The Impact of Perceived Interactivity and Vividness of Video Games on Customer Buying Behavior

Author

Yi-Lin Yu, Lynn University

Date of Award

5-2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Granting Institution

Lynn University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)

Degree Program

Corporate and Organizational Management with a Global Perspective

Department

College of Education

First Advisor

Frederick L. Dembowski

Second Advisor

Erika Grodzki

Third Advisor

Mary Ann Toroyan

Abstract

About 60 percent of Americans (145 million people) play video games, and the age of 61 percent of all game players is 18 and over (IDSA, 200 1). As the competition to excel in the video game market increasingly becomes difficult for manufacturers, it is becoming more important for manufacturers and video game developers to understand what makes people play and buy games. The major challenge to the gaming industry is to figure out what features of games can catch the consumers' attention. The purpose of this research was to examine what kinds of video games captivate consumers, determine whether more interactivity and vividness in games achieve more positive press, and evaluate how video games of the future should be developed.

A survey of 228 game players in U.S.A. was conducted; research results were generated through the use of descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results of this study showed that a video game's creativity, challenge, control, sensory gratification, socialization, audio effect, visual effect, and storytelling have positive relevance to engage consumers' minds and stimulate their imagination to play or purchase video games.

The results also showed that gender differences can influence the individual types of video games purchased. Three age groups (18 to 24,25 to 34, and 35 to 56) had different patterns of purchasing video games. The results showed that respondents' buying behavior is significantly influenced by the characteristics of interactivity and vividness. This study contributed to developing the characteristics of video games by identifying to what extent consumers' emotional responses and behaviors are directly affected by interactivity and vividness in gaming characteristics. The framework of this study can be used to analyze and evaluate customer buying behavior in various video games in the industry. To increase the video game marketplace, merging the features of interactivity and vividness may be a key to enhancing customers' buying behavior and playing intentions.

Recommended Citation

Yu, Y. (2004). The Impact of Perceived Interactivity and Vividness of Video Games on Customer Buying Behavior [Doctoral dissertation, Lynn University]. SPIRAL. https://spiral.lynn.edu/etds/99