The Role of Gender in the Hedonic and Utilitarian Value of Digital Games

Consumers’ product evaluation, choice, and use are driven by both hedonic (HED) and utilitarian (UT) considerations. Digital games that are typically considered a homogenous product category are often conceived as masculine information systems the use of which is dominated by the men. In this research paper, we present results from a survey study where the impact of gender was investigated at the game subcategory level. The results indicate that gender role models are still strongly involved in the perceived value of digital games except that they differ based on the game subcategories. In conclusion, the greatest differences between genders can be found on masculine games where men emphasize these games’ HED/UT value. The differences can be explained by men’s higher relevant experience rather than by gameplay elements.

[1]  Chin-Lung Hsu,et al.  Consumer behavior in online game communities: A motivational factor perspective , 2007, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[2]  Paul DiMaggio.  Comment on "What Theory is Not." , 1995 .

[3]  Lana F. Rakow,et al.  Gender on the Line: Women, the Telephone, and Community Life. , 1993 .

[4]  H. Varian.  Markets for information goods , 1998 .

[5]  Mark J. Safferstone.  Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy , 1999 .

[6]  Jenova Chen,et al.  Flow in games (and everything else) , 2007, CACM.

[7]  Thompson S. H. Teo,et al.  Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in Internet usage , 1999 .

[8]  E. Rogers.  New Product Adoption and Diffusion , 1976 .

[9]  Kevin E. Voss,et al.  Measuring the Hedonic and Utilitarian Dimensions of Consumer Attitude , 2003 .

[10]  M. Csíkszentmihályi.  Beyond boredom and anxiety , 1975 .

[11]  Gabrielle A. Strouse,et al.  Age, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Patterns in Early Computer Use , 2005 .

[12]  Frans Mäyrä,et al.  An introduction to game studies , 2008 .

[13]  Otto R. Koppius,et al.  Dimensions of intangible goods , 1999, Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences. 1999. HICSS-32. Abstracts and CD-ROM of Full Papers.

[14]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Why Don't Men Ever Stop to Ask for Directions? Gender, Social Influence, and Their Role in Technology Acceptance and Usage Behavior , 2000, MIS Q..

[15]  E. Rosch,et al.  Categorization of Natural Objects , 1981 .

[16]  Jo Bryce,et al.  Understanding Digital Games , 2006 .

[17]  E. Okada.  Justification Effects on Consumer Choice of Hedonic and Utilitarian Goods , 2005 .

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

[19]  Christoph Klimmt,et al.  Gender and Computer Games: Exploring Females' Dislikes , 2006, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[20]  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..

[21]  Robert E. Kraut,et al.  Information and Communication: Alternative Uses of the Internet in Households , 1999, Inf. Syst. Res..

[22]  K. Jackson.  From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games , 2000 .

[23]  Frans Mäyrä,et al.  Fundamental Components of the Gameplay Experience: Analysing Immersion , 2005, DiGRA Conference.

[24]  Katherine N. Lemon,et al.  Customer-centered brand management. , 2004, Harvard business review.

[25]  Barry M. Staw,et al.  What Theory is Not , 1995 .

[26]  Lana F. Rakow,et al.  Remote mothering and the parallel shift: Women meet the cellular telephone , 1993 .

[27]  Magid Igbaria,et al.  User acceptance of microcomputer technology: An empirical test , 1993 .

[28]  Gareth Schott,et al.  Girl Gamers and their Relationship with the Gaming Culture , 2000 .

[29]  Jeffrey Barlow,et al.  Handbook of Computer Game Studies , 2006 .

[30]  M. Strahilevitz,et al.  Donations to Charity as Purchase Incentives: How Well They Work May Depend on What You are Trying to Sell , 1998 .

[31]  E. Deci,et al.  Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation , 2000 .

[32]  Jonathon Sterne.  Gender on the Line: Women, the Telephone, and Community Life, by Lana Rakow , 1995 .

[33]  Joon Lee,et al.  Women and games: technologies of the gendered self , 2007, New Media Soc..

[34]  Detmar W. Straub,et al.  Gender Differences in the Perception and Use of E-Mail: An Extension to the Technology Acceptance Model , 1997, MIS Q..

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

[36]  Hans van der Heijden,et al.  User Acceptance of Hedonic Information Systems , 2004, MIS Q..

[37]  Erkan Tekinarslan,et al.  Computer anxiety: A cross-cultural comparative study of Dutch and Turkish university students , 2008, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[38]  E. Hirschman,et al.  Hedonic Consumption: Emerging Concepts, Methods and Propositions , 1982 .

[39]  G. Loewenstein,et al.  The Effect of Ownership History on the Valuation of Objects , 1998 .

[40]  R. Batra,et al.  Measuring the hedonic and utilitarian sources of consumer attitudes , 1991 .

[41]  Lana F. Rakow,et al.  Gender on the line , 1992 .

[42]  R. Dhar,et al.  Consumer Choice between Hedonic and Utilitarian Goods , 2000 .

[43]  E. Deci,et al.  Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. , 2000, The American psychologist.