Digital Library Keyword Archives
- Proceedings of DiGRA23
Monetization
- 5 articles or papers
The hidden intricacy of loot box design: A granular description of random mone-tized reward features
Ballou Nick Gbadamosi Charles Zendle David
2022 DiGRA ’22 – Proceedings of the 2022 DiGRA International Conference: Bringing Worlds Together
While loot boxes are frequently treated as a monolithic feature of games by re-searchers and policymakers, loot box implementations are not uniform: the features of loot boxes vary widely from game to game in ways that may have important consequences for player spending and behavior. In this work, we attempt to illustrate the nuance present in loot box implementation in a preliminary Loot Box Features model (LoBoF v0.1). Using our lived experience, a qualitative coding exercise of 141 games, and consultation with an industry professional, we identify 32 categorical features of loot box-like mechanics that might be expected to influence player behavior or spending, which we group into 6 domains: point of purchase, pulling procedure, contents, audiovisual presentation, unpaid engagement, and social. We conclude with a discussion of potential implications of this wide variation in loot box design for researchers, regulators, and players.
Monetization and Gamification in Twitch Game Live Streaming
Johnson Mark R Woodcock Jamie
2020 DiGRA ’20 – Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere
Taxonomies for Transactions and User Engagement in Mobile Games
Windleharth Travis Lee Jin Ha
2020 DiGRA ’20 – Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere
While monetization strategies become increasingly complex in mobile games, there is currently no standard vocabulary to describe different types of transactions. We present two taxonomies developed from studying 65 mobile games—a taxonomy of the types of transactions between game players and companies that transfer or create value for the gamer owner, and a taxonomy of methods companies use to drive engagement and retention with mobile games. We also introduce the concept of a transaction value map to illustrate how these taxonomies can be applied to characterize the transfer of value from cash into the game state. Transaction types were mapped to four major areas: real world value exchange, transaction methods, in-game resources, and in-game purpose. This work provides means for discussing transaction types which helps improve our theorized understanding of monetization strategies in games. In addition, it can be adopted in game marketplace to better inform the players.