Purpose

Sports organizations have a strategic interest in utilizing video games as a means to generate commercial opportunities and increase participation in their respective sports. This study aims to investigate the specific features of sports video games (SVGs) that may significantly influence gamers’ desire to own virtual items, their Willingness to Pay (W2P) for these items and their participation in real-life soccer activities. The research also considers generational cohorts, and the amount of time gamers spend playing video games, offering a preliminary analysis of potential differences among various demographic groups and gamer types. Conducted in collaboration with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the practical implications of this research aim to provide FIFA and other sports organizations with a foundational basis for the selection and collaborative development of SVGs.

Design/methodology/approach

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to determine the impact of concrete SVG features on consumers’ Ownership, W2P and Participation. Hence, a new survey construct needed to be developed based on an extensive review of scales that have been used by researchers to assess gamers’ gratifications and motivations for playing video games. The new construct was tested and refined through exploratory factor analysis. This study subsequently uses structural equation modeling to explore the impact of various SVG features on Ownership, W2P and Participation.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that, from a commercial perspective, competition, collaboration and social interaction appeal to gamers and drive Ownership and W2P in SVGs. Additionally, discovery and exploration enhance the SVG experience further motivating gamers to spend on in-game content. Fantasy, Escape and Sport Context are critical determinants of soccer Participation, as they enable gamers to immerse themselves in a virtual environment that offers experiences unattainable in real life. These features can strengthen gamers’ identification with soccer, making real-life Participation more appealing. Competing, Socializing and Relationship features also boost Participation by fostering a feeling of community and social interaction, encouraging gamers to seek similar real-world experiences. The findings of this study indicate that a universal approach may be ineffective, as various target audiences are motivated to engage in commercial transactions or participate in soccer based on different SVG features. Consequently, it is essential for sports organizations to segment their target audience and strategically develop SVGs that cater to the distinct needs of each group.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should aim to draw more representative samples by including a broader range of demographics, income levels and geographic locations. This would ensure that findings are generalizable across different segments of the population. The study also offers first insights into the preferences of different types of gamers according to their age group and time spent playing. However, additional research is needed to determine the preferences of additional types of gamers, for instance, by creating dedicated gamer marketing personas based on parameters like frequency of play, length of an individual gaming session, number of games owned, etc.

Practical implications

For sports organizations like FIFA, focusing on SVGs with multiplayer experiences, social features and competitive gameplay is crucial. Monetization strategies should capitalize on gamers’ desire to stand out and succeed in social and competitive contexts. With the additional focus on the discovery of rare items, sports organizations should integrate scarcity, exclusivity and discovery mechanics into their video games. The combination of social competition and the thrill of discovering rare items can drive higher engagement, loyalty and revenue. To inspire greater Participation in real-life soccer, sports organizations like FIFA should strategically select or develop video games that harness the power of immersion into a virtual sports environment by incorporating “Fantasy”, “Escape” and “Sport Context” features into SVGs. By creating immersive experiences that encourage gamers to connect with the sport on a deeper level, SVGs can effectively drive real-life soccer engagement.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time a study explores the concrete features of SVGs that may have a significant impact on gamers’ desire to own virtual items (Ownership), on consumers’ W2P for these items and on Participation in real-life soccer activities. Unlike previous research, which has predominantly concentrated on video games in general or specifically on the sports simulation game subcategory within SVGs, this study adopts a broader perspective by considering all types of sports-themed video games.

中文翻译：

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大分 – 体育视频游戏功能如何推动虚拟所有权、支付意愿和足球参与度

 目的

体育组织对利用电子游戏作为创造商业机会和增加各自运动参与度的手段具有战略利益。本研究旨在调查体育视频游戏 （SVG） 的具体特征，这些特征可能会显着影响游戏玩家拥有虚拟物品的愿望、他们对这些物品的支付意愿 （W2P） 以及他们参与现实生活中的足球活动。该研究还考虑了代际群体以及游戏玩家玩电子游戏的时间，对各种人口群体和游戏玩家类型之间的潜在差异进行了初步分析。本研究与国际足球联合会 （FIFA） 合作进行，其实际意义旨在为 FIFA 和其他体育组织提供 SVG 的选择和协作开发的基础。

设计/方法/方法

据作者所知，这是第一次尝试确定具体的 SVG 功能对消费者的所有权、W2P 和参与的影响。因此，需要根据对研究人员用来评估游戏玩家玩电子游戏的满足感和动机的量表的广泛审查来开发一种新的调查结构。通过探索性因子分析对新构建体进行了测试和改进。本研究随后使用结构方程建模来探索各种 SVG 特征对所有权、W2P 和参与度的影响。

 发现

这项研究的结果表明，从商业角度来看，竞争、协作和社交互动对游戏玩家有吸引力，并推动了 SVG 的所有权和 W2P。此外，发现和探索增强了 SVG 体验，进一步激励游戏玩家在游戏内内容上消费。Fantasy、Escape 和 Sport Context 是足球参与的关键决定因素，因为它们使游戏玩家能够沉浸在虚拟环境中，提供现实生活中无法获得的体验。这些功能可以增强玩家对足球的认同感，使现实生活中的参与更具吸引力。竞争、社交和关系功能还通过培养社区和社交互动的感觉来提高参与度，鼓励游戏玩家寻求类似的真实世界体验。本研究的结果表明，通用方法可能无效，因为不同的目标受众会根据不同的 SVG 特征被激励参与商业交易或参与足球。因此，体育组织必须细分其目标受众并战略性地开发满足每个群体不同需求的 SVG。

研究局限性/影响

未来的研究应旨在通过包括更广泛的人口统计、收入水平和地理位置来吸引更具代表性的样本。这将确保研究结果可以在人群的不同部分推广。该研究还根据不同类型游戏玩家的年龄组和游戏时间提供了对他们偏好的初步见解。但是，需要额外的研究来确定其他类型游戏玩家的偏好，例如，根据游戏频率、单个游戏会话的时长、拥有的游戏数量等参数创建专门的游戏玩家营销角色。

 实际意义

对于像 FIFA 这样的体育组织来说，专注于具有多人游戏体验、社交功能和竞技游戏玩法的 SVG 至关重要。变现策略应利用游戏玩家在社交和竞争环境中脱颖而出并取得成功的愿望。随着对稀有物品的发现的额外关注，体育组织应该将稀缺性、排他性和发现机制整合到他们的视频游戏中。社交竞争和发现稀有物品的快感相结合，可以提高参与度、忠诚度和收入。为了激发更多人参与现实生活中的足球，像 FIFA 这样的体育组织应该战略性地选择或开发视频游戏，通过将“幻想”、“逃脱”和“运动环境”功能整合到 SVG 中，利用沉浸感进入虚拟体育环境。通过创造身临其境的体验，鼓励游戏玩家在更深层次上与这项运动建立联系，SVG 可以有效地推动现实生活中的足球参与。

 原创性/价值

据作者所知，这是第一次有研究探讨 SVG 的具体特征，这些特征可能对游戏玩家拥有虚拟物品的愿望（所有权）、消费者对这些物品的 W2P 以及参与现实生活中的足球活动产生重大影响。与之前主要集中在一般视频游戏或专门关注 SVG 中的运动模拟游戏子类别的研究不同，本研究通过考虑所有类型的运动主题视频游戏，采用了更广泛的视角。