Online Video Games as Distribution Channel for Retail Brand Voucher

Selling in-game content/items has become popular revenue model recently especially for the game publishers in online video games. Revenue from microtransaction in video games has been increased every year, that shows that the raising interest towards online gaming to gain more power of the gamers. We saw this as an opportunity for retail brands to distribute their digital voucher as advertisement for their brands in the form of cashback through various online games. While prior research has investigated the reasons for players to buy in-game content, it has not focused on the possibility of changing the consumer (gamers) retail brand top of mind with the digital voucher retail brand through distribution channel of cashback program from online video games. The various reasons (19) were operationalized into a survey (N=523) and we will explore how the motivations converges into certain dimensions. The results indicated that the purchased reason converged into six dimensions: 1) Ostentatious, 2) Addiction, 3) Generosity, 4) Eagerness, 5) Personal Value, and 6) Indulgence. Second, we need to investigate the relationship between these factors towards Behavioral Aspects and Intention to Use the cashback digital voucher. The results revealed that the dimensions of Generosity and Personal Value were significantly impacting the Behavioral Aspects and Intention to Use, indicating that if the gamers possess these traits, their top of mind could be changed, and they will use the digital voucher so they can get a cashback from the game. Since the Behavioral Aspects dimension indicates that people usually will spend more than they planned especially when they get a cashback, game developers will get increase in revenue, and gamers will enjoy the cashback benefit as they can purchase more retail brand products with the vouchers. These will lead into the expansion the new customer segment of the retail brand or maintain loyalty for the existing one.