Human Ecology Research

The Korean Home Economics Association (대한가정학회)
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User Review Analysis of Microtransactions in Freemium Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Using Structural Topic Modeling

구조적 토픽모델링을 활용한 무료형 대규모 다중이용자 온라인 롤플레잉 게임의 소액결제에 대한 이용자 리뷰 분석

  • Cheol Lee (Convergence Program for Social Innovation, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Jae-Eun Chung (Department of Consumer Science / Convergence Program for Social Innovation, Sungkyunkwan University)
  • 이철 (성균관대학교 소셜이노베이션융합전공) ;
  • 정재은 (성균관대학교 소비자학과 / 소셜이노베이션융합전공)
  • Received : 2023.07.06
  • Accepted : 2023.08.09
  • Published : 2023.08.30
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Abstract

This study investigated player responses to microtransactions in freemium Massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPG), specifically focusing on the game LostArk using English language review data. To this end, structural topic modeling was employed and the following six microtransaction-relevant topics were identified: microtransactions, developer issues, real money trade (RMT), random number generator (RNG) upgrade system, game content, and collectibles & adventure. The first four topics were classified as being "not recommended". However, the proportions of microtransaction-related topics were relatively lower than the other topics. Additionally, this study did not extract keywords related to unfairness and unethical issues in previous microtransaction research. The last two topics, game content, and collectibles & adventure were "recommended" topics, indicating positive functions of microtransactions such as enhancing the game experience by purchasing virtual items. Moreover, it was found that players who do not engage in microtransactions can still be satisfied through continuous game content updates. Additionally, an examination of the interaction effect between time and recommendation status revealed that while the frequency with which the six microtransaction-related topics were mentioned increased over time in the reviews, the ratio of recommendations to non-recommendations varied differently. This study contributes to game-related research by revealing players' authentic opinions on microtransactions in freemium MMORPGs, thereby providing practical implications for game companies.

Keywords

References

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