The Research on Online Game Hedonic Experience - Focusing on Moderate Effect of Perceived Complexity -

온라인 게임에서의 쾌락적 경험에 관한 연구 - 지각된 복잡성의 조절효과를 중심으로 -

Online game researchers focus on the flow and factors influencing flow. Flow is conceptualized as an optimal experience state and useful explaining game experience in online. Many game studies focused on the customer loyalty and flow in playing online game, In showing specific game experience, however, it doesn't examine multidimensional experience process. Flow is not construct which show absorbing process, but construct which show absorbing result. Hence, Flow is not adequate to examine multidimensional experience of games. Online game is included in hedonic consumption. Hedonic consumption is a relatively new field of study in consumer research and it explores the consumption experience as a experiential view(Hirschman and Holbrook 1982). Hedonic consumption explores the consumption experience not as an information processing event but from a phenomenological of experiential view, which is a primarily subjective state. It includes various playful leisure activities, sensory pleasures, daydreams, esthetic enjoyment, and emotional responses. In online game experience, therefore, it is right to access through a experiential view of hedonic consumption. The objective of this paper was to make up for lacks in our understanding of online game experience by developing a framework for better insight into the hedonic experience of online game. We developed this framework by integrating and extending existing research in marketing, online game and hedonic responses. We then discussed several expectations for this framework. We concluded by discussing the results of this study, providing general recommendation and directions for future research. In hedonic response research, Lacher's research(1994)and Jongho lee and Yunhee Jung' research (2005;2006) has served as a fundamental starting point of our research. A common element in this extended research is the repeated identification of the four hedonic responses: sensory response, imaginal response, emotional response, analytic response. The validity of these four constructs finds in research of music(Lacher 1994) and movie(Jongho lee and Yunhee Jung' research 2005;2006). But, previous research on hedonic response didn't show that constructs of hedonic response have cause-effect relation. Also, although hedonic response enable to different by stimulus properties. effects of stimulus properties is not showed. To fill this gap, while largely based on Lacher(1994)' research and Jongho Lee and Yunhee Jung(2005, 2006)' research, we made several important adaptation with the primary goal of bringing the model into online game and compensating lacks of previous research. We maintained the same construct proposed by Lacher et al.(1994), with four constructs of hedonic response:sensory response, imaginal response, emotional response, analytical response. In this study, the sensory response is typified by some physical movement(Yingling 1962), the imaginal response is typified by images, memories, or situations that game evokes(Myers 1914), and the emotional response represents the feelings one experiences when playing game, such as pleasure, arousal, dominance, finally, the analytical response is that game player engaged in cognition seeking while playing game(Myers 1912). However, this paper has several important differences. We attempted to suggest multi-dimensional experience process in online game and cause-effect relation among hedonic responses. Also, We investigated moderate effects of perceived complexity. Previous studies about hedonic responses didn't show influences of stimulus properties. According to Berlyne's theory(1960, 1974) of aesthetic response, perceived complexity is a important construct because it effects pleasure. Pleasure in response to an object will increase with increased complexity, to an optimal level. After that, with increased complexity, pleasure begins with a linearly increasing line for complexity. Therefore, We expected this perceived complexity will influence hedonic response in game experience. We discussed the rationale for these suggested changes, the assumptions of the resulting framework, and developed some expectations based on its application in Online game context. In the first stage of methodology, questions were developed to measure the constructs. We constructed a survey measuring our theoretical constructs based on a combination of sources, including Yingling(1962), Hargreaves(1962), Lacher (1994), Jongho Lee and Yunhee Jung(2005, 2006), Mehrabian and Russell(1974), Pucely et al(1987). Based on comments received in the pretest, we made several revisions to arrive at our final survey. We investigated the proposed framework through a convenience sample, where participation in a self-report survey was solicited from various respondents having different knowledges. All respondents participated to different degrees, in these habitually practiced activities and received no compensation for their participation. Questionnaires were distributed to graduates and we used 381 completed questionnaires to analysis. The sample consisted of more men(n=225) than women(n=156). In measure, the study used multi-item scales based previous study. We analyze the data using structural equation modeling(LISREL-VIII; Joreskog and Sorbom 1993). First, we used the entire sample(n=381) to refine the measures and test their convergent and discriminant validity. The evidence from both the factor analysis and the analysis of reliability provides support that the scales exhibit internal consistency and construct validity. Second, we test the hypothesized structural model. And, we divided the sample into two different complexity group and analyze the hypothesized structural model of each group. The analysis suggest that hedonic response plays different roles from hypothesized in our study. The results indicate that hedonic response-sensory response, imaginal response, emotional response, analytical response- are related positively to respondents' level of game satisfaction. And game satisfaction is related to higher levels of game loyalty. Additionally, we found that perceived complexity is important to online game experience. Our results suggest that importance of each hedonic response different by perceived game complexity. Understanding the role of perceived complexity in hedonic response enables to have a better understanding of underlying mechanisms at game experience. If game has high complexity, analytical response become important response. So game producers or marketers have to consider more cognitive stimulus. Controversy, if game has low complexity, sensorial response respectively become important. Finally, we discussed several limitations of our study and suggested directions for future research. we concluded with a discussion of managerial implications. Our study provides managers with a basis for game strategies.

온라인 게임에서의 경험을 설명하는 대부분의 이전 연구들이 플로우의 역할을 강조하고 있으며, 플로우의 선행요인과 결과요인을 밝히는데 초점을 두었다. 플로우는 온라인상의 몰입경험을 설명하는데 타당한 것으로 기존 연구에서 검증되었고 성과와 직결된다는 점에서 중요한 변수임은 분명하지만, 쾌락적 경험으로서의 온라인 게임을 설명하는 데 있어서는 부족하다. 이러한 기존 연구의 부족한 점을 보완하고자, 본 연구는 음악과 영화분야에서 연구된 쾌락적 반응 연구를 온라인 게임에 적용하여 온라인 게임에서의 다차원적인 경험과정을 보여주고자 하였다. 또한 기존에 쾌락적 반응에 관한 연구를 보완하여 감각적 반응, 상상적 반응, 분석적 반응이 감정적 반응에 주는 영향을 검증하였으며, 플로우를 대신해 쾌락적 반응들이 게임 만족에 주는 영향, 게임 만족이 충성도에 주는 영향을 규명하고자 하였다. 그리고 쾌락적 선호를 조절하거나 매개하는 변수로 알려진 지각된 복잡성에 따른 조절 영향을 확인함으로써, 자극의 차이에 따른 쾌락적 반응의 영향차이를 보지 않았던 기존연구를 확장하였다. 연구결과, 감각적 반응, 상상적 반응, 분석적 반응의 감정적 반응에 대한 유의한 영향, 각각의 쾌락적 반응의 만족에 대한 유의한 영향, 만족의 충성도에 대한 영향이 검증되었다. 그리고 이러한 영향은 지각된 복잡성이 다른 집단 별로 달랐는데, 예상한 바대로 지각된 복잡성이 높은 집단에서는 분석적 반응이 전반적으로 강한 영향을, 그리고 낮은 집단에서는 감각적 반응이 감정과 만족에 강한 영향을 주는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 연구 마지막에는 이러한 결과들에 대한 요약 및 해석, 시사점 및 한계점이 논의되었다.