Why do people buy virtual goods: A meta-analysis

Hamari, Juho; Keronen, Lauri

doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.042

Cited by 121 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Use of virtual items linked to player's game accounts as stakes in gambling activities. Hamari and Keronen, 2017;Holden et al, 2016;Lehdonvirta and Castronova, 2014 Esports…”

Section: Point Of Convergence Description Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

eSports, skins and loot boxes: Participants, practices and problematic behaviour associated with emergent forms of gambling

Macey

Hamari

2018

New Media & Society

Self Cite

174

198

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Twenty years since the internet transformed gambling products and services, the convergence of online games and gambling has initiated a new means of consuming internet-based media.Gambling specifically connected to esports is a significant development, offering not only a new avenue for existing gambling products to be inserted into gaming media, but also affording several novel experiences (e.g. skins and loot boxes). This study assesses participation rates and demographic characteristics of esports spectators who gamble via an international online survey (N=582). The sample highlighted the prevalence of young, often under-age, males in esportsrelated gambling activities. Participation in gambling, and gambling-like activities, was found to be 67%, with rates of problematic and potentially problematic gambling in the sample being 50.34%. Finally, increased gambling is associated with increased spectating of esports. Although the results are not generalisable to the wider population, they suggest a need for increased attention, from academia and regulators, regarding newly-emergent gambling behaviours in contemporary digital culture.

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“…Use of virtual items linked to player's game accounts as stakes in gambling activities. Hamari and Keronen, 2017;Holden et al, 2016;Lehdonvirta and Castronova, 2014 Esports…”

Section: Point Of Convergence Description Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

eSports, skins and loot boxes: Participants, practices and problematic behaviour associated with emergent forms of gambling

Macey

Hamari

2018

New Media & Society

Self Cite

174

198

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“…Seo [10] found that professional gamers view computer game consumption as neither leisure nor work. Hamari and Keronen [11] used the random effects model to study a platform and found that enjoyment and prolonged use of the platform were more important predictors for purchases in virtual worlds than in games. Castronova et al [12] found that fantasy gamers may well be economically normal.…”

Section: Research Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution and Transformation of the Central Place Theory in E-Business: China’s C2C Online Game Marketing

Liu

Guo

et al. 2019

Sustainability

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In contemporary studies in areas such as the field of classical theory, there has been an increasing emphasis on E-Business. In this study, we examine central place theory principles using China’s consumer-to-consumer online game marketing as a case of E-business. The results indicate that virtual goods in China’s C2C online game marketing are distributed in areas with high economic development and where residents have high purchasing power. Further, we found that the transmission capacity of virtual goods is affected by the level of telecommunication services because they are transmitted through information flow. Such effects illustrate that virtual goods are no longer affected by spatial distance and traffic conditions because virtual goods do not need to be touched; however, they are still affected by market forces. We conclude that there are key differences between the marketing and transport principles of CPT based on the hierarchical model describing new internal and external relations and the level of complexity in E-Business processes.

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“…Individuals may see virtual consumption equal to real-world consumption activies as virtual consumption reflects some economic aspects of real-world consumption like business activity, consumer activity, currency and economy (Jung and Pawlowski, 2014b). Here the purchase of virtual goods are tightly connected to the platform; the value of virtual goods are equivalent with the environment where they are usable in, so the service design is an important factor for game developers to increase in-game purchases (Hamari and Keronen, 2017). Ho and Wu (2012) found game type itself is a moderating variable that affects intent to purchase virtual goods.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers' in-Game Purchases in Online Games: Exploring Antecedents and Motivating Factors

Akhan¹

2017

sssj

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Today, one of the most important advances which came to our life with information technologies is online games. Market cap of online gaming industry increases day by day. Users in-game purchases is one of the most important sources of revenue for game companies. The aim of this study is to investigate the factors and motivators effecting consumers' in-game purchase decisions. The study is conducted on undergraduate students who are playing online games on regular basis. Convenience sampling method was used in this research. The research model examines the effect of factors need for advancement, satisfaction with the game, perceived playfulness, and social self-image expression on online game players in-game purchase intention using structural equation modeling. The results indicate the positive effect of satisfaction with the game, perceived playfulness, and social self-image expression have a positive effect on purchase intention while need for advancement has a negative effect. This study contributes current literature on virtual purchase behaviors of gamers as consumers in today's world. Game companies and publishers must understand the factors driving users to spend real money on a virtual world.

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Why do people buy virtual goods: A meta-analysis

Cited by 121 publications

References 58 publications

eSports, skins and loot boxes: Participants, practices and problematic behaviour associated with emergent forms of gambling

eSports, skins and loot boxes: Participants, practices and problematic behaviour associated with emergent forms of gambling

Evolution and Transformation of the Central Place Theory in E-Business: China’s C2C Online Game Marketing

Consumers' in-Game Purchases in Online Games: Exploring Antecedents and Motivating Factors

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