Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users

Objective: besides free access to online games that adopt the free-to-play business model, players may purchase items to customize the game’s appearance in a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace. However, the aesthetic value of the virtual items has yet to receive attention in the literature. For...

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Main Authors: Francis Barros, Ricardo Teixeira Veiga, Luiz Rodrigo Cunha Moura, André Torres Urdan, Celso Augusto de Matos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD) 2025-01-01
Series:BAR: Brazilian Administration Review
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Online Access:https://bar.anpad.org.br/index.php/bar/article/view/686
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author Francis Barros
Ricardo Teixeira Veiga
Luiz Rodrigo Cunha Moura
André Torres Urdan
Celso Augusto de Matos
author_facet Francis Barros
Ricardo Teixeira Veiga
Luiz Rodrigo Cunha Moura
André Torres Urdan
Celso Augusto de Matos
author_sort Francis Barros
collection DOAJ
description Objective: besides free access to online games that adopt the free-to-play business model, players may purchase items to customize the game’s appearance in a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace. However, the aesthetic value of the virtual items has yet to receive attention in the literature. For this type of game, this study examines a conceptual model of user participation in purchasing virtual goods, testing the relationships between perceived value dimensions (aesthetic, functional, and economic), continued usage intention, and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendation, with attitude as a mediating factor. Methods: a survey sample of 157 Brazilian users was analyzed with structural equation modeling. Results: the three types of perceived value were supported as antecedents of attitude, which mediates the relationships between perceived value and the consequent intentions of reuse and WOM recommendation. The model’s overall fit index is 64.61%, and its explanatory power is 44% for continued use intention and 64% for WOM recommendation. Conclusions: this study advances the understanding of the dynamics of C2C markets for virtual goods through an empirical analysis of the antecedents of loyalty, including the aesthetic dimension of perceived value. The findings indicate where the platforms can improve, for example, reinforcing the aesthetic value of virtual goods to promote connections with and among users, thus increasing continued use and WOM recommendation.
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spelling doaj-art-d80688f017fa4c09a0d3cce1d4567f942025-08-20T02:45:14ZengAssociação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD)BAR: Brazilian Administration Review1807-76922025-01-0121Supplemente240131e24013110.1590/1807-7692bar2024240131686Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market UsersFrancis Barros0Ricardo Teixeira Veiga1Luiz Rodrigo Cunha Moura2André Torres Urdan3Celso Augusto de Matos4Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais, Ouro Branco, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Faculdade de Ciências Econômicas, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade FUMEC, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Nove de Julho, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior Técnico, Centro de Estudos de Gestão, Lisboa, PortugalObjective: besides free access to online games that adopt the free-to-play business model, players may purchase items to customize the game’s appearance in a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace. However, the aesthetic value of the virtual items has yet to receive attention in the literature. For this type of game, this study examines a conceptual model of user participation in purchasing virtual goods, testing the relationships between perceived value dimensions (aesthetic, functional, and economic), continued usage intention, and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendation, with attitude as a mediating factor. Methods: a survey sample of 157 Brazilian users was analyzed with structural equation modeling. Results: the three types of perceived value were supported as antecedents of attitude, which mediates the relationships between perceived value and the consequent intentions of reuse and WOM recommendation. The model’s overall fit index is 64.61%, and its explanatory power is 44% for continued use intention and 64% for WOM recommendation. Conclusions: this study advances the understanding of the dynamics of C2C markets for virtual goods through an empirical analysis of the antecedents of loyalty, including the aesthetic dimension of perceived value. The findings indicate where the platforms can improve, for example, reinforcing the aesthetic value of virtual goods to promote connections with and among users, thus increasing continued use and WOM recommendation.https://bar.anpad.org.br/index.php/bar/article/view/686virtual goodsonline gamessteam marketplaceaesthetic value
spellingShingle Francis Barros
Ricardo Teixeira Veiga
Luiz Rodrigo Cunha Moura
André Torres Urdan
Celso Augusto de Matos
Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users
BAR: Brazilian Administration Review
virtual goods
online games
steam marketplace
aesthetic value
title Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users
title_full Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users
title_fullStr Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users
title_full_unstemmed Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users
title_short Behavioral Consequences of Value Perception in Steam Community Market Users
title_sort behavioral consequences of value perception in steam community market users
topic virtual goods
online games
steam marketplace
aesthetic value
url https://bar.anpad.org.br/index.php/bar/article/view/686
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