Persepsi Gamers tentang Aktivitas Microtransactions di Virtual Goods Marketplace Itemku.com

Abstract

The growth of games as a fast growing industry in Indonesia has made online gaming business lines increasingly developed, so that a business market for buying and selling virtual goods (virtual items in games) is formed in several virtual goods marketplaces such as itemku.com. The formation of the business market on the virtual goods marketplace has created various perceptions to support their gaming activities. This study uses qualitative methods, observation techniques, in-depth interviews and documentation. The theory used is perception. This study will discuss how variables such as sensation, anticipation and interpretation are formed from gamers about how microtransactions are carried out and also associated with CMC (Computer Mediated Communcations) to find out how communication patterns occur in these mictrotransactions. As a result, the majority of gamers have the same perception of microtransactions. Gamers who make virtual goods transactions aim to get satisfaction as well as actualization, virtual items that have more value in the game also trigger to perform microtransactions as part of the pride, and factor of self-existence when doing gaming activities using CMC.

The Impact Of Perceived Values and Peer Influences Toward In-App Purchase Intention In Mobile Game

“…In the case of mobile games, the game which implemented this kind of freemium business model is also known as free-to-play, or F2P game to be short. These kinds of mobile games are free to be downloaded and played, however several virtual items that would help the players' gameplay and progressions are locked behind a paywall, unless the players are willing to pay for those additional features via microtransactiona business model in which the users can pay with real money for virtual items via in-app purchase (Rahiem & Fitrananda, 2021). By combining freemium and microtransaction business model, mobile game publishers can make virtual goods, in a virtual economic environment, using virtual currency in place of actual money, which also adheres to real life currency exchange rate.…”