Hedonic and Utilitarian Motivations of Home Motion-Sensing Game Play Behavior in China: An Empirical Study

Abstract

As an important branch of video games and the integration of emerging motion-sensing technology, home motion-sensing games cannot only bring hedonic entertainment but also promote utilitarian benefits including exercise and social interaction for people to improve their physical and psychological health. As one of the most populous countries in the world, China has the largest number of households in the world but quite a low home game penetration rate due to the 13 year game industry winter for international enterprises. Whether Chinese customers have the intention of using motion-sensing games to improve their health status in the home environment will directly determine the commercial potential of the relevant industry in the Chinese market. In order to understand the motives of users and explore the market possibility and prospects of the game industry, this study adopts empirical research and structural equation modeling to construct a motivation model of Chinese consumers toward motion-sensing gameplay behavior in the household environment. We distributed 515 questionnaires to conduct a survey; 427 valid responses have been received, and 203 data, which meet the inclusion criteria of the required game experience, have been analyzed by SPSS25.0 and AMOS25.0. A structural equation model for the gameplay motivation has been constructed. The result shows that the three functional motivators, exercise (Path efficient = 0.40, p < 0.01), entertainment (Path efficient = 0.27, p < 0.01), and social interaction (Path efficient = 0.36, p < 0.01) of home motion-sensing games have a significantly positive impact on the user’s intention to play. Furthermore, the diversity and the time-and-place flexibility variables exert an important positive influence on the users’ gameplay behavior through their effects on the three main functional motive variables. To sum up, (1) exercise, (2) entertainment, and (3) social interaction are the main functional motivations of the Chinese consumers’ gameplay behaviors; (4) diversity and (5) time-and-place flexibility are the two main attribute motivators. The acceptance of Chinese users for home motion-sensing games remains positive and high. The motion-sensing game industry has broad market prospects in China through its potential in promoting consumer’s wellness and health in the home environment.

Motivations of playing digital games: A review and research agenda

“…This process includes creating deep connections with other players creates a sense of enjoyment as they work together to complete various challenges and tasks, and attain rewards and achievements together within the game (Badrinarayanan et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2019). Hence, in order for games to create a positive link between social interaction and enjoyment, the game must support both competition and cooperation between players, and facilitate communication both in‐game, as well as via external means such as dedicated online forums (Johnson et al, 2016; Liu et al, 2020; Okazaki, 2008).…”

Gaming Activities During the Covid-19 Pandemic Era: A Systematic Literature Review

“…However, the motivations of these authors for the studies they conduct, on the other hand, differ. Four primary studies have been undertaken to determine why people prefer to play a specific genre of game [18], [28]- [30]. The genres are Location-Based Games (LBG), Sports Games, Simulation Games, and Motion-Sensing Games.…”

“…If restricted possibilities for social interaction generate numerous psychological problems, then physical health problems are linked to a person's diminished activity when compelled to stay inside for lengthy periods. Unfortunately, we only identified one study that cited physical health concerns as a reason for individuals to continue playing a game like Motion-Sensing Game [30]. The game was in high demand as a replacement for physical activity, which was severely restricted at the time.…”