Högskolan i Skövde

The main monetization model used in digital games, from the simple model of a one-time purchase, has shifted to more complex models involving microtransactions. This has led to both academic and legal discourse questioning the ethicality of these monetization methods. It became evident through a significant amount of existing literature that digital game monetization (DGM) is paired with a highly negative connotation, with authors even acknowledging or unsubstantiating the fact that their methods elicit more negative responses from participants. Academic articles examining the digital game markets in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have found that this unfavorable attitude towards digital game monetization is not nearly as pervasive as it is in Europe and the United States of America (USA). The aim of this thesis was to gain a holistic perspective on consumers’ attitude towards the ethicality of digital game monetization, and how this attitude is influenced by culture. It was achieved through the following research questions: How does culture and beliefs influence the consumer’s attitude toward the ethicality of digital game monetization? How does culture, attitude and digital game monetization influence consumers’ purchasing intentions and purchasing behavior? Using quantitative methodology, a survey questionnaire was distributed to two sample groups consisting of digital game consumers from the USA and PRC. The data was analyzed primarily through an independent samples t-test, using SPSS. The study’s results showed a significant difference in attitudes toward the most common DGM models and strategies between the two groups. Participants from the USA overwhelmingly showed a favorable attitude towards the more traditional pay-once model. In contrast, Chinese participants had a far more favorable attitude towards the freemium (free-to-play) model. The results showed how culture influences consumer behavior, as well as the importance of game producers being aware of consumers’ cognitions and attitudes towards their products and services, if they wish to succeed on a global stage.