portal, whereas communication does notFunding: This research was funded by MINISTERIO DE ECONOMÍA, INDUSTRIA Y COMPETITIVIDAD, grant id. TURCOLAB ECO2017-88984-R. Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge the support of the Catalan Government for the accreditation as Consolidated Research Group TURESCO (2017 SGR 49)