Cooperate to play: How in-game cooperation knowledge impacts online gamer loyalty

Thi Tuan Linh Pham; Tzu Ling Huang; Gen Yih Liao; Yu Jen Chou; T. C.E. Cheng; Ching I. Teng

doi:10.1016/j.chb.2023.107686

Cooperate to play: How in-game cooperation knowledge impacts online gamer loyalty

Thi Tuan Linh Pham, Tzu Ling Huang, Gen Yih Liao, Yu Jen Chou, T. C.E. Cheng, Ching I. Teng

Research output: Journal article publication › Journal article › Academic research › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Online games are prominent computer applications worldwide. Gamers form teams to cooperate to achieve gaming goals. If gamers do not have in-game cooperation knowledge, they may find it difficult to integrate into gaming groups (e.g., teams and communities), which may further undermine their loyalty toward online games. Nevertheless, little is known about how in-game cooperation knowledge forms online gamer loyalty, indicating a research gap. This gap hinders game makers from effectively allocating resources to strengthen gamer loyalty. Based on social capital theory, we develop a model to fill this gap. We collected 3036 responses from online gamers and used hierarchical regression to analyze the data. We find that cooperation knowledge, team participation experience, and gaming community identification are positively related to online gamer loyalty. Moreover, cooperation knowledge strengthens the relationship between team participation experience and loyalty. Overall, our findings uniquely inform game providers that gamers’ cooperation knowledge not only directly strengthens gamer loyalty but also amplifies the positive impact of team participation experience on loyalty.

Original language	English
Article number	107686
Journal	Computers in Human Behavior
Volume	143
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107686
Publication status	Published - Jun 2023

Keywords

Cooperation
Identification
Loyalty
Online game
Structural equation modeling
Survey

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Human-Computer Interaction
General Psychology

More information

10.1016/j.chb.2023.107686

Cite this

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title = "Cooperate to play: How in-game cooperation knowledge impacts online gamer loyalty",

abstract = "Online games are prominent computer applications worldwide. Gamers form teams to cooperate to achieve gaming goals. If gamers do not have in-game cooperation knowledge, they may find it difficult to integrate into gaming groups (e.g., teams and communities), which may further undermine their loyalty toward online games. Nevertheless, little is known about how in-game cooperation knowledge forms online gamer loyalty, indicating a research gap. This gap hinders game makers from effectively allocating resources to strengthen gamer loyalty. Based on social capital theory, we develop a model to fill this gap. We collected 3036 responses from online gamers and used hierarchical regression to analyze the data. We find that cooperation knowledge, team participation experience, and gaming community identification are positively related to online gamer loyalty. Moreover, cooperation knowledge strengthens the relationship between team participation experience and loyalty. Overall, our findings uniquely inform game providers that gamers{\textquoteright} cooperation knowledge not only directly strengthens gamer loyalty but also amplifies the positive impact of team participation experience on loyalty.",

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author = "{Linh Pham}, {Thi Tuan} and Huang, {Tzu Ling} and Liao, {Gen Yih} and Chou, {Yu Jen} and Cheng, {T. C.E.} and Teng, {Ching I.}",

note = "Funding Information: The author thanks Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan ( MOST 111-2410-H-182-008-MY2 ) for financial support for this study. Cheng was also supported in part by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the Fung Yiu King - Wing Hang Bank Endowed Professorship in Business Administration. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2023",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.chb.2023.107686",

language = "English",

volume = "143",

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AU - Linh Pham, Thi Tuan

AU - Huang, Tzu Ling

AU - Liao, Gen Yih

AU - Chou, Yu Jen

AU - Cheng, T. C.E.

AU - Teng, Ching I.

N1 - Funding Information: The author thanks Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan ( MOST 111-2410-H-182-008-MY2 ) for financial support for this study. Cheng was also supported in part by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the Fung Yiu King - Wing Hang Bank Endowed Professorship in Business Administration. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2023/6

Y1 - 2023/6

N2 - Online games are prominent computer applications worldwide. Gamers form teams to cooperate to achieve gaming goals. If gamers do not have in-game cooperation knowledge, they may find it difficult to integrate into gaming groups (e.g., teams and communities), which may further undermine their loyalty toward online games. Nevertheless, little is known about how in-game cooperation knowledge forms online gamer loyalty, indicating a research gap. This gap hinders game makers from effectively allocating resources to strengthen gamer loyalty. Based on social capital theory, we develop a model to fill this gap. We collected 3036 responses from online gamers and used hierarchical regression to analyze the data. We find that cooperation knowledge, team participation experience, and gaming community identification are positively related to online gamer loyalty. Moreover, cooperation knowledge strengthens the relationship between team participation experience and loyalty. Overall, our findings uniquely inform game providers that gamers’ cooperation knowledge not only directly strengthens gamer loyalty but also amplifies the positive impact of team participation experience on loyalty.

AB - Online games are prominent computer applications worldwide. Gamers form teams to cooperate to achieve gaming goals. If gamers do not have in-game cooperation knowledge, they may find it difficult to integrate into gaming groups (e.g., teams and communities), which may further undermine their loyalty toward online games. Nevertheless, little is known about how in-game cooperation knowledge forms online gamer loyalty, indicating a research gap. This gap hinders game makers from effectively allocating resources to strengthen gamer loyalty. Based on social capital theory, we develop a model to fill this gap. We collected 3036 responses from online gamers and used hierarchical regression to analyze the data. We find that cooperation knowledge, team participation experience, and gaming community identification are positively related to online gamer loyalty. Moreover, cooperation knowledge strengthens the relationship between team participation experience and loyalty. Overall, our findings uniquely inform game providers that gamers’ cooperation knowledge not only directly strengthens gamer loyalty but also amplifies the positive impact of team participation experience on loyalty.

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Cooperate to play: How in-game cooperation knowledge impacts online gamer loyalty

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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