遊戲設計對玩家與虛擬化身關係及消費行為之影響

Abstract

近年來隨著線上遊戲的蓬勃發展，關於虛擬化身如何影響玩家的自我認知與呈現的議題被許多研究者關注。因此，本研究首先探討的是遊戲設計因素如何影響玩家與虛擬化身關係。舉例而言，如果玩家可以更自由地客製化自己的虛擬化身，玩家會覺得與自己的虛擬化身更加靠近嗎?本研究再探討玩家與虛擬化身關係如何影響玩家對虛擬裝飾品的消費行為。當玩家用不同方式看待自己的虛擬化身，替自己的虛擬化身裝扮，因此將會產生不同的消費行為。 本研究收集376份熱門線上遊戲玩家之問卷資料，利用統計與類神經網路分析。本研究發現遊戲設計元素、玩家與虛擬化身關係及玩家消費行為的確有相關，當遊戲設計元素中死亡懲罰輕與寵物機制存在，會使玩家與虛擬化身關係較有情感連結，進而使玩家願意更加投注於虛擬化身的裝扮，增加玩家於線上遊戲商城之消費。另一方面，研究發現玩家上線時間越久，培養與虛擬化身的情感，能幫助玩家建立與深化虛擬化身的關係，進而增加玩家在線上遊戲商城之消費。

As online games growing popular, avatar related issues such as how avatar usage affects self-identity and self-presentation have drawn many research attention. In this thesis, we first study how game design features may affect the player-avatar relation. For example, if the avatar can be customized more freely, will players feel more attached to their avatar? Secondly, we study how the player-avatar relation may affect consumption of virtual decorative items. Intuitively, when players perceive their avatar in different ways, they will have different consumption behavior since decorative virtual items are put on avatars.

We analyzed more 376 questionnaires filled by mainstream online game players with both statistical analysis and artificial neural networks. The findings indicate that the game design features are correlated to player-avatar relation and players' consumption behavior. When it comes to game design features, if death punishment is light and the pet system exists, the players tend to have more emotional connection with his/her avatar. In this case, the players are more willing to decorate the avatars, and the consumption of decorative virtual items is increased. Furthermore, this study also found when a player spends more time in the game world, the player has more emotional feeling for the avatar, and it might help the player construct a deeper player-avatar relation. Thence, the player will increase the consumption in the game store.