Examining cosmetic virtual item purchase in World of Warcraft: A theory of consumption values perspective

The online gaming market has grown drastically in the recent years. However, instead of the actual game sales, most of the profits now come from selling virtual items in-game for real money. To support this, many games are moving away from a subscription-based model and into a free-to-play model. World of Warcraft is one of the few major MMOs still utilizing a subscription-based model, and thus provides an interesting context in which cosmetic virtual items are bought for real money. This study took the theory of consumption values literature as a main theoretical framework from which to approach this concept. Also, theory on virtual item purchase, and cosmetic items specifically, was used to build a framework for this study. The theoretical framework was based on a modification of the original theory of consumption values and combining it with previously unused parts from the original model. Therefore, this paper has a basis in previous research on the field, while also contributing to the research of (cosmetic) online game item purchase intention by introducing a new framework with which to inspect this phenomenon. As of late-2018, this study is the first to inspect cosmetic game item purchase intention in a pay-to-play online game. An online questionnaire was used to gather responses from World of Warcraft players from official and unofficial forums, closed Facebook groups and specific sub-Reddits. The final sample size for the study was 202. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was run on the results to confirm framework validity, and structural equation modeling was used to form a new framework (p < ,000) with which to examine cosmetic online game purchasing behaviour. The primary findings of this paper indicate that an increase in visual authority (i.e. status) will increase the enjoyment players derive from using cosmetic game items, which in turn leads to an increased intention to purchase said items. Furthermore, a higher perceived value for money leads to an increased intention to purchase said items. Other factors, such as perceived network size, were found to not influence intention to purchase. In other words, cosmetic virtual item purchasing intention is influenced by social, emotional and monetary values. This paper has contributed to present scientific knowledge on both the theory of consumption values and cosmetic game item purchase by examining them in the context of World of Warcraft, and subsequently developing a new structural framework through which said purchasing can be examined more accurately. The findings are also in line with previous research done in World of Warcraft in similar contexts. Managerial implications are also discussed, and new ways of offering cosmetic virtual items are examined, such as offering them as limited-time accessories for World of Warcraft’s e-sports tournaments Additionally, limitations of this study and avenues for further research are discussed

Pandora’s Loot Box

The emerging trend of loot boxes in video game platforms continues to expand the shifting boundaries between the real and virtual world and presents unique insights into the impact each world should have on the other. Borrowing their design from the gambling industry, loot boxes operate as a hybrid between slot machines and trading cards. A consumer pays real-world money to buy a virtual box without knowing its contents. Upon opening the box, the consumer receives a virtual good that may be of great value, but more commonly is of little or no value. This Article contributes a novel theory of virtual valuation that reframes how we should think about loot boxes, but also more generally about the influence that virtual goods have in the real world. Scholars have presented differing views regarding the ownership, sale, and taxation of virtual goods, but have always relied upon virtual goods’ real-world value to determine their real-world significance. This Article rejects this dominant value construct by tailoring the economic principal of perceived value for the virtual world. By valuing a virtual good based on the perceived benefit it can bring in the virtual world—irrespective of any real-world value—it becomes clear that consumers are driven to gamble for virtual goods in loot boxes based on the potential prizes’ perceived value. Using this new framework, this Article argues that loot boxes should be regulated similarly to the gambling industry they mimic. After considering the policy ramifications of loot box regulation, this Article concludes by exploring the contribution that perceived virtual value can have in the many legal contexts that also rely upon the value of virtual goods to determine real-world significance

Playing in the Virtual Arena: Avatars, Publicity, and Identity Reconceptualized through Virtual Worlds and Computer Games

In many respects, the commercial and social interactions within virtual worlds are essentially the same as those interactions conducted face-to-face or over less engrossing technologies, however, the immersive nature of the virtual world redefines the nature of the experience. Because virtual worlds mimic their bricks-and-mortar counterparts, they exhibit commercial attributes unlike those of plays, television shows, or motion pictures. To the extent that there is commerce conducted within the medium, the historic separation between commercial conduct and expressive speech must be reconceptualized. In the first instance, such legal line drawing will necessarily be done with crude tools, so this article suggests that just as the theater and motion picture industries turned to collective bargaining agreements to provide a more refined set of rules for professional content development, the entertainment content created in virtual worlds will benefit from similar collective bargaining solutions to legally difficult conundrums. The article provides an overview of virtual worlds and the legal framework for the regulation of content ownership; addresses the tension between the speech and property rights associated with the participants in this new art form, identifying what the law suggests and how it should evolve through case law and legislation; and suggests the steps that can be taken through private ordering collective bargaining arrangements to further clarify the protections for professionals associated with this developing new medium

Trash to Treasure: A Case Study and Conjoint Analysis of Consumer Preference for Sustainable Apparel Shopping

The fashion industry is taking a toll on the environment, and all eyes are on industry leaders and circular business models to respond to the crisis and help repair the integrity of fashion. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2018, 13 million tons of apparel were generated and over 9 million tons of clothing and footwear were landfilled. While consumer interest in sustainable product offerings has risen in past years, the "green" attitude-behavior gap is a challenge for market offerings that primarly target ethical personal values of sustainable consumption. Through several case studies, this thesis explores the potential economic value in business models that enhance service and product attributes relating to sustainable fashion, including: online resale, upcycling, and rental services. The final chapter of this thesis employs the findings of the case studies to empirically determine the value of various sustainable apparel offerings. To evaluate the unrealized value of apparel at various stages of use, a conjoint analysis is performed on the data collected from a panel of 262 US consumers. The findings suggest that consumers attribute a certain utility to unique, scarce items and more convenient methods of shopping sustainably.Plan II Honors Progra

Investigation of virtual worlds as a platform to support healthy aging for older people

Due to the aging of the population in recent years, it is becoming essential to find innovative activities to help the increasing older population maintain an active lifestyle and delay the need for institutionalized care. Virtual worlds, which have many potential values such as in providing social engagement, could be used to support older people in this aspect. Despite this, most research and design of virtual worlds today are based on young users and do not coincide well with the interests and requirements of older people. It is therefore necessary to investigate how virtual worlds can be designed to not only meet the needs of older users but also to provide opportunities for social engagement and support healthy aging. In the first stage of the research, a series of studies were carried out with older virtual world users to investigate their characteristics, interests and activities. This includes a qualitative interview study and an empirical study. Older users were able to develop interpersonal relationships in virtual worlds and were interested in activities which made useful contribution to society or those which allowed them to socialize with people who share similar interests. Next, two experiment studies were carried out, the first to investigate age related differences in virtual social interaction and the second to determine how different factors influence the social interaction experience. Factors such as navigation were found to influence social interaction and the study revealed limitations relating to the usefulness of the avatar. The findings from this thesis helps extend our theoretical understanding of the interactions and activities of older people in virtual worlds and how previously identified concepts regarding virtual social interaction relate to older users. In addition, the findings were also applied into guidelines to aid developers in creating better virtual worlds to facilitate social interaction and healthy aging

Qualitative Research in Gambling

Gambling is both a multi-billion-dollar international industry and a ubiquitous social and cultural phenomenon. It is also undergoing significant change, with new products and technologies, regulatory models, changing public attitudes and the sheer scale of the gambling enterprise necessitating innovative and mixed methodologies that are flexible, responsive and ‘agile’. This book seeks to demonstrate that researchers should look beyond the existing disciplinary territory and the dominant paradigm of ‘problem gambling’ in order to follow those changes across territorial, political, technical, regulatory and conceptual boundaries. The book draws on cutting-edge qualitative work in disciplines including geography, organisational studies, sociology, East Asian studies and anthropology to explore the production and consumption of risk, risky places, risk technologies, the gambling industry and connections between gambling and other kinds of speculation such as financial derivatives. In doing so it addresses some of the most important issues in contemporary social science, including: the challenges of studying deterritorialised social phenomena; globalising technologies and local markets; regulation as it operates across local, regional and international scales; and the rise of games, virtual worlds and social media

Design and Participation Across Young People’s Online Spaces

This thesis explores the growth of online spaces for children and young people, and examines the shifting position of young people as participants and economic agents in new media markets. Through a series of ethnographic case studies, this thesis investigates how online spaces for young people are designed and developed, and provides a close examination of how, and on what terms, young people are enrolled and mobilised within production processes. As this thesis will demonstrate, media corporations are increasingly framing young people as key participants within the product development process – attempting to mobilise and harness user activities to productive ends. Rather than focus on user activities as confined to the ‘moment’ of consumption, this thesis seeks to explore user participation as distributed throughout the course of an online space’s development. Each of the case studies of this thesis are located at key points in the development of an online space, taking place at specific spatial and temporal junctures in the product’s unfolding biography. At each of these junctures, this thesis looks at the specific configurations of young people’s agency and examines how their ability to participate in the development of an online space is defined and shaped. More broadly, this thesis critically engages with existing perceptions of children and young people as on the periphery of economic markets. Drawing on media and consumer studies, the sociology of childhood, actor-network theory, and new economic sociology, this thesis develops a theoretical approach that views young people as deeply embedded within the design and economic processes of new media markets

Digital Mental Health in the Wild: An Adapted Grounded Theory Study

This study explores Digital Mental Health (DMH), referring to the use of digital technologies in mental health, from the perspective of users and system builders – individuals ‘in the wild’. Using an adapted constructive Grounded Theory Methodology (Charmaz, 2014), it qualitatively explores DMH and how it is applied to everyday life. Interviews with users, developers and academics were supported by data collected from extant documents and observations. Findings addressed the complexity of development and use, where differences in priority between the technical and clinical paradigms in development challenged the usability and usefulness for consumers of DMH. Changes implemented within, and the transience of, DMH resources were constructed by users as potentially distressing and difficult for system builders to mitigate. DMH is a new and emerging way to self-manage mental health. However, whilst it provides options, it does not inform as to how to choose and, whilst it supports change, it is not in itself motivating. In understanding the role of DMH it is essential to consider it alongside existing mental health prevention and management. DMH is constructed not as use of a single resource, but rather a toolkit for self-management where resources are used in different ways and at different times. Some will be integral whilst others may be used more occasionally. Many of the participants identified the difficulties and challenges of managing their mental health with only traditional tools and interventions available, and how DMH offered additional ways of doing so. DMH offers users autonomy and a way to explore their experiences in a simulated environment, contributing to its purpose as a supplement to existing mental health provision. Understanding how DMH can supplement the existing treatment and management of mental health is essential. One key area is addressing the opportunities provided by the simulative functions of new technologies and how mobile technologies have enabled these to become part of the everyday lives of so many people. Finally, the concept of Technology-asAdvocate was constructed to identify the ways that technology can help individuals to help themselves. This study recommends that DMH stakeholders invest and conduct further research that bring together clinical, technical and user paradigms to better understand how changes to devices and resources impact users. It positions DMH within the initial stages of help-seeking and addresses its role as one of many tools in the individual’s self-care. It proposes that technology be viewed as supporting self-advocacy and theorises that future technologies, such as personal assistants, be designed to advocate rather than to dictate. It is vital that policymakers recognise the impact of changes for users who find resources that support them in their mental health and apply them within their everyday life