Consumer behavior in online game communities

Computers in
Human Behavior
Computers in Human Behavior 23 (2007) 1642–1659 www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh Consumer behavior in online game communities:
A motivational factor perspective
Chin-Lung Hsu

a,*

, Hsi-Peng Lu

b

a

b

Department of Information Management, Da-Yeh University, 112 Shan-Jiau Road, Da-Tsuen,
Changhua, Taiwan, ROC
Department of Information Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology,
Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Available online 8 November 2005

Abstract
The concept of online communities has been used to improve customersÕ loyalty in recent years.
While studies on transaction community such as online auction have received more attention in the literature, entertainment community such as online game has seldom been addressed. This study applies the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and modifies the technology acceptance model
(TAM) to propose a research model. An empirical study involving 356 subjects was conducted to test this model. The results indicate that customer loyalty is influenced by perceived enjoyment, social norms and preference. Perceived cohesion has an indirect impact on loyalty. In addition, the findingÕs practical implication suggests that community managers must overcome the problems users encounter, including suffering from an unstable system, malicious players and grief players.
Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Online games; Community; Loyalty; TRA; TAM

1. Introduction
Online communities have been one of the strategies employed to increase customersÕ loyalty recently. Many e-commerce companies launch communities as a business model
*

Corresponding author. Tel.: [phone]x3139; fax: [phone].
E-mail address: [e-mail] (C.-L. Hsu).

0747-5632/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2005.09.001 C.-L. Hsu, H.-P. Lu / Computers in Human Behavior 23 (2007) 1642–1659

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