Negativists, enthusiasts and others: a typology of players in free-to-play games

Klézl, V; Kelly, SJH

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel multidimensional typology of free-to-play
gamers, based on the theory of consumption values and to test whether these types of gamers differ in
their premium content consumer purchasing behavior.
Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a survey of 839 Czech free-to-play gamers, where the
players' values are tested across 27 items. Factor analysis is used to identify 6 different factors (values)
influencing the gamers, which are then used as variables in a cluster analysis to identify 5 distinct gamer
types.
Findings – Results show that each identified gamer type differs not only in gaming (length of gameplay)
but also in purchasing behavior (current purchase and future purchase intention, average
monthly spend). One new gamer type, previously unidentified in the literature, has been identified (the
enthusiasts), alongside the development of additional details for three of the more “standard” game types
(economic aesthetes, identification seekers and killers).
Research limitations/implications – Gamers from the Czech Republic are used in the sample, limiting
the generalizability of the study.
Originality/value – The research complements existing gamer typologies by developing an empirically
supported view of free-to-play gamers that is based on value, which results in the identification of one
new gamer type. We also extend consumption values theory by identifying the multi-dimensional impact
of value characteristics on purchase behavior in a context of emerging commercial and social
importance.

Citation

Klézl, V., & Kelly, S. (2022). Negativists, enthusiasts and others: a typology of players in free-to-play games. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 82(5), 7939-7960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13647-9

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 2, 2022
• Publication Date: Aug 16, 2022
• Deposit Date: Sep 9, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 17, 2023
• Journal: Multimedia Tools and Applications
• Print ISSN: 1380-7501
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-7721
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Volume: 82
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 7939-7960
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13647-9
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13647-9
• Additional Information: Funders : Faculty of Economics, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava; Projects : Reference Groups Roles in Buying and Consumer Behaviour,; Grant Number: SP2018/125