In the past few years, virtual worlds – such as Second Life, World of Warcraft and RuneScape – have
demonstrated the potential to be a promising online business model. Millions of paying users around
the world now participate in virtual worlds and trade virtual items with each other. However, little
empirical research has been conducted into players’ purchase behaviour in virtual worlds. To address
this research gap, the current study develops and tests a conceptual model of purchase behaviour in
the context of virtual worlds. An online survey was conducted within Second Life (n=250) and SEMPLS (Structural Equation Models by Partial Least Squares) was used to confirm the conceptual
model. Among the statistically significant paths found in the conceptual model, effort expectancy,
performance expectancy, perceived value, customisation, habit, advancement and enjoyment all have
strong impact on virtual world residents’ purchase intention. The study rounds off with a discussion
and conclusions, highlighting implications for practice, research limitations and promising areas for
future researc
