From freemium to premium: the roles of consumption values and game affordance
Information Technology & People
ISSN: 0959-3845
Article publication date: 17 April 2020
Issue publication date: 22 January 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to facilitate understanding of how to convert free players to paid consumers in free-to-play games.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the consumption value framework and affordance theory, the present study argues that in-game purchase behaviors are determined by multiple consumption values of in-game items. The perceptions of consumption values were influenced by game affordances. The model was tested, using data from an empirical survey with 2,006 free-to-play game players.
Findings
Monetary, enjoyment and social values of in-game items positively predict purchase behaviors in free-to-play games. Game fairness and balance of challenges and skills significantly influence perceived enjoyment value.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study provide operable implications to facilitate in-game consumption. The model was tested within the context of free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games; however, caution is advisable when generalizing the findings to other subgenre of games.
Originality/value
This study extended and thus validated the consumption value framework in the context of free-to-play MOBA games. This study explored the antecedents of consumption values from the perspective of game affordance.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71901172; 71972151), the Humanity and Social Science foundation of Ministry of Education (18YJC630180), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018T111079, 2017M623203), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SK2018004, SK2018071).Retraction notice: The publishers of Information Technology & People wish to retract the article Wang, L., Gao, Y., Yan, J. and Qin, J. (2020), “From freemium to premium: the roles of consumption values and game affordance”, published in Information Technology & People, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print, https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2019-0527.It has come to our attention that consent was not sought from several collaborators who participated in the data collection process for the original research project that produced the data used in this paper. The authors informed the editorial team of this after EarlyCite publication and expressed their willing to have the paper retracted.The Information Technology & People submission guidelines make it clear that consent must be obtained to use any material in an article that was created by, or in conjunction with, a third party. The publishers of the journal sincerely apologise to the readers and the collaborators of the original research project.
Citation
Wang, L., Gao, Y., Yan, J. and Qin, J. (2021), "From freemium to premium: the roles of consumption values and game affordance", Information Technology & People, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2019-0527
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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