Enhancing perceived enjoyment in social games through social and gaming factors

Purpose – Residing on social networking platforms, social games have unique characteristics distinguishing them from other digital games or online games. The purpose of this paper is to explore both social and gaming factors of social games and investigate their roles on enhancing perceived enjoyment. The authors also examine the relationships between perceived enjoyment, subject norm, perceived critical mass, intention to play, and actual behavior. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a research model including nine hypotheses. Using a survey questionnaire, empirical data were collected from 169 actual social game players. Structured equation modeling was used to test the proposed research models. Findings – Social identification, social interaction, and diversion significantly influence perceived enjoyment. Perceived enjoyment significantly influences the intention to play, which in turn significantly influences the actual behavior. Moreover, subject norm and perceived critical mass play di...

[1]  Dong-Hee Shin,et al.  Applying the Technology Acceptance Model and Flow Theory to Cyworld User Behavior: Implication of the Web2.0 User Acceptance , 2008, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[2]  Douglas R. Vogel,et al.  Individual motivations and demographic differences in social virtual world uses: An exploratory investigation in Second Life , 2011, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[3]  John L. Sherry,et al.  Sex Differences in Video Game Play: , 2004, Commun. Res..

[4]  Bin Wang,et al.  What drives content creation behavior on SNSs? A commitment perspective , 2013 .

[5]  H. Harman.  Modern factor analysis , 1961 .

[6]  Jesper Juul,et al.  A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players , 2009 .

[7]  Yu-Hao Lee,et al.  Are there cultural differences in how we play? Examining cultural effects on playing social network games , 2012, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[8]  Michael Szell,et al.  Measuring social dynamics in a massive multiplayer online game , 2009, Soc. Networks.

[9]  Dong-Hee Shin,et al.  The Dynamic User Activities in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games , 2010, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interact..

[10]  Wynne W. Chin,et al.  A Partial Least Squares Latent Variable Modeling Approach for Measuring Interaction Effects: Results from a Monte Carlo Simulation Study and an Electronic - Mail Emotion/Adoption Study , 2003, Inf. Syst. Res..

[11]  Eileen Wood,et al.  All about me: Disclosure in online social networking profiles: The case of FACEBOOK , 2010, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[12]  Hans van der Heijden,et al.  Factors influencing the usage of websites: the case of a generic portal in The Netherlands , 2003, Inf. Manag..

[13]  Barbara Čater,et al.  Antecedents and consequences of commitment in marketing research services: The client's perspective , 2009 .

[14]  Min-Yuan Ma,et al.  The Functional and Usable Appeal of Facebook SNS Games , 2012, Internet Res..

[15]  Bo Han,et al.  User's Willingness to Pay on Social Network Sites , 2011, J. Comput. Inf. Syst..

[16]  Danah Boyd,et al.  Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship , 2007, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[17]  L. Men,et al.  How companies cultivate relationships with publics on social network sites: Evidence from China and the United States , 2012 .

[18]  Xi Zhang,et al.  Attracted to or Locked In? Predicting Continuance Intention in Social Virtual World Services , 2012, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[19]  Chin-Lung Hsu,et al.  Why do people play on-line games? An extended TAM with social influences and flow experience , 2004, Inf. Manag..

[20]  C. Fornell,et al.  Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. , 1981 .

[21]  Heng-Li Yang,et al.  Why do people stick to Facebook web site? A value theory-based view , 2014, Inf. Technol. People.

[22]  June Lu,et al.  Are personal innovativeness and social influence critical to continue with mobile commerce? , 2014, Internet Res..

[23]  Qing Hu,et al.  Assimilation of Enterprise Systems: The Effect of Institutional Pressures and the Mediating Role of Top Management , 2007, MIS Q..

[24]  John P. Meyer,et al.  Commitment in the workplace: toward a general model , 2001 .

[25]  Chiao-Chen Chang,et al.  Examining users′ intention to continue using social network games: A flow experience perspective , 2013, Telematics Informatics.

[26]  Charles D. Barrett.  Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior , 1980 .

[27]  Yaobin Lu,et al.  Enhancing perceived interactivity through network externalities: An empirical study on micro-blogging service satisfaction and continuance intention , 2012, Decis. Support Syst..

[28]  Chia-Chi Chang,et al.  The analysis of service acceptance framework for social games based on extensive technology acceptance model , 2010, PICMET 2010 TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT FOR GLOBAL ECONOMIC GROWTH.

[29]  Lukas Blinka,et al.  The role of social motivation and sociability of gamers in online game addiction , 2014 .

[30]  Yang-Chieh Chin,et al.  Predicting the Usage Intention of Social Network Games: An Intrinsic-Extrinsic Motivation Theory Perspective , 2011, Int. J. Online Mark..

[31]  Rachel Kowert,et al.  (A)Social reputation: Exploring the relationship between online video game involvement and social competence , 2013, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[32]  Tzung-Ru Tsai,et al.  What Drives People to Continue to Play Online Games? An Extension of Technology Model and Theory of Planned Behavior , 2010, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interact..

[33]  Leonard Reinecke,et al.  The social side of gaming: How playing online computer games creates online and offline social support , 2012, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[34]  Wynne W. Chin.  The partial least squares approach for structural equation modeling. , 1998 .

[35]  Yu-Hao Lee,et al.  Building common ground and reciprocity through social network games , 2010, CHI Extended Abstracts.

[36]  Matthew K. O. Lee,et al.  A theoretical model of intentional social action in online social networks , 2010, Decis. Support Syst..

[37]  Juho Hamari,et al.  Free-to-Play Games: Professionals’ Perspectives , 2014 .

[38]  Jinwoo Kim,et al.  Why People Continue to Play Online Games: In Search of Critical Design Factors to Increase Customer Loyalty to Online Contents , 2004, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[39]  Daniel L. King,et al.  The Role of Structural Characteristics in Problematic Video Game Play: An Empirical Study , 2011, International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

[40]  S. Ross,et al.  An exploration of motives in sport video gaming , 2006 .

[41]  Mike Thelwall,et al.  Data mining emotion in social network communication: Gender differences in MySpace , 2010, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[42]  Hsi-Peng Lu,et al.  Why do people play mobile social games? An examination of network externalities and of uses and gratifications , 2014, Internet Res..

[43]  Jinghui Hou.  Uses and gratifications of social games: Blending social networking and game play , 2011, First Monday.

[44]  Chang-Hyun Jin,et al.  The role of users' motivations in generating social capital building and subjective well-being: The case of social network games , 2014, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[45]  Fred D. Davis.  Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology , 1989, MIS Q..

[46]  Dong-Hee Shin,et al.  Why do people play social network games? , 2011, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[47]  Efraim Turban,et al.  What Drives Social Commerce: The Role of Social Support and Relationship Quality , 2011, Int. J. Electron. Commer..